Founder

[Lammie]

I have a miniature donkey that has foundered. Took her to the vet and they say it is from green grass. I can understand that, as we have an abundance of it here, owing to the rains, and it really is for first decent forage they have had for two years. Anyway, I have had her stalled for about a week. I take her out to exercise and to muck her stall. Everything has dried up for now and her foot isn't getting wet. I have it bandaged and I change the dressing every day, soak it in Epsom's salts, pack it with Ichthomal, (SP?). She is also getting an anti biotic daily. Had some Bute, but was only supppoed to give it to her for 5 days.

Is there anything else I should be doing? And the larger question: How hard is this to manage now that she has it? She's a good brood mare and she makes good foals that are easy to train. I would hate to lose her, and she isn't limping now. If she were in chronic pain, I would certainly euthanize her, as she doesn't deserve that.

What experiences do you all have with this issue? Vet wanted me to keep her stalled for another week and conmtinue the treatment regimine we have been following. I am attached to her, but I don't want her to sufffer.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Bought a horse that was foundered.
We ended up having to keep shoes on him year round. Walking on rocky areas was painful for him. His toes would curl upward if we did not keep shoes on him.
As for green grass and grain, we never gave him any grain and for the green grass he would be let out for just half a day then brought back inside for a couple days of dry hay. Once everything dried up we would let him out to pasture, but til then.
I would do a slow re-introduction of green grass by letting her out for an hour or two then bring her back inside.
Some other people may have some other suggestions.
As long as she doesn't founder again she should be fine. Just watch her closely.

 

[Lammie]

Shoeing her isn't an option, as they would be the size of quarters! There aren't any boots she can wear on it either. I even asked around the mini community. Our ground isn't hard. It has been mushy lately with the rain. We have sandy soils here. I appreciate the idea of gradually reintroducing her. I was thinking of doing that slowly.

 

[Just_a_girl]

Lammie,

I, myself have not had any experience with a foundered animals, but my friend's horse foundered several years ago and is doing fine. The horse does not wear shoes and is turned out. No one rides her that I know of, and as far as I know the horse seems content. Probably being turned out and no one riding is just fine with the horse, since her name is Sassy.

I hope your donkey will be okay....

 

[msscamp]

How hard is this to manage now that she has it?

If you're careful, it isn't hard to manage. We boarded a horse for better than 2 years that had foundered twice on grass. I would be extremely careful about turning her out on grass at all, and would talk it over with my farrier and vet before I even considered it. You will also probably have to be very careful what kind of hay you feed her, as anything with very high protein content can tip her into founder again. If she tips into founder again, the chances are high she will not pull out of it and you will have no choice but to put her down. I wish you the best of luck with this mare.

 

[Lammie]

Right now she's on coastal hay. I never feed them alfalfa for that reason, it's too hot for them. AS for grain, she's getting Golden Oak Horse and Mule, which is 10% protein. I only give her as much as I need , like maybe 1/2 cup, to mix with the anti-biotic powder. They are all insane for grain, though, and think they should be fed every day. In fact, Sarah and her foals got into the barn where I keep the feed barrels and overturned one and ate most of it, and made hash out of a couple of bales of coastal during the winter. The feed they trashed was what I was feeding out the steer on, and it was a mixture of corn and high protein calf finisher. I found them in the pen next morning all full and guilty. I had forgotten to latch the gate to that pen and they had gotten in but could not get back out again.

I have since moved the feed barrels to another location.

 

[Victoria]

I don't know donkeys but we bred Welsh Ponies while I was growing up (still have some) so unfortunately I have experience with founder.The degree that she foundered will determine how hard it is to watch. It also does seem to depend a lot on the horse/donkey.

One thing I would suggest. First is frequent trims. Keep those feet short - it will improve circulation. We had one that foundered badly and he was getting trims twice a week, then once a week and then maintained at once every two weeks.
It's good you are exercising her, again good for circulation we never stalled them, just kept them on soft ground with a friend to keep them moving.
I have had some that come out of it and then first time back out on the grass they get it again. Had a mare that got hit in both front feet came out of it and then continued being my primary riding pony for years with no shoeing etc.
In the future I would bring her in every spring and don't let her have that new grass. Keep her on a good trimming schedule, if you take her out to parades or other roadways she will need shoes, limit the grain. You could have many more years of happiness with your donkey and if she is coming out of the founder I sure wouldn't put her down!
We're building a new fence today because we have 5 fat ponies that I am worried about. Their pasture is growing too much grass this year (good for the cows, not so good for the ponies) so we are cutting it in half.

 

[Kelly]

I have a chronic founder pony because of metabolic problems.
It is best to cut out as much sugars as you can from the diet & try to stay under 10% nsc. You can also soak your hay to cut sugars out of it until you see improvement. I keep mine on dry lot & feed low nsc hay that has been tested and give her the minerals that the hay is lacking. I feed no grain at all.
Circulation is extremely important so if you can pad the feet with styrofoam or padding of some sort it will encourage movement. Even a couple of baby diapers duct taped on maybe?? Just use your imagination but the softer the better with some support for tender feet might help some of the pain. Why is the donkey on antibiotics? Try using as little bute as you can so you don't end up with more problems then you started with.

Is the donkey overweight? I think soaking the feet might soften them too much right now with the danger of rotation going on & maybe just soak if she gets an abscess from foundering down the road? If it were me I would try to put her in a small drylot instead of a stall and get a correct founder trim on her also.

Good luck
I hope she improves soon

 

[Lammie]

I appreciate that. Mini donkeys tend to get fat, but mine aren't because I really have to watch what they eat. They can turn into little pigs. I hate that fat neck thing they get. I have been padding her feet with diapers. My farrier recommended that. I exercise her after I clean her stall. She's eating coastal hay. I think that anti-biotics were preventative. She's done with that anyway. No bute anymore, as I know it can cause stomach problems. I will occasionally give it to her if she's having a hard time. She's been much better. I just need for it to dry out. There is so much rain, and we got about 6 inches over the weekend. It was dry for about a week and I was turning her out with her herd for a few hours each day. She is very close to both her foals and they missed her terribly.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[peg4x4]

Baby tennis shoes?? Saw a mini theripy pony that wore them

 

[Lammie]

Baby tennis shoes?? Saw a mini theripy pony that wore them

Now that might be interesting to see at any rate.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Isn't that the horse that works as a seeing eye "dog"?
That was pretty neat. He was wearing shoes, kiddy shoes.
Worked pretty well for them.

 

[msscamp]

I just need for it to dry out. There is so much rain, and we got about 6 inches over the weekend. It was dry for about a week and I was turning her out with her herd for a few hours each day. She is very close to both her foals and they missed her terribly.

Thanks for all the advice.

Lammie - I don't understand the in's and out's of it, and maybe it is different with donkeys, but the foundered horse I told you about was kept in her stall on wet bedding for a long time when she first arrived. There was also another foundered horse(that I just thought of) that was boarded with us briefly, and their farrier recommended watering the run to make it more pliable and easier on the horses feet. Rain just might be your little donkeys best friend at this stage of the game. ;-)

 

[Lammie]

I just need for it to dry out. There is so much rain, and we got about 6 inches over the weekend. It was dry for about a week and I was turning her out with her herd for a few hours each day. She is very close to both her foals and they missed her terribly.

Thanks for all the advice.

Lammie - I don't understand the in's and out's of it, and maybe it is different with donkeys, but the foundered horse I told you about was kept in her stall on wet bedding for a long time when she first arrived. There was also another foundered horse(that I just thought of) that was boarded with us briefly, and their farrier recommended watering the run to make it more pliable and easier on the horses feet. Rain just might be your little donkeys best friend at this stage of the game. ;-)

Yes, I keep reading about how they will stand in water to relieve the pain, but then everyone says to keep her in a dry lot. I was chiefly worried about the mud getting into that space between the hoof and coffin bone and causing bacteria to grow. She has a seedy toe. And since you can't get a boot for her hoof I wanted to keep her dry to allow everything to dry out in there. I turned her out yesterday and let her go for the day with her foals. I think it did her good. We have sandy loam here, and I have been told it is perfect for the hooves, in terms of softness.

No donkeys aren't any different from horses in this respect. They are easier keepers, usually. Only differemce here is that my mini's hooves are like silver dollars. She weighs about 250.

Thanks for your concern.