Donkeys are known to get a little chunky and by chunky I mean fat deposits externally and internally which are detrimental to their health and wellbeing. Further, keeping your donkey at an ideal weight is of the utmost importance for the prevention of laminitis.
Here is some nutritional information for caring for your donkey:
Feed 1.5-2% of body weight in forage per day.
Generally, once the energy (calorie) requirement has been met, their protein requirement will have also been met. Donkeys also only require about 75% of the calories that a horse of a similar weight would need which is why they are often referred to as “super keepers.”
Donkeys have rather large intestines, which they use to full capacity, and will retain forage longer to digest their intake more thoroughly. Due to their increased capacity and retention, donkeys often have a “hay belly” appearance, or an “A” frame appearance.
1. Feed roughly 75% straw and 25% hay ,except during the winter when you can feed 50/50 straw and hay.
2. Barley straw is ideal, followed by wheat straw and then oat.
3. Vitamin / Mineral supplement or Ration Balancer • Use a low sugar/starch carrier for supplements such as Timothy Pellets or Non-Molasses Beet Pulp. Ration balancing supplements with a 3- to 4-ounce serving size are typically a better choice.
4. Access to water 24/7 despite the belief that they do not need as much water as horses, they DO!
5. Avoid sugary treats.
6. Muzzle. Muzzle. Muzzle. OR Dry Lot. Once your donkey gains weight not only is it difficult to lose, the fat deposits (the fallen crest, lumps) may never go away. It is easier to be proactive than it is to be reactive. Even if the grass looks sparse, due to their “desert” ancestry, any grass is considered “lush.”
White Line Disease is extremely common in donkeys and can cause major issues if severe or left untreated.
What is White Line Disease or Seedy Toe?:
The white line is seen on the underside of the foot. It is where the unpigmented horn of the inner hoof wall joins the horn of the sole. Degeneration of the horn at the white line leads to separation of the hoof wall from the underlying structures and weakening of the hoof wall.
Risk Factors:
The reason why WLD occurs isn’t fully known, but anaerobic bacteria and fungi alongside poor foot hygiene play an important role in the development of the disease.
Some of the risk factors associated with the development of this condition are;
1. The presence of horn digesting microbes (Pseudoallscheria boydii, Scopulariopsis spp., Aspergillus spp, Fusobacterium necrophorum, penicillium spp.)
2. A wet and humid environment, poor foot hygiene, 3. Pre-existing laminitis resulting in a stretched white line 4. Hereditary factors.
Donkeys seem to be more susceptible to WLD than horses. It can affect any of the four feet and recurrence is common. Generally donkeys with WLD will not be lame, but depending on the severity of the pathology or the presence of other associated diseases, lameness could be present.
Prevention:
Maintaining good foot hygiene and regular foot care will help to prevent the occurrence of WLD. The following are best practice for prevention of this condition:
1. Clean the hooves daily, monitoring the integrity of the white line and the rest of hoof structures.
2. Change bedding frequently, avoiding humidity and accumulation of faeces and urine, especially in wet seasons.
3. Arrange for your farrier to check and trim the feet every six to ten weeks depending on the amount of exercise/wear, the age of the donkey and/or the presence of hoof pathology.
4. Avoid grease or similar products as they reduce horn oxygenation and can create an environment that encourages proliferation of horn digesting microbes.
5. Monitor animals with a history of WLD closely as they will be more susceptible to recurrence.
6. Good, clean hard standing and dry bedding are important for the health of all donkeys’ feet, but for animals with recurrent WLD it is very important.
Treatment Options:
1. Resection: Your farrier or vet will remove all the damaged horn. This procedure should not be painful but it may be necessary to remove a lot of hoof wall if the disease has progressed. In some circumstances it may be necessary to take an x-ray before removing a large amount of hoof wall to check the stability of the pedal bone.
2. Cleaning and Medicine: Once all the damaged horn has been removed, the hoof needs to be kept clean with daily hoof picking and brushing to remove as much organic matter as possible. Once the foot is clean topical disinfectants (eg povidone iodine, hydrogen peroxide or zinc sulfate) in solutions or sprays are useful to reduce microbial contamination.
3. Other Treatments: Removing all the abnormal horn, ensuring good oxygenation to the area and maintaining good foot hygiene may be enough to manage the problem. However, if the amount of wall that has been removed is substantial, your vet or farrier may decide to refill the defect with acrylic material to give more stability to the hoof capsule. In these cases it is vital that all the affected horn is removed to ensure the acrylic material bonds to healthy horn.
So, I wish I did not have to start this process again…but unfortunately, I do. Once again I have a senior horse with a variety of acute and chronic conditions that all hit at the same time. Right now I am trying to make her comfortable while also trying to figure out what is what and how to best respond.
Three months ago Tilly was tested for EPM due to muscle wasting and weight loss.The first time she was in the lower end of an active infection. We started a compounded medicine for 1 month and her numbers decreased. We decided to do another round as she responded well to the first round. However, the numbers remained the same. We also tested her for Lyme which showed a chronic and an active infection but the numbers were in the high normal range and the vet felt that it was not treatment worthy at the time.
Last month Tilly began “crab walking” out of the blue. Called the vet. They came out. Her ataxia was bilateral- both her left and right hind- whereas EPM tends to be unilateral. Further, her presentation was not suggestive of Lyme.
We started steroids (dexamethasone oral power) for 5 days with Banamine, tapering as we went, and she seemed to recover. The consensus was it was an acute attack that may have occurred given she is a senior with a history of being an Amish workhorse and perhaps, she pulled something in her neck.
Treatment was complete and another week went by and again, she showed some ataxia. This time less severe. The vet felt that since she responded well to the first round of steroids that it was not EPM-related as you would not see improvement. Further, if it were Lyme related the presentation would be more consistent. Again, a round of Dex and improved quickly. The next week we had her neck x-rayed and there were some arthritic changes. However, she was running around and moving well so the vet felt injections in her neck would not be necessary at that time.
Seventy two hours later, she had some trouble getting up but eventually succeeded. The next morning my sweet girl was spinning, crab walking, and falling over. It was absolutely terrible to see. I immediately gave her 10cc IV Banamine and she calmed down and stopped spinning. The vet came out and administered Dex IV and thought that due to her inflammatory bowel disease we should try Dex IM to ensure absorption. We also decided to pull blood to test for Cushings as she seemed to lose weight overnight and was not shedding out well. The next day she was lame on her right front. Panicked I called the vet fearing that if she did have Cushings, she was trying to founder due to the steroid use. Thankfully, the vet came out, did a nerve block on her right front (this helps to see if the horse has laminitis as they will improve once blocked) and checked for pulses (if a horse has laminitis typically they will have pulses in their hooves) and Tilly did not have any. So, the vet did not feel we were dealing with founder. However, the lameness presented a major challenge due to her still being ataxic on the hind end. The vet did cortisone injections into her neck hoping to help with inflammation due to arthritis. Tilly did great and suddenly, began freaking out. Spinning, knocking into the doors, etc. The vet explained that the injections likely added more pressure on her spinal cord causing her to react. Again, once the vet was able to safely administer Banamine and some Dorm, she calmed and laid down for the first time in over a week for a good 45 minutes. We decided to make sure she was able to get back up. Although she had some trouble, after a couple tries, she was able to do so. Her breathing was heavy, wheezy, almost like she was having a panic attack and hyperventilating. A few minutes later, her breathing returned to normal.
Tilly’s Cushing’s text level was about 100 pg/mL (it should be about 30 pg/mL during mid-November to mid-July) meaning, she does have Cushings. The vet decided to wean her off of the steroid as to not increase the risk of Laminitis even more but also to give neck injections time to work (5-7 days). We also immediately began Prescend (2 tabs) a day to treat her Cushings.
We are on day 5 since the 3rd ataxic episode and day 3 post neck injection and she is still lame on her right front along with ataxic on her hind end. However, she is still eating, engaging, and is bright and alert. She does not seemed distressed or in pain thankfully. Due to Tilly not showing much improvement (even though it can take 5-7 days to see improvements from the neck injections) I decided to start her on a non-compounded EPM medication, Protazil. According to the vet, Protazil should not cause any harm whether her symptoms are EMP related or not. I also began 10cc of Vitamin E oil. Tilly was previously on pelleted Vitamin E but due to her inflammatory bowel disorder, she may struggle to absorb the pelleted form of the supplement. Further, there are a number of studies showing the benefits of Vitamin E and the connection between Vitamin E and ataxia.
On a positive note, since starting Prescend for her Cushings, I have noticed that she is drinking less water. Increased water intake is a symptom of unmanaged Cushings. I am hopeful that means the medication has started to work at regulating her hormones. We are now at a wait and see point. I continue to try to make her comfortable. Tons of bedding in her huge foaling stall, hay everywhere, fans on, doors open. She has been a trooper. My hope is that she recovers from this and enjoy whatever time she has left and fights this as she has so many other things- the reason she was given the name, Ottilie.
The most common esophageal conditions in horses is choking and it is always an emergency.
Typically, there is a cause to this condition like eating too quickly, food being too dry or suck together, or even a lack of water. Some horses may choke due to their dental health as well. Further, abnormal esophagus anatomy can also contribute a predisposition to choking, Food may form a firm bolus that becomes lodged in their esophagus. However, other items can also cause an obstruction like hay or straw, hard treats, carrots, and even, nonfood objects.
How to tell if your horse is choking?
The most common symptoms are hyper salivation, food or foam coming out of their nose and mouth
Some horses may become anxious and thrash around
Retching
Not eating
Acting colicky
Coughing
What to do when you suspect your horse is choking?
Immediately remove access to any food or hay.
Call your veterinarian
If you are knowledgable with medication administration, and your horse is extremely agitated, you can administer a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) like Banamine. Make sure to check the horse’s temperature before administering as NSAIDs will mask a fever.
Once the vet arrives they will preform a physical exam. Typically, they will insert a tube down the horse’s throat to flush out any compaction. This may have to be done multiple times.
Your horse maybe required to begin antibiotics depending on the veterinarian’s advise to help treat any aspiration or potential pneumonia.
You may need to keep your horse confined for a few horses (or days) depending on the severity of the choke.
You will need to check their temperature for a few days after choke to ensure that the horse has not developed an upper respiratory infection.
Depending on the cause, the veterinarian may schedule a dental float procedure, or have you wet the horse’s feed and/or hay or switch the feed entirely.
So, the other day, I walked into our beautiful run-in and saw all of the two by fours with chunks missing and some down to almost nothing. I stood there with my jaw dropped. Are you kidding me?!
These donkeys live in luxury. They have premium hay, mineral blocks, shelter, toys, each other, and even blankets. They have their vaccines, teeth floated, and feet done. What could possibly possess them to eat wood? They have messed with the trees before but that stopped. Frustrated, I solicited some advice from a friend of mine and also did some research. Here is what I found.
Apparently, donkeys will chew on wood for one of three reasons.
Boredom
Mineral Deficiency
Copying their Mates
The top reason is boredom. According to Hayfarmguy.com, this is the most common reason for donkeys to chew on wood. That being said, this boredom is often the result of not having their friends or being locked up in a stall for long periods. These two items are not applicable to my situations. They are always with each other and are outside the entire time with the option to go into a shelter; they are rarely confined. They also have a large area to run around and play.
The second reason, vitamin deficiency…good ole Pica…the craving for non-food items such as wood. This can be solved by running blood work to look at the minerals and by purchasing a mineral block.
The third reason, when there is a new horse or donkey in the pact and they possess the wood eating habit. Donkey see, donkey do!
How do you address and stop this destructive habit?
Spray wood surfaces with an anti-chew substance. You can purchase these sprays at a tack or local feed store. Or, you can make your own with Cayenne Pepper and water.
Get blood work done and provide a mineral block.
Provide the donkeys with things to play with- a ball, milk jug, etc.
We are beginning to build a barn on our property!!! While it is super exciting, there is much more to the process than I could ever imagine. I will be updating my site throughout the process. Below are some helpful resources along with the plans/lay-out for our barn.
I decided to get on Tilly and see how she was under saddle.
The saddle fit nicely and I chose a bit-less bridle. Tilly was calm throughout tacking her up and getting on her back. One hiccup….she would not respond to my leg or move forward at all. My friend decided to lead her and Tilly walked easily forward. I decided to end with that for the day. A few days later I got on her back again. Same thing happened- she would just stand there. Small spurs, leg, a crop (which I hit gently against my leg)…none of them worked. I was frustrated despite it not being my sweet girl’s fault so I ended our ride. I knew nothing could be accomplished with me being frustrated. I decided to do some research on work horses and posted on some Facebook forums about my situation. I received some awesome advice!
The advice I received is below.
“If she was used in harness you will probably have to use driving commands as you teach her.Walk on, or get up to go forward. Gee to turn right, Ha to turn left. May have to tap her hind quarter with the crop.”
“Get someone to lead her after you give her forward cues”
“She may never have been ridden, on driven. I would find a good trainer who works with starting horses, even though she’s not young. It will take months but if she’s started correctly she’ll be lovely and at her age will help to keep her sound once she begins to WTC, as driving horses only walk.”
“Probably a driving horse. Try “Step up” or “walk on” look up the Amish terms. Gee, Haw, Gee around, Haw around, etc…See if that helps. If she was a driving or plow horse it also helps to hold your hands wider at first.”
“Patients little at a time he or she needs to know you love them first ground work is good he may be sore see if he’s stiff arthritis meds or joint supplements he may only know driving commands such a gee or has or come and get good luck”.
“Sounds like she hasn’t been ridden but is a good girl! She may need a bit in her mouth to understand what you are asking since she was driven. If she understands words, perhaps say them for what you want. Looks like others know those words better than me! I know my horse that logged has a nice “whoa”. Just can’t say “good boy” – sure, sounds like whoa! I saddled and sat on a driving horse, Belgian (no history known) with a leader for walk only. I felt that he was sore – even though there was no outward sign – perhaps the way he held himself. Not saying this is the case for you – just a thought. I like the other advice here as well!”
“I rescued my 18 year old boy in November Same history as your mare. As workhorses, they were not trained to ride, and they don’t know the commands or how to respond to leg pressure or the bit (other than pulling). So you need to start with groundwork and then at the very beginning, because basically they are green. I do not use a crop on my boy. Never will.”
“I would never give her spur or crop. You don’t want to punish her for not understanding your cues.”
“My Belgian was not broke either but she did walk out just fine unlike your mare. Get a driving bit…that’s what she’ll be familiar with. Check all voice commands to see if she knows any of them. If not I’d teach her voice commands lunging her and then get back on once she’s responding well.”
“Because they came from Amish, a friend told me to learn the commands in that specific language (version of German). Worth a try. BUT, I will say, I have tried to avoid anything that would remind my boy of his previous owner.”
“Haw & Gee. These are commands used to ask what direction to turn by the horse by voice command. It works well when they’re in harness working. Gee means go right, haw means go left. The Amish use “step up” to take a step or two forward and “ walk on” to walk. “Whoa” to stop. Try these commands while mounted. Slowly add in the ques you want to use in addition to the verbal ques your mare already knows.”
“She might have never been used alone, which could mean she’s looking for a cue from someone else, (it would explain why someone needs to lead her) amish usually use a oring bit, she might do better with blinders at first, and she’s probably voice activated. She won’t have any clue about leg cues. Start ground driving her, she still might be a little confused being single but she figure it out. good luck.”
” when you are on her wanting her to go sometimes turning her to one side or the other where she has to step to move is a good way to start her momentum.”
The Chances We Take 