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Dirt Poor
I knew Hoss
O'Brien better than he knew himself. The feedlot farmer, who seemed unable
to pull himself up from the depths of poverty, had called the clinic to
report a problem with his cattle. "My cows don't look so good, Doc…they've
been losin' weight."
…As I pulled around the house near the backyard, two of O'Brien's eleven
kids stopped their wrestling long enough to wave to me.
"Hoss, where did the cattle here come from?" I asked.
"South Texas," he proudly said, "…and I got one hell of a
deal, too."
After scanning the herd, it didn't take me long to realize he'd been
'taken'. Three depressed cows Hoss had pointed out were dying in a
standing position. And the farmer said, "Whatdya think, Doc…are
they sick?"
…As I checked each animal, I saw that even the healthiest cattle were
showing symptoms of a disease. The O'Brien's cattle had Anaplasmosis.
"Now, Doc…tell us true…what's this ana-stuff?"
I said, "Hoss, they get poor blood, run high fevers, quit eating and
drinking, turn yellow from bad livers…and die."
"But where does it come from?" he asked.
"It's spread from animal to animal by direct mechanical
transmission."
Looking confused, Hoss said, "But, Doc…my pickup ain't been runnin'
lately."
…find out the outcome in Chapter 14 of HEY DOC.
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