Lumpy butt on Jennet

[Lammie]

I have a jennet, mini donkey, that has developed a lumpy behind. There may or may not be a story connected with this.

In May, we wormed. We were using Zimmecterin. I estimate that she weigh 250 pounds. We dialed that up on the little lid thing and when we shot in into her mouth, the plunger didn't stop and so we estimate that she got at least twice the amount she should have gotten. We freaked out, mainly because she is pregnant, due to foal in August, and I thought it might have an adverse effect on the pregnancy.

After reading the literature with the wormer and contacting our vet, it was decided that she'd be okay.

Now she has a lumpy butt. It looks like fat deposits that have just rolled in under her skin. She's probably at least 10 years old and we have been watching her weight. Our donks tend to run on the chubby side and I know I was feeding too much grain.

My husband says that it is parasites under her skin, where they have died and are lumped up. I don't know what to think. It was the first time in two years that we were even able to catch her to worm her. She's wild, but she is a dependable brood mare, and she has foals with great dispositions. Every one a lover, which is what sells for me, since most of my buyers prefer dispposition over confirmation.

Any ideas what is wrong with this girl?

 

[oscar p]

Your right it is fat deposits, a donkey stores fat in the top of the neck,over the back (called a fat pad) and in obese cases the butt. Sometimes the top of the neck will get so fat it will fall to one side, once it does it will never stand back up ,it ruins the look of the jenny. It sounds like you need to cut the grain down to a hand full, as far as giveing to much wormer, I always give one and half dose to each horse, because your guessing the horses weight anyway,plus they will sometimes spit some of it out. Its just my way.

 

[Lammie]

Thanks, Oscar. I had one jack that had a fatty neck and it was gross. Sold him because of it. It never goes away does it? I am always tempted to overcompensate on the feed because she always has one on her or in her, usually both! She's a great old girl, though.

 

[3MR]

because your guessing the horses weight anyway,plus they will sometimes spit some of it out. Its just my way.

I agree, many people dont get enough wormer down their horses throat which contributes to resistence.

 

[bubchub]

Sounds to me like she had worms and now they're gone and she doesn't need all the feed that the worms were getting.

 

[Lammie]

Sounds to me like she had worms and now they're gone and she doesn't need all the feed that the worms were getting.

You are probably right. Although she has always slicked off nice in the summer, it is still a fact that we have never been able to get her calm enough to do much of anything with her. She had an abcess on her hoof around Memorial Day and the farrier and I managed to get her in a harness. She let him treat the hoof, but I really had a good time after that medicating it and wrapping it daily! Now, she's as shy as ever. I had her eating treats from my hand prior to that. Still she's our favorite gal and we will probably have her for the rest if her life, or our's, whichever comes first! :shock:

 

[Gale Seddon]

Lammie, do you get The Brayer? There's an article in the most recent issue about body scoring on donkeys. They get fat so easily...we have to limit ours on pasture in the summer (and I get a lot of dirty looks).

 

[Lammie]

I let my subscription run out. But I have heard that before. I started just giving them a handful of grain when I was feeding the calves just so that they would leave me and them alone. LIke I said, they are greedy little piggies!

I have them back on the pasture only now. They aren't complaining that much, either, much to my suprise. I was looking at her last night and it is fat deposits. Oh well, we'll never sell her so I guess she doesn't have to be a donkey fashion model.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I adopted a burro from the BLM ten years or more ago. First year she was here we had a really good summer and she foundered on SE Arizona semidesert grassland! Mostly lehmans lovegrass!

She thought she was a cow...always wanted to be with them, not the horses. She would cry if she was penned and the cattle left.

 

[holly heifer]

Could she possibly have cushings? This is a pituatary tumor usually in older animals, but can be seen in ones by age 10.
the signs are a lumpy or fat deposits in the tail head, rump
or neck. Also they tend to have hoof abscesses, founder
issues, a coat that fails to shed well. Increased thirst and intolerance to heat. There is a blood test to check for this
as well as medication if the test is positive. ;-)

 

[Lammie]

I have never heard of that, but I will do some research. She did have a hoof abcess earlier this summer. We have never seen that in any of our animals. Altogether, we have always had very healthy animals. She probably is at least 10. Thanks.