NO, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABDUCTED BY ALIENS......!!!

THIS IS REALLY A MOMENT CAUGHT IN TIME, I LOVE IT....!!

But it does seem like the days have been flying by.  We haven't been home one day this week.  Yesterday we did a home study for Ruger and Wister.  We sure are having a hard time finding them a FOREVER home.  These people would be great, but they live in a very hilly area, I mean up and down......everywhere.  There would be no place for the boys to run, which they run, chase and play every day.  Now Saddik, the new dog is part of the game.  They also have lots of pretty pots with flowers and quite a few tasty looking small trees.  The ground is rocky, gravelly perfect for keeping hooves trimmed.  But the lack of running room is a downer not to mention when they started eating all her pretty flowers.  I'm afraid they would live to regret taking these two because of the damage the boys would cause to their daily lives.  They would be much better with some older ones, we thought 2 jennies, but in their teens, geldings would be good too.  Or maybe a PG jenny, that way they could raise a baby.  So I will be keeping an eye on Craigslist to see if we can find something for them. They live way past the sidewalks, on solar power.  Eventually they would like to let the donkeys free range, once they know where "home" is.  When I say free range that is exactly what it would be.  Outside the fenced area around their house goes forever.  That's another problem with the boys, given free range, no telling where they'd end up......!!!  

I'm getting a new cook stove today.  I've noticed as stoves evolve and have computers in them, "things" break.  Mine has been limping along for a couple of years.  The timer doesn't work, the oven temp setting doesn't work, I have to use a match to light it and I just put up with it, but it was getting really irritating, so I bit the bullet and ordered one.  I've noticed one thing, if you don't buy something for 20-25 years it's quite a "sticker shock" moment.  I don't even want the bells and whistles, self cleaning oven and oven temp that works, and that's just about it.  But it's still quite a shock.  

It's cooled off again and we actually got a few sprinkles of rain last night.  I'm suppose to go to practice with the race car and so far today it's pretty cloudy.  If we have any moisture falling at all there won't be a practice.  The guys have changed a bunch of stuff on the car, and I need to find out if the right front tire  is going to stay together or not.  I don't race until the 20th of June, so if the tire is still wearing, they'll have time to come up with something else.  Unfortunately I think they are just about out of ideas........!!!   LOL

Boofer is feeling well enough to fight with Saddik............SIGH!  Boys will be boys I guess, but I don't need another vet bill.  He will get a blood test next Wednesday and hopefully his numbers are going up.  We've all figured out we can't give him his pills wrapped in deli meat by hand.  He has bitten Doug and both of us.  He got John pretty good, one of his fingers is pretty punctured.  It's not like I didn't warn him just before he went out with the "snack", Boofer had gotten me already that day.  So now he gets it on top of his kibbles.  

Donkeys are all doing good.  I am happy to report that I'm staying ahead of Boaz's skin problem, whenever it is.  A few days ago, we noticed he had places on him that looked like he had stood under a mesquite tree that was oozing and it had dried in his hair.  John pulled on one spot and the hair came off, leaving oozy raw skin underneath.  He had maybe a dozen places all over his body.  WHAT TO USE, WHAT TO USE........!!!  That is always the question.  We have quite a few different types of skin problems, every year quite a few of the donkeys have problems, and they aren't all the same.  If you have the vet look at it, they basically shrug their shoulders and say it's going around.  The treatment for all of them seems to be about the same, wash with a medicated soap, and keep covered with "something".  I have about 6 or 7 things to choose from, this time I tried Underwood Horse Medicine and it is really working good.  Dries the area on the first spray, then all I have to do is pull the hair around the edges the next day.  If it comes loose, spray some more.  He's the only one I'm having to doctor right now, well except for Rosie and Cisco.  They always get doctored, except for a couple of months in the winter. 

FIXED FLY MASKS

While I was gone to Missouri, Michele was busy fixing fly masks.  She and her husband came by this morning to deliver her work.  She obviously is meticulous, when I took them to her, some of them were probably beyond saving.  

Obviously she loves a challenge, she even wove in the eye area where they like to rub, if they have itchy eyes.  I usually have to throw those away, even if the rest of the mask is good, since the main reason for the masks, is to protect the eyes.  Thank you Michele, now maybe we can make it thru fly season without having to get more new masks.  

Yesterday our grandson married his sweetheart Rebecca.  JR already has a son named Hunter, who is 2 years old.  Rebecca brings Kyler to the family, which is almost the same age as Hunter.  Right now JR is trying to get full custody of Hunter, which would be great if the boys could grow up together full time, rather than Hunter popping in and out.  It looks like it might happen, although you never know what the system will do.  

The donkeys are all doing pretty good, doctoring is down to almost nothing.  Boaz's mouth finally healed, unfortunately his 3 crusader fly masks seem to spend most of their time missing.  John spent most of this morning trying to find at least one.  He did find one, but unfortunately it is in need of Michele's TLC before it can be used.  Sigh!  We're still having some skin issues on Boaz, Coquette, and Cisco, especially.  I'm using Underwood Horse Medicine on them and it's doing the job, IF that's a big IF the flies don't manage to get thru the medicine barrier.  I swear the flies right now are really vicious.  Unfortunately stable flies will not go to the fly traps and of course they are the ones that make bloody legs below the knee.  In the picture of the habronema in the above link, I would never let the larvae get that big, without putting ivermectin on topically and pulling the little dead bodies out with tweezers, vets prefer to debride, which makes a bigger wound area.  

We're doing pretty good with polo wraps and for those that have flies above the knee, men's crew socks.  Penny has to have both hind legs wrapped, which only lasts a day or so, before the wraps come loose and we find her dragging a polo wrap behind her.  She has gotten real good about letting John retrieve the polo wrap off her leg, but still will not let him put a halter on her without being in the squeeze.  Donkeys that have been abused, develop definite ideas on what is allowed and what isn't.  We usually work around their psychosis rather than "make" them do something.  They probably have a good reason for their thoughts on the matter. 

UPDATE ON DOCTORING........!!!!

Seems like that's about all I am doing these days.  No open sores on anyone now except for the side of Boaz's mouth.  It's getting better, but until all the larvae are gone it won't heal.  We're aren't there yet, but every day it's improved.  

I have to make sure everyone's polo wraps are up and keeping the flies at bay.  They usually can stay on for 3 or 4 days before having to be rewrapped.  Rolling in the dust bathing areas seems to be hard on them. 

I am having to doctor Rosie's belly.  She has what is called midline ventral dermatitis, at least that's my WAG (wild ass guess).  It's right down the middle of her belly, oozing, nasty, icky wound about a foot long.  I am using Underwood Horse Medicine, which dries the area and gives it a change to scab over.  She also gets wormed, actually everyone that is having big problems with flies and sores gets wormed, just because.  It's suppose to kill any larvae that are on or in the donkey, but I have my doubts.  If that was true, my theory would be you worm them and they would immediately start healing up.  Judging from past experience, healing usually doesn't start until I use Ivermectin on the sores..........BUT.......... I'll do what the experts say, and hope for the best.  

We've got 2 shelters to put up in a couple of the pens that don't have shelters, but it's been so windy lately we haven't been able to get them up.  They are those 10 x 20 portable garages, a frame covered with a tarp.  They probably won't last thru the summer, the sun out here isn't kind to tarps.  John wanted to get shelters built last winter before it got hot, but never got around to it.  So hopefully these will make it thru the hottest part of the summer. 

This morning John took my 2 racing trophies up to the garage with the 45 years of trophies already up there.  He told me when he went out the door, that I now have to win another one.............Jeesh........my goal for this year was to win a race and finish the year better than 5th.  I've won 4 main events and am in 3rd for points so far, but of course the season is very young.  At least I got that "winning" thingie out of the way..........LOL   

FRIJOLITA HAS A NEW NAME.......!!!

We have been calling her Frijole Grande, "little bean" she isn't right now.  She has always been a food whore, seems like she can reach someone else's hay bunk no matter how far it is away from the corral panels.  She's been known to push on the panels to get to where she thinks she needs to be.......wherever the food is.   She can also open some of the gates, usually quicker than we can stop her.

Actually the beans on the 10 acres are disappearing quickly.  They are still shaking trees and listening for the wind to blow beans down, but judging from their poo the pickin's are getting rather slim.  They are all still on short rations of hay, so far no complaints, so I assume they aren't that hungry.  

The skin problems are getting better thank goodness.  I started giving Jack the mini mule allergy pills, and he's looking much better, although we still grease him up with Thuja Zinc Oxide every morning.  

Poor old Pepper, the last few times he's been down and thrashed around trying to get up have really been hard on his bony old body.  It seems there are 6 prominent bone protrusions on his shoulder, hip and legs and he has all of them raw and hairless.  The one on his shoulder is really sore, poor old guy.  I am putting Underwood Horse Medicine on them twice a day and they are getting better pretty quick.  But if he goes down again, (he was down yesterday) he'll tear up all the healing.

I ordered a Sleazy Stretch Pajama for him yesterday.  Found a cheap one to see if I can rig up something to help protect those areas.  The PJs fit real tight, which in itself might be a problem, then of course there is getting caught on trees and bushes.  But it's bright purple, so hopefully we'll be able to find him easier when he's down.  I've thought of attaching a foam circle on the inside of the PJs, at least on the shoulder, that would go around the sore area.  That way if he goes down there wouldn't be as much pressure on it.  I'll see, when it gets here, if I can come up with something brilliant.......well maybe just effective......!!! LOL

We have discussed Pepper a lot.  We will not let him lose his freedom and his ability to be Pepper.  He has such a strong personality, but I'm afraid his body is going to give out before he's ready to go.  Not something I like to think about, but is the reality of the situation.  In a perfect world, we would go out one morning to find him gone on his own.  He's such an energizer bunny, mentally I doubt that will ever happen.  We will do whatever necessary to allow him to be himself as long as possible.  But we will not torture him to keep him here. 

AND THE DIAGNOSIS IS.................

 THIS IS CHARLIE AT TMR RESCUE IN TEXAS.  HE WAS FOUND IN A PUDDLE OF WATER AFTER BEING BORN, AND REJECTED BY HIS EMACIATED MOTHER.  HE'S HAD A ROUGH TIME, WAS A PREEMIE AND ALL THAT ENTAILS, AND HAS HAD TO WEAR CASTS ON HIS KNEES TO HELP THEM STRENGTHEN.  HIS MOM, DAD AND 2 OTHER JENNIES HAVE SINCE JOINED HIM AT THIS RESCUE, ALTHOUGH HE IS STILL LIVING IN THE OFFICE AND RIDING AROUND IN THE GOLF CART.....!!

Scratches..........!!!!  They did a scraping, actually more like a gouging out with a scapel, which Gus really didn't appreciate.  He is such a mellow, laid back fellow, but he did protest after about the 3rd "gouge".  No mites or other critters showed up, which is good. 

The vets said rather than start out with all the fancy stuff, to try Listerine first and see if it helps.  We actually seem to be on the downward side of the problem, I've managed to keep everyone dry and hair is growing back recently.  So I'm actually continuing with the Underwood Horse Medicine on most of them, & trying Listerine in a couple of areas.  

Dr. Megan said she thinks Jack the mule's little circles are some type of bug bite, we just don't know what kind.  We haven't had a problem with mosquitoes yet, don't have chiggers, not ticks, so I don't know what it might be.  I'm still slathering his spots with thuja zinc oxide.  The bright pink goes well with his black hair and he really stands still and lets me massage it in.  At first I had a hard time catching him in a little pen, just to put a halter on him.  Me thinks, he likes massages and animal crackers. 

Update.....!!!

 Cheyenne converting an admirer, thanks Jamie for the picture...!!

Rusty is on the mend, he's been kept in his pen the last few days to not only monitor his intake and out put, but to keep him away from the beans.  

Yesterday morning Rusty had "puddin nose" on one side.  I called Dr. Megan had said call her if there was any changes, so I did even though it was Saturday.  She said start him on Tucoprim, and also said she had thought the "colic" was probably a secondary problem.  She had said his lungs sounded a little noisy, Friday when we took him into the clinic.  

So he's been getting his Tucoprim mixed into applesauce, dumped into his mush.  I was going to just mix the Tucoprim into the mush, but for some reason he isn't eating it very well right now.  Loves his hay, but John had been "chumming" his bermuda hay with a little alfalfa.  Unfortunately the little bit of alfalfa hay we had is now gone, so he'll just have to eat bermuda.  Might let him out for an hour or so before afternoon round-up this afternoon, surely he won't be able to get into too much mischief in an hour.  

Day before yesterday Jill's former Mom called after she got a letter I wrote her, questioning her surrendering Jill to us, without first asking.  I don't think she still sees that asking someone to take care of Jill until they find a new place to board her, and then sending a surrender letter a week later, is a little bit out of the "norm".  She said that when they won the bid for Jill at the local auction, Lisa one of the owners of the auction house came to them and said if they ever wanted to rehome Jill, she would be interested.  I told the woman there wasn't a problem with Jill staying here until we found a home for her, but if she wanted them involved, to have them call me.  

Mike the other owner of Robertson Horse Sales called me and said they had someone that would give her a real good long term home that had been looking for a nice donkey like her.  We talked for awhile and I decided that this would probably be a good home for her, so John hooked up the trailer and we hauled her to them.  I told Mike that we wanted her to come back here if it didn't work out, and he agreed.  So we're again down to only 2 donkeys over our limit.........!!!  

Seems like I spend more and more time every morning doctoring, mostly stable fly damage.  Poor Quilla has polo wraps on all 4 legs as of this morning.  I'd been keeping ahead of the stable flies on his rear legs, but noticed this morning they had battled thru my chemical barriers and drawn blood.  When it's humid it seems like the flies really are bad.  Penny's front legs are bare like Quilla's and at first I thought it was probably fly damage.  But the flies don't bother her at all hardly, although her legs are both scarred.   As "squirrely" as she was with her front legs, when she came, I have a sneaking suspicion someone has roped her front legs, because there are actual wound scars on her legs unlike Quilla's that are just bare.  

Little Jack the mini mule is another one the flies or something seems to love.  He has round swollen places about the size of a dime all over his shoulders, and some on his belly, and of course the usual stable fly bites on his front legs.  Every year I buy 6 jars of Thuja Zinc Oxide to last me thru the summer, but this year I'm going to have to reorder it looks like.  Coquette also has some of the same stuff Jack has, and an added problem that seems to be some sort of skin condition.  It's dry, flaky, and builds up on her neck and behind her shoulders running down into her "armpit".  This morning I combed all the residual build up off and greased her up with zinc oxide.  It doesn't seem to bother her much if at all, but if you run your hands across it, the dry flaky stuff just flies.  Dr. Megan said we could do a scraping to find out what it is, but so far I've been able to keep it under control.  I can use that money to buy more zinc oxide.....!!! LOL  Same thing with whatever Cisco and Boaz  have on their legs.  I'm pretty sure what they have is called jack sores.

Although the experts lump jack sores, summer sores, & habronema all together as one, I'm not really sure they are.  I'm certainly no expert, but I can spot habronema larvae damage at 20 "paces", it looks like it looks.  What Cisco & Boaz have is an area covered with gooey serum, if you pull on the hair it comes right off the skin without leaving an open sore.  It's generally below the knee & above the fetlock, on the outside of the canon bone.  A couple of days of Underwood Horse Medicine and the hair starts coming back in and usually they don't have another break out in that area until the next year.  And what are the little closed circles that Jack the mini mule has?   

ALMOST A RODEO.....!!

Well, it's been an "interesting" morning so far.  Jack the mini mule came in limping on his right front, has a little swelling in the fetlock, so I would imagine he stepped wrong.  

The stable flies are out in force the last few days & are nibbling on almost everyone's front legs.  They've been busy on Jack, so he needed to be sprayed with fly spray.  EEEEEkkkkkk.....!!!!  I guess fly spray sounds like a snake or something if they haven't been sprayed before.  So put on the halter, get the lead, find something to tie him to or at least wrap the lead around, when he tries to take off for parts unknown,  If they would just stand still, it would be over in no time, but, NO, LET'S BE DRAMATIC, & throw a hissy fit.....!!!

OK, on to other fun things.  Quilla had lost a legging, John found the legging, unfortunately it had been "Wister-ized".  The little bugger had pulled & tugged on it enough to tear one side of the vel-cro completely off, although it was still stuck to the other side of the vel-cro.  The polo wraps are working out real well so far, BUT, they don't make good "toys" & they are hard to find.  

Put Thuja Zinc Oxide on Boaz & Cisco's sheaths.  Cisco's has to be smeared every morning during the summer, to provide some moisture to a very scarred part of his body.  It also keeps the flies from landing on his sheath.  If one lands he will drop to the ground & scoot until it's a bloody mess that needs to be covered with Zinc Oxide.  So it's just easier to smear it before the flies get a chance.  

I'm also keeping Underwood's Horse Medicine on Boaz's knee that won't heal & it seems to be working good.  He doesn't do well with bandages on his knee, so this seems to be keeping it covered by making a hard covering over the area.  Who knows maybe under that covering it is healing.........!!!!!  That would be really nice.  

I saved the best for last.  I've been doctoring Penny's face ever since we picked her up.  As I said before her legs are bald like  Quilla's.  Of course the stable flies appreciate the easy access, so I gathered up assorted barriers this morning, fly leggings, polo wraps, some homemade wraps I have & out we went to "fix" her.  Her face is really looking good, got it doctored with ivermectin.  

Time to work on her legs.........!!!!!   Oh! lordy, really not what she had planned this morning.  I can almost guarantee she has been a roping donkey.  She is a fear kicker with her hind legs & doesn't have a problem with rearing in the front & spinning, either before, during or after the hind leg kicking.  I gave up on putting any material on her legs quickly.  Poor John was along for the ride, at least he was way up front.  Coquette got upset & tried to join the "herd", which meant we had her to contend with too.  At least she isn't a kicker.  

I finally got her sprayed with fly spray on the front legs, but it wasn't easy.  I think I will have John set up one of our corral panel squeezes to put her in for "leg" work in the future.  We're too old to move fast enough to stay out of her way, long term.  One of us would get nailed, & I'm afraid it would be John.  He has never learned not to stand flat footed around unknown animals.  I learned that at an early age by experience...!!!! LOL

WHAT A MORNING, WHAT A MORNING.......!!!!

This morning was bandage changing day.  We started right after chores & finally got a new bandage on around noon........!!!!

Actually for her she was relatively cooperative, although as usual she wouldn't hold the foot still, just about the time you would be doing something important, she'd jerk the foot away from you.  

Our biggest problem was we couldn't get the bandage of Elastikon, & duct tape the clinic put on, off........!!!  We gnawed at it with just about everything we had that might cut & wasn't getting thru at all.  I finally called the clinic, talked to the vet, & she said she'd never had a problem cutting thru a bandage like that, using sharp scissors or a sharp pocket knife.  OK...........!!!!  I shared this information with John which really made his day, since he was the one in charge of getting the bandage off.  He finally made some progress using an exacto knife, yippee......!!!  Got all the wrappings off & saw her foot for the first time.  There is a gaping hole in the front, & a hole about the size of my thumb in the bottom.  I had to pack gauze into the holes to help prevent proud flesh from getting started.  Then the "drill" is, cover with gauze pads, brown gauze to hold them in place, diaper, duct tape boot, elastikon, more duct tape & more elastikon.  I've never done this much wrapping before & as I said she isn't the most cooperative little miss, actually BIG miss.  

We had her on a sheet, but in the soft ground, that didn't work very well, especially with her not standing still, & actually pawing to show her displeasure.  John got the brilliant idea of taking her in the garage on the concrete floor, so that's what we finally did.  Found a good use for last year's race car, that's what we tied her to, figured she couldn't squirm much tied up.  Worked great for the front end, although the rear end, where I was trying to work was still moving just fine, thank you very much.........GRRRRR.....!!!!   I finally used the last of my Dormosedan although it takes 30 minutes or so to take effect.  I think I got her bandaged before it took effect.  Called the local vet & she didn't have any, so I picked up some ACE from her when we went into town. 

I got a bandage on, we went to town to vote & she was laying down when we came back, so I haven't had a chance to see how the bandage is holding up. I've got my fingers crossed, the main thing is to not get dirt into those open places, until the hoof wall & sole grow out to cover them.  I certainly hope since this is going to be a long term operation, that Jenny gets a little more pleasant about the whole situation.  I'd hate to have to sedate her every 4 to 5 days.

The good news is the Underwood Horse Medicine is working great on her bed sores.  Don't know if they'll heal since she's still laying down a few hours every day, but I think I can keep them under control hopefully. 

Everyone else seems to be doing good, thank heavens.  I'm still doctoring Boaz's proud flesh on his knee, & it is finally starting to get smaller. 

Today was the start of the fly mask season for some of them.  I only put masks on the ones that have immune problems which seems to make them "fly candy".  I tried to put Tucker's baby mask on him, but it doesn't fit anymore.  The flies aren't very bad yet, & I put in an order last night to Colorful Equine for some new ones.  I thought I had enough for the new season, but when I started looking them over last night, I wondered why I even bothered to keep some, they were really tacky. 

 VISITING HOURS

We're getting into a routine of sorts.  I was going to change Jenny's bandage yesterday, but the instructions said 4 to 5 days.  Yesterday would have been 3 days & tomorrow is 5.  I'm not looking forward to doing her bandage.  First I have to figure out how to get the old bandage off without hurting her.  It's a mixture of gauze pads, brown gauze wrap, diaper, elastikon, & duct tape.  Pretty much impermeable, hope my scissors are sharp enough to cut & not gnaw......!!!  

Have to get it off, & get the hoof covered up without getting dirt in it.  SIGH!  I hope John on the other end with pets & animal crackers will help.  They didn't tell me what to do if it got dirt in it, so I need to be careful.  I was going to try to take a picture, but for this first time I think I better just unwrap & wrap.

She's doing real good, has settled down & isn't trying to get out.  Of course she expects a treat anytime you go for a "visit".  

She has bed sores on her hips & places in her armpits that are raw from her feet when she lays down.  The clinic had been spraying the places with Alu-Shield which is nothing more than a liquid silver bandage.  I went thru my shelves of assorted medical "stuff", & decided to try Underwood Horse Medicine.  I forget why I got it, someone on the Donkey Yahoo Group recommended it a couple of years ago.  Last night they were raw, this morning they look much better, so I just ordered some more. 

This is going to be a busy week.  After today every day is going to be busier than the one before.  John has 2 jeep tours Wednesday & I have a tour of 20 people coming out to visit the donkeys.  I called Georgette to see if she could come out & help with the tour.  It's a sneaky way of having her come out for a visit, I don't think she's been here since the open house in December.

Friday John gets his angiogram & I'm suppose to race Saturday night.  Our son & grandson will be there with their cars, along with friends that have already said they will help.  John has been told he can't do anything, or we'll send him home.  I guess they plug the opening in the groin with glue & you have to be careful to not unplug it.  It's in the femoral artery, which is "REALLY" important.....!!!! LOL