Limp on Mini Donkey

[Lammie]

Got up this morning and went to feed and noticed that one of my mini jennets is limping. She's not affectionate like my others, so I had to get as close as I could to see the problem. There is no swelling around the pastern or fetlock, but she favors the left leg. She won't trailer, and I am afraid that if I try she will be further injured. She's pregnant and will foal in August or Sept.

I am thinking abscess of the hoof. Is this something my farrier can take care of? We have good sandy land that drains well, so we don't have very many hoof issues and our farrier only comes out about twice a year. It is a real struggle to trim her hooves and if she is really pregnant, we usually won't put her through it. It just started today, as I was out last night and she was fine.

What do you think? Farrier or vet? I was going to pen her tonight and see if she would tolerate a salt soak.

We love her to death and she throws friendly, pretty foals and she's never had a problem. She's probably getting on in years, we aren't sure how old she is. Bought her seven years ago from a ranch in South Texas. Not registered. Foals every year like clockwork.

Since it was Memorial Day, I knew that we wouldn't be able to get a vet or farrier out today.

 

[Anonymous]

check close...are her pastern or coronet sensitive?...is there any small eruptions on her pastern?...any cuts or scrapes on her legs?

 

[Lammie]

I didn't see any. She let me get pretty close. I was thinking that she might have strained her tendon but wouldn't that be swollen? Didn't see any abrasions.

 

[Anonymous]

did you check her hooves for rocks and such?...it could be a lot of things...most likey its probably just an abscess in her hoof...i'd say you should put her in a stall where she cant walk around much...try soaking her hoof in epsom salt if she will let you

how bad is she limping?...if one of her tendons was strains then most likely there would be some swelling

 

[Lammie]

I have someone coming out to look at her. She's just so darn wild that I can't get a good look. Tried to lift up her leg last night and almost got kicked. She's our only donkey that isn' t imprinted on humans and although she will tolerate an occasional scratch and will take a treat, she never has warmed up to people. She is friendlier now than she ever has been.

I do think that it is an abscess. No swelling, just limping.

 

[Anonymous]

I have someone coming out to look at her. She's just so darn wild that I can't get a good look. Tried to lift up her leg last night and almost got kicked. She's our only donkey that isn' t imprinted on humans and although she will tolerate an occasional scratch and will take a treat, she never has warmed up to people. She is friendlier now than she ever has been.

I do think that it is an abscess. No swelling, just limping.

I hope she gets better...next thing on your list...you might want to teach her to be more friendly around people...but i've tried to teach a donkey before...it didn't work too awful good...I got bit on my elbow and my donkey didn't learn anything :roll:...good teaching huh? :lol:

Good luck with your donkey

 

[Gale Seddon]

Lammie, I'd bet it's an abscess too. We've only had one here (vet rasped away at his hoof until the hole appeared and drained) and we soaked the hoof in povidone/water solution every night, wrapped the hoof, and stall rest for a couple of weeks. Poor Rambo didn't like it a bit, but he survived, and didn't take one lame step following the procedure. I know it would be very hard with one (even a miniature) that isn't keen on people messing with her hoof. Is it a front or rear hoof? You may have to use a twitch to give you time to uncover the abscess.

I know it doesn't help things that the jennet is not terribly user-friendly, but now's the time to change that, before she foals cause you know how protective they can be at that time (and her foal will mimic her behavior). Do you have a "buddy" she could be penned or stalled with...that makes it easier...and the friendly buddy will, as I'm sure you know, teach the unfriendly one, that people aren't all bad.

 

[Lammie]

Gale, that is the thing. She has the friendliest babies! Every foal she has had with us has been super friendly and easy to train. We just make sure that we are there when she foals and we get the foal used to being touched and they are always great. And she'll let you handle her foals. It isn't like other jennies we have had that will prevent you from seeing their babies. She's protective, but she will let you touch and rub them. She's really a great mom.

Farrier is coming out today to do everyone's hooves and he said hed take care of Sarah. We haven't seen this before in the years that we have had minis.

 

[Lammie]

Oh, and it is the left front leg. Our farrier is real familiar with mini's and he likes to handle them. Others in this area won't even mess with them.

 

[Gale Seddon]

Hope you got the hoof problem resolved...please post what you find out, okay?

Yeah, one bad donkey or mule can make it hard to convince a farrier that they aren't all bad, LOL. Maybe some farriers don't want to bend over that far either! When our guy comes over, the donks are all over him ("me next, me next, please?"). I really should get a picture of this.

 

[Lammie]

She was walking around better yesterday before he got here. It was an abscess. He said it had started to drain. He cleaned it out real good and trimmed up everyone else. Yes, my donks like the farrier and they like to be shaved for the summer. All but Sarah, of course, and my newest jennie foal that was born on May 10th. We don't shave them till they are a year old. We have been shaving one a night and my clipper blade gave out so I need to get another one today. They love to be all sleek and cool. I really love my minis.

 

[Anonymous]

She was walking around better yesterday before he got here. It was an abscess. He said it had started to drain. He cleaned it out real good and trimmed up everyone else. Yes, my donks like the farrier and they like to be shaved for the summer. All but Sarah, of course, and my newest jennie foal that was born on May 10th. We don't shave them till they are a year old. We have been shaving one a night and my clipper blade gave out so I need to get another one today. They love to be all sleek and cool. I really love my minis.

Glad to hear she's getting better

 

[Gale Seddon]

Lammie, really glad to hear she's better! Yeah, I have to start thinking about getting the clippers out too...have been brushing mountains of hair out of the donkeys, shedding in buckets now! Have to do a couple who've never been clipped before, always interesting! But I can't wait to see what's under those winter/foal coats...maybe get a couple of "before and after" pictures! How many donks do you have, Lammie?

 

[Lammie]

Right now I have 2 jennets that are of breeding age, Sarah and Peach. Peach just foaled in May, a jennie named Ada which is 3 weeks old, and my herdsire, a spotted jack, Gus, we got last summer. Sarah's last foal is almost a year old, we call her Clara. The others are grey duns. I am trying to make spotted babies. Sarah may have one, I don't know, since I don't hand breed and I had the two jacks for about a week last year. I think that Gus bred her, though.

I had as many as 8 at one point, but I sold off the old herdsire, and some jacks and a gelding I had. I have had two jennies in a row and I am so pleased I could bust. For a while, all we got was jacks.

 

[Lammie]

Sarah is doing well. Got some Ichthomol, I think that 's how it is spelled..., treated her and wrapped her up. I clean it nightly and retreat it, wrap it up and she's not limping now. I think I got her used to me and the halter to boot. She's still stand offish, but before she's done, she may be halter broke! 8)

 

[Lammie]

I was also able to clip her for the first time. She's old girl, but she cleans up good.

 

[riceowl46]

Please help. I have a miniature donkey who is favoring front leg. After looking at it his knee is very swollen. What do you think the cause could be? He won't let me mess with it at all.

 

[Bigfoot]

Please help. I have a miniature donkey who is favoring front leg. After looking at it his knee is very swollen. What do you think the cause could be? He won't let me mess with it at all.

Could be a host of things, wrong in that area. You can put enough shrink wrap on that area, to ice it. Buffered aspirin are fine to give a donkey. If I wasn't inclined to call a vet, Id do both of those things. Slide a small PVC pipe in the corner of it's mouth, and drop the aspirin on the back of his throat.

 

[wbvs58]

If he won't let you mess with it at all it is hard for other people to do much for him either.

Ken

 

[riceowl46]

I have a mini donkey named Rooster. When I went out this evening to feed he can't put any weight on his front leg and his knee is very swollen. What do you think the cause could be? He won't let me mess with the leg at all