NEW UPDATE ON ROSIE

Talked to Dr. Voss this morning.  Because she went in on Saturday, they could only do in-house blood tests.  The really important one to run on an obese donkey is the lipid test, to see if the liver is damaged, in a fattie's situation, to see if they have fatty liver disease.  He mentioned also Cushings, which of course we're familiar with.  I don't think they've tested her for Cushings at this time, that was just a SWAG, (Scientific Wild Ass Guess) thrown out for thought.

So the plan of attack at this time, is to get the results from a lipid panel.  They have Rosie on insulin that is keeping her glucose around 120, 100 would be better.  Dr. Voss said she REALLY likes the alfalfa they've been feeding her, but not interested in the grass hay.......... Somehow I'm not surprised.  They were going to take her out to the grassy 1/4 acre pasture they have.  I'm sure she'll enjoy that...!!  LOL

At this time it looks like we'll go up Wednesday to pick her up.  I know Gigi will be happy to see her again.  She's upset that Rosie isn't here, which is understandable.  The people originally had 2 pregnant jennies, that had babies.  Somewhere in the 11 years they were in that pen, Gigi lost her mother and Rosie lost her offspring.  So they aren't mother and daughter, but they are very bonded.

Lynn and Linda their 3 dogs and Leddy the donkey should be on the road from Colorado, headed for SE Arizona.  Don't know how long it will take them, probably 2 days if they push, 3 if they don't.  Quilla got moved last night, so Leddy can have the larger pen, since he's a larger donkey.  We didn't want to move Quilla after Leddy got here, not only would he get moved out of what he has come to believe is his pen, but he'd see someone else in it.........!!!  This way he will have a couple of days to realize he is still getting fed and the routine hasn't changed, only where he is in the line-up.

BlackJack is still coughing even though he's been on SMZ's for 3 days, although not as much.  He'll get SMZ's for7-10 days and then I guess we'll re-evaluate if he is still coughing.  Dr. Jeremy said he had lung sounds on one side more so than the other.  BJ is never sick, so this was a surprise.  We'd throw him in the trailer to take him up to Gilbert Wednesday, when we pick up Rosie..........BUT........we left the trailer up there...........LOL 

30 DEGREE MORNINGS ARE GETTING OLD.....!!!

Considering it's getting closer to winter I better get use to it.......but I don't have to like it.  At least the days are warm and sunny, so far.

Chores have gotten a lot easier, without all the hot weather, and flies to worry about.  Right now, Boaz and his proud flesh knee is about all I'm doctoring, except for Jack the mini mule's nose.  Boaz's came back from his "gig" at weed control with his knee bubbled up with nasty looking over growth.  Over the years I have tried just about everything they recommend for proud flesh up to and including surgical removal 3 times............except for xxTerra......!!!!  I hate this stuff, it's primarily used to remove sarcoids, a type of immune tumor.  I'm not really sure his knee isn't a little of both, sarcoids and proud flesh.  The vet has never really said and they look enough alike, that I sure don't know.  Don't know if the vets can tell the difference without testing either. 

So I have tried using xxTerra for a few days.  It's certainly made a mess, it basically "melts" the area, so you have all this bubbly gooey mess running down his leg.  I think I'll clean it off and see what happens.  I can always have the vet debride it again, but hate to put him thru that.  He's a good patient and the knee is never going to look normal again anyway.  My main concern is to stop the over growth of cells permanently.  So far they keep coming back.

Jacks nose looks like it's been peppered with a shotgun, little circles of hair missing.  It seems to itch because we catch him scratching it till it bleeds.  He'll leave it alone if I put Thuja zinc oxide or Banixx on it.  John came home with Banixx one day when I sent him out to find something for infection.  Recommended by the local feed store, because I already had everything else they sold I think.  

Anyway it does seem to work pretty good on Jack's nose, although I'm put off by the smell.  It smells just like Listerine.  Makes me wonder if it is just expensive Listerine.  Listerine is what Dr. Voss recommended for Gus' leg sores this summer, so who knows.  

Everyone else seems to be doing just fine.  Pepper has not been down on his right side in weeks, which is great.  He's also eating much better than he was this summer, that's not to say he's getting fat.  On a scale of 1 to 10, he is about a 2 and I'm not sure that isn't being generous.  Let's put it this way, if authorities ever saw him, I'd probably get arrested for animal abuse....!!!  But he is perky, alert, ears up and will knock you down with his favorite weapon, his head, if given the chance.  Hopefully he can put enough weight on to make it thru the winter without having to be blanketed.  If he has to wear a blanket he has to stay in the pens, which is a fate worse than death for all of them.  We tell them about equine that have to stay in little pens all their lives and they just don't seem to care, they want OUT....!!!! Pepper is one of the worst, he will dig caverns in the sand at the gate, deep enough we've all fell in them numerous times.  Last week John put a 4x6 stall mat at the gate and now the old buzzard paws at it so hard you can smell the rubber.  He can't hardly stand up, but he can use his legs to dig holes and paw rubber mats....!!! 

Eloise

This is Eloise looking over her new home yesterday.  It wasn't easy to get her to hold still long enough to get a picture.  She hit the ground almost running, trying to see everything at once.  

We had her on a lead & almost had a wreck with Tio.  He got so excited when he saw her he started acting like a silly little boy.  Laura said he's usually pretty mellow, but he was bound & determined to see her up close.  She pretty much ignored him, but I didn't, since I was the one doing the leading.  The idea of getting caught in the middle of an excited little boy & a girl that was trying to ignore him, & see all the new stuff, really didn't appeal to me at all.  John & Laura were trying to catch up, all in all it was probably one of those "video" moments, but we were all too busy...!!!!  We stuck Tio in a pen, much to his disgust & gave Eloise a chance to investigate.  Laura said after we left she let him out & he behaved himself.  

Jackie has a sore foot, so he just watched for the most part thank goodness, don't think I would have enjoyed trying to foist off another one.  

Today we took little Cheyenne to the local vet clinic.  Her teeth were just floated in February, & already are starting to wear funny again.  Dr. Voss up at Gilbert said she might have some TMJ.  Dr. Megan said she also might have some arthritis in the jaw joint, not a whole lot can be done for either one.   So we will continue to feed her mush & feed her by herself, so she doesn't have to compete with the other minis.  She also probably is not emptying her bladder completely, & ends up dribbling.  Not much to be done for that either, Dr. Megan would also like a urine sample like Dr. Voss asked for.  Probably not going to happen until, pigs fly......!!!!  I have seen her pee once since we brought her home from Gilbert in February, & there was no way to "save" any of it.  John said we could put her in the garage & wait for her to pee on the floor & suck it up in a syringe.  No telling how long that would take, she'd have to get comfortable in the garage, she's never been inside that I know of.  Then she'd have to be comfortable peeing on a concrete floor, that is going to splash on her legs.  All in all I don't think so.......!!!

 

Tried to snow this morning, didn't get much accomplished except to irritate the donkeys.  

At one time the minis & Wister were standing in a shelter with Ruthie having to stand outside in the nasty weather.  At least they are making use to the shelters, it's discouraging that most of the pens have shelters & they usually ignore them.  Guess some of them have figured out it's nicer to be dry than wet.  

Now that the chickens are all gone, & we don't worry about the skunks being here, it seems we have become the place to hang out now.  The other night John was weighing hay for the next morning & heard a squeak, like a bird.  He looked around & instead of a bird, it was a little skunk, standing about 4 feet from John stomping it's feet & squeaking.  Guess it didn't appreciate the light & noise.  John said it finally turned around & headed for the back wall of the barn rather indigently.  I would imagine it lives in there.  

We have at least 2 that seem to live in the back yard or real close to it.  They show up every evening for supper I.E. cat food put out for the outdoor cats.  One night John looked out & a skunk was eating out of one bowl & Hobo out of the other, so I assume they have all come to some sort of agreement about living & eating arrangements.  

Unfortunately we have at least 2 different types of skunks, a hooded & a striped on the back porch & they DO NOT get along.  One night they had a stand off of sorts.  By morning most of the smell had dissipated thank goodness. 

This morning I looked out & Wister & Ruthie were under the big mesquite tree.  He was mouthing like he had something caught.  So I went out to see what was going on.  He had a couple of big cactus thorns caught between his tongue & the roof of his mouth, poor little man.  He's been handled so much, he stood pretty good for me to open his mouth & pull them out.  Guess he'd been trying to eat them, silly boy.  

He sure is an independent little devil.  Usually they stick pretty close to momma,  I know Tucker was pretty much a momma's boy.  But Wister doesn't seem to care whether Ruthie is close to him or not, unless he gets hungry or thirsty. He won't be 2 months old until next Monday.

Everyone else seems to be doing good.  Cheyenne is still quidding her hay, but seems to be feeling perkier, now that she is also getting mush & some whole oats.  Dr. Voss said something about she might have some TMJ.  I guess it's possible although, since she's never been worked & I doubt had a bit in her little mouth, I can't imagine what would have caused it.  As long as she can eat mush & gain back some of her weight I won't worry about it.  She isn't quidding as much as she was before Dr. Voss floated her teeth, so maybe with time it will get better.  

Vincent Van Gogh, painting

Steve a volunteer is coming out tomorrow to trim some of the trees.  A few days ago John asked me to go around & mark which limbs I want gone, so I used bright colored plastic tape to make them.  You can probably see where this story is going.  We're on poo watch to see if we can figure out who has developed a taste for plastic tape.  John thinks it's either Ruthie or the minis, Cheyenne in particular.  It's bright pink, so should be easy to find.  Guess I'll take Steve around & "show" him where to trim.  LOL

When I took the diaper off Jenny's foot this morning after 2 days, it was pretty wet.  Dr. Voss said to soak every 2 days & I thought leaving the diaper on would be OK.  I can't tell if the moisture is what the epsom salts & betadine is drawing out of the hoof, or build up from the foot being wrapped.  It was never that damp when we were re-wrapping every 5-6 days, so hopefully it is the poultice doing it's job.  

Talked to Dr. Megan & we decided that I'll see what it looks like in the morning & if it's still too damp, I'll start changing the diaper twice a day.  I'm about out of the metronidazole, & the vet has to order it, guess they don't keep a lot of it on hand.  We're just about out of options at this time.  Dr. Voss told Dr. Megan that the only thing left would be another resection.  I doubt that her foot would take it, & if there is infection in her foot, she doesn't have much coffin bone left for them to remove.  So I really hope this works. 

It was 20 degrees here this morning.  We covered my tomato plants in the courtyard with a sheet, but a sheet was no match for 20 degrees.  It's a shame there is lots of green tomatoes on the pathetic looking plants.  I'll pull them out & prepare for next year I guess.

Yesterday morning Jenny was 3 legged lame on her bad foot, & would not eat her hay.  Not eating the hay was easy, she's been on SMZ antibiotics for weeks, & I guess they finally got to her stomach.  Need to get the good bugs back in her digestive system.  Patti had me use Florastor a few months ago when Jenny didn't like the antibiotics I was giving her, & she was eating within 24 hours, so I tried it again.

Dr. Megan called Dr. Voss in Gilbert to see if he had any brilliant ideas on her foot.  His best guess was perhaps another abscess trying to pop.  Dr. Megan had been hesitant about soaking because Jenny's hoof is not that sturdy because of the open area.  But Dr. Voss said to soak in epsom salts & betadine for 1/2 hour every other day.  After soaking he wants the open area packed with a Sugardine poultice. 

I planned on soaking her foot when she came in last night for supper.........BUT......when John went out to do round-up, she was below the house & not interested in moving or even taking a treat.  We went ahead & fed everyone else, of course by then it was dark.  So I loaded up my soaking "toys", & thrashed thru the brush to where she thought she was hid.  Mixed up some sugar & betadine to a dry paste, plastered it on & wrapped with brown gauze.  She still wasn't interested in moving or eating when we came in to go to bed. 

This morning John set the alarm (YUCK) because we were taking Gus & Quilla up to Claire's for the winter.  I dreaded John going out to do round-up, because I figured Jenny was still where we left her last night.  When I went out, she was already in her pen, & John said he looked over towards Burroland & here she came with Ruthie, & Pepper leading the parade.  She was walking pretty normal for her, slow & steady.  She was also ready for her breakfast.

It tried to rain last night, didn't do a very good job, just barely dampened the ground.  I figured it had probably ruined my gauze bandage, but it was still on.  I decided to not mess with it, Dr. Voss said to leave it on between soakings, which will be tomorrow.  I'm anxious to see what it looks like in the morning. 

We hurried with chores, the 2 boys almost hopped in the trailer, guess they figured we were going to do something fun & away we went. 

Claire & David were happy to see them, & the boys were more than happy to get out of the trailer after over a 3 hour ride.  I think they knew where they were, they sure acted like it. 

 David, Gus & John

 Quilla, Gus, Doc, & Thunder's head

The boys coming to say good-bye

Got home after 7pm to a bunch of grumpy donkeys.  They really expect to be fed on schedule & don't seem to understand being fed late at all......!!!!  Couldn't find Pepper at first & John was afraid he was down someplace & we wouldn't be able to find him in the dark.  But finally, he came waltzing in, at his own speed, thank goodness.  If my hair wasn't already grey, this old buzzard would make it so.  Between him & Jenny, I am becoming quite a worry wart.  LOL

PEPPER AGAIN.......!!!

This morning Pepper was down in the wash again, in the same place.  Maybe he knows we can find him easy there, since it's almost in the path to the chicken pen.  He'd been down for awhile, long enough to pack sand into his eye, John took off fly masks last night, so he didn't have a barrier to protect his eye.  

I grabbed the eye wash & rinsed his eye out before we tried to get him up.  He was not disorientated like he was Saturday, & got up pretty easy once we got him off his bad side.  Followed us to his pen, albeit, at a rather slow & shaky pace. 

This afternoon when John started the round-up he found Pepper & Jenny out behind the house, "dining" on weeds, & seeds & he seemed just fine.  I think today was a "normal" down, unlike Saturday which was an incident.  I guess he's OK until the next time, I hope every other day doesn't become the norm for him.  

This morning was the first bandage change for Jenny since we took her up to the clinic last week.  

Boy talk about a stream lined operation..........!!!!   Getting her in the garage took longer than getting the old bandage off & the new one on.  That's because she does not lead, never has, & doesn't seem willing to learn.  

John got the old one cut off before I got all my "toys" lined up.  The foot looked good, not as damp as it is when we put a diaper & Elasticon tape on it.  

A quick wrap with a roll of gauze, a couple of strips of 1 inch tape to hold it in place, a boot on the bottom made of Gorilla tape, cover with a Hoof Wrap & she was good to go.  The vet clinic used duct tape, but the Gorilla tape is much tougher.  The Hoof Wrap stays on much better because her foot isn't so big & bulky now.  

Dr. Voss said we will be able to cover her hoof with the gauze to keep dirt from getting into the open area, cover it with part of a panty hose & super glue it to her hoof.  That way the bottom wouldn't have a covering on it & it would be much easier to wrap.  Haven't worked up the nerve to try that yet. 

But easy is what it's all about, from my point of view............!!!!

MOM BROUGHT HOME GOODIES.......!!!

When Kathy was showing us around Longhopes, I noticed each pen had one of these pans in it.  Being the nosy person I am, I had to ask.  

This is a product called Equilix, it's not a salt lick, nor does it have any molasses in it.  It's more of a lick supplement, with probiotics, enzymes, & all sorts of "stuff" in it.  I'm usually a little hesitant about jumping on the bandwagon with the latest "best thing since sliced bread".  

Kathy has used it for quite sometime, orders it by the pallet & really thinks it makes a difference in the health of her guys.  Sounded worth a try & a local feed store has it, so off Georgette & I went to fill the trunk of the car with pans.  Actually we figured out 3 would allow enough room for us to still have room for our suitcases & other stuff we brought on the trip. 

Brought it home, set it on the feed room porch to protect it from rain, & almost had to stand back to keep from getting ran over.  

Right before I took this picture of Frijolita enjoying a few licks, there was 3 heads buried in the pan going after it.  Unfortunately Daisy decided that she should be able to "snack" alone & ran everyone else off, by threatening with her rear feet.  

It seems like there is someone having a lick or two all day long, they really like it.  There is nothing in the ingredients that sounds high sugar.  At the rate they are going, it isn't going to last out the week............!!!!!

Yesterday we took Jenny up to the clinic in Gilbert as planned to have her resectioned foot re-evaluated.

Got up there & boy was she ready to get out of the trailer.  Maybe she enjoyed her "almost" month long stay up there more than I thought.  There was 5 "new" vets there, they spend their summers before their last year of school, going from Vet clinic to Vet clinic for 3-4 weeks to learn from established clinics.  I asked if any of them had been there when Jenny was there for surgery.  They said no, but they had heard about her.  Then one of the techs came out & told me how much time she spent with Jenny.  I knew they were turning her from side to side every couple of hours, but didn't know she was getting fresh water every hour or being groomed everyday & all the other "make Jenny comfortable" stuff they did........!!!  Jeesh, no wonder every day when I called & talked to Dr. Voss & asked him if she had given up, he would say "No, she seems very happy & satisfied".  I guess she was quite the primadonna. 

When her foot was unwrapped, Dr. Voss immediately saw the area Courtney was worried about.  While they were all looking & discussing what would be the best plan of attack, Courtney came in.  She & Dr. Voss talked way over my head,,but I did understand what they wanted to do.  Basically she is walking on the sides of the foot, which is what Dr. Voss wanted.  But because of the push up pressure when she steps, it is shifting the lower part of the hoof wall, into the upper part.  So the plan was to cut a channel in the hoof between the upper & lower part, & to also trim the edge of the hoof, so it isn't touching the ground.  This is what Courtney had said should be done last week, but she wanted a Vet to make the decision.  So they cut a groove between the two sections, shortened the hoof wall on the side & said we don't need to do all the heavy bandaging anymore.  Yippee!  It will still have to be covered with gauze to keep the open areas from getting packed with mud or picking up gravel, but Dr. Voss thinks being out in the air will be more healthy than keeping it completely wrapped.

She seems to be walking good today, so I would imagine it feels a lot better.  We'll still be bandaging every 5 days or so, but it should be a lot easier & quicker, not to mention maybe the Hoof Wraps will stay on better without the diaper & all the other wrappings we were using. 

Tomorrow morning we are having a garage sale at Mother's house to get rid of all her stuff.  Thank goodness she isn't sentimental, I can't imagine if someone was getting rid of most of my "stuff", but to her it's just stuff.  I'm not a garage type person, getting ready for it has been a little overwhelming.  John is really good to help, & Georgette & her husband Dave came out a couple of days ago, & spent the whole day, organizing & marking stuff.  I tried to get everyone interested in maybe having a fire, but they all seemed to think that was a little radical.........!!! LOL

Courtney got out yesterday as planned.  Boaz's feet are really coming around, his front feet had been neglected & showed it.  He's been trimmed 3 times & they are looking much better.  

This is his proud flesh knee.  I haven't put any silver nitrate on it for awhile, what's left seems to just be scar tissue that has to heal.  I keep it covered with thuja zinc oxide, but this is what it looks like when he comes in after a day of rolling in the dirt, etc.  

She got to trim Simmons & Pancho for the first time.  I think I know a couple of boys that have been a little spoiled, especially Pancho.  When Courtney picked up one of his feet, he tried to squash her into the corral panel.  That was bad enough, except I was on that side too, so he had both of us squashed.  It's amazing what a nipper handle to the ribs will do to change his mind.  Actually once the ground rules were established they both did pretty good.  Kathy had said they aren't good with their hind feet, so we decided to leave that for another day.  Hopefully I'll get a chance to work with them before Courtney comes back.  A trimmer shouldn't have to "educate" your animals, although Courtney has always been willing to work with some of my more uncooperative "fur" kids.  They all usually come around & even get use to the power tools.  

We did Jenny last because we'd have to re-bandage her foot after Courtney looked, took pictures, & trimmed.  She trimmed just a little off the front, there is a piece that is probably going to break off.  We're afraid it is does, the open window area will collapse.  Dr. Voss said if it does, we'll have to bring her back up & they will put a metal strap across the opening to stabilize it as it grows out.  He said he wants her trimmed so she is carrying as much weight as possible on the quarters, the sides of her hoof.  

Courtney was absolutely thrilled with Jenny's frog & sole on that foot, took lots of pictures.  I have to admit that sole looks normal, which none of Jenny's feet have ever looked very normal at all, too much chronic foundering in her earlier life. 

I checked with Stacy to see how Bijou is doing.  She said he is doing just fine, his eyes are better, but unfortunately there is a lot of scar tissue around his eyes, that will always be a problem for him. 

BOY IS IT HOT...!!!!

Last night Jenny came in missing another boot..........!!!! GRRRRR.......!!!!   After we fed John went out with a determined look in his eye & stayed out until he found 3 fly masks & one boot.  Some of those fly masks had been missing for a weeks.  What is really interesting is we had just had a 1/2 inch rain storm, even made the wash run a little bit.  Under those circumstances I'm surprised the hard rain didn't bury the masks in the mud.  I looked out & John looked like the proud hunter returning home from the hunt..........!!!  LOL  So the count is down to one fly mask & one boot missing.  

We were worried about Jenny's foot getting wet in the rain, especially with the boot missing.  But it seemed to come thru just fine.  Courtney is coming tomorrow to trim Gus & whoever needs it.  If she wants to see what Dr. Voss did went we went up to the clinic last week we'll "de" bandage Jenny's foot & make sure there isn't any moisture in it.  When we took off Dr. Voss' bandage yesterday morning there was quite a bit of moisture inside, a lot more than we've had before.  He soaked the gauze pads in Chlorhexidine before wrapping her foot in brown gauze & my WAG (Wild Ass Guess) is the moisture was trapped inside & encouraged her foot to stay moist & get soft in spots.  Her foot has always been dry since right after we brought her home.  Her heel bulb had also rubbed again, so hopefully we can get it healed up again.  John said maybe it's a good thing we had to learn to bandage her foot on our own, rather than do it like they did..........!!!!  I know one thing, it takes us a lot longer to get her foot wrapped than it took the clinic, not sure if that means anything or not......!!!! LOL

Mother is getting settled in pretty good & actually seems to be enjoying herself.  We're getting use to sleeping in the spare bedroom.  The first morning John asked if that bed is smaller than our bed.  No, they are both queen size.  He said he kept waking up in the middle.  I think he probably was trying to orientate himself to get his head pointing north, where it usually is, instead of east.   

One thing that will take some getting use to is Mother is a snacker.  If she was held to 3 meals a day she'd starve to death.  She eats a little of this & a little of that all day long.  Jeesh!  That will take some getting use to for me.