TIME TO START FOAL WATCH I GUESS.........!!!!

This morning when I went out I looked under Mocha & Thelma just for fun,  & Mocha has "dinners"...............!!!!  Oh! boy, not sure we're ready for this, especially since Mocha is just a baby herself, but I guess whether we're ready or not, really isn't important, at this stage.  

The girl's pen is corral panels & a little one could easily squirm under a panel, so we have decided to move them up to the pen BlackJack & Cisco are in.  Three sides of it are cattle panels, which looks like concrete reinforcement panels.  John is going to run more cattle panels on the 4th side this afternoon over the corral panels, & will put chicken wire over the gates.

Now this change has not been discussed with BJ & Cisco, they've had that pen for years.  So I have a feeling moving them down to the girl's pen is going to be "interesting".  Cisco probably won't care but BJ likes status quo in his life.  He also likes to think he's the decision maker, in what goes on. 

Martha a friend that does equine massage & use to come out & work on Chester is planning on coming out next Tuesday & do massage on a couple of the donkeys & will also do some training with the girls.  The plan was to get them to where their udders could be handled in case we had to milk one for colostrum.  So I hope Mocha is just messing with our minds right now......!!! 

As it is John is going to be working in the hot sun this afternoon setting up their new pen, & sub dividing their old one for BJ & Cisco, can't take a chance that she is serious.  

Earlier in the month I put out a message about an old mule that was needing a home.  It looks like he's going to get one, not too far from where he lives now, thanks to the Facebook, & other messages flying around the internet.  One of our neighbors that has been helping John with chores was interested, his wife had a mule when she was a girl.  He was busy getting a place ready, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. 

It would be a good home for a mule needing a new home, so I'll keep him in mind.  Thanks to everyone that got involved to help this old gentleman find a good home.  Sometimes it just takes perseverance on the part of a lot of people, & some good luck. 

GOOD NEWS.............!!!!

It's about time we had some good news around here.  I went to the doctor yesterday, & the x-ray shows the crack is pretty well healed, just a little discoloration in the area.  The doctor said I don't need to wear the immobilizer or use the crutches, but I'm still using the crutches when I'm outside.  I doubt that he realizes, what my normal routine is.  He said something about I could go out of the house & walk around.  I've been doing that since day one........!!!  Now it will be just a little easier to "moto-gait".  

I asked him if I could drive a car & he said yes, so John's getting the race car ready.  Next race isn't until the 17th of Sept, so I've still got time to figure out how to get in the darn thing.  Too bad the doctor didn't know the right questions to ask, huh?  

A friend & I had planned on going to the Cottonfest at Miles, Texas the 10th of Sept, but it was on hold until I went to the doctor.  Miles is a town of about 900 people & this will be their 34th year for the event.  I've never been to Miles but the draw to get me there is one of the large holding areas for Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, is at Miles & they are having an Open House in conjunction with the festivities.  Georgette & I have already talked this morning & our plans are in full swing.  Should be a fun trip & maybe I can get some good Texas tamales.........!!!  Arizona likes to use beef & put green olives in their tamales, which to me is just plain weird.  I was raised on yummy pork tamales made with lard, & can't quite get use to the regional changes.  

On our way back home we plan on stopping at Lucy's Pasture in Deming, N.M.   From their website, they are a small sanctuary ran by a family & aren't that far away from us.  Maybe we can help each other, who knows.  It's always fun to see how other people do it, I always learn something when I visit other sanctuaries. 

Everyone seems to be doing pretty good.  Jenny is actually cooperating every morning when John takes her boots off & puts them back on.  Believe me when Jenny doesn't cooperate it makes life REALLY difficult.  I think she likes wearing her boots, she has a longer stride, so I'm sure her feet feel better.

I wish there was someway to keep Pepper from getting down to rest or dust bathe & rolling over on his right side.  Once he is on his right side there is no way he can get up, poor old guy.  Sunday Patti came out & brought a bale of timothy hay that another friend sent out for Mocha & Thelma.  Letha has gorgeous Morgans & obviously they get the "good" stuff.  They thought maybe the girls would enjoy the timothy, which is a whole lot better for them than alfalfa as they transition to bermuda.  It is a big hit, I just hope they don't expect it forever, I think it's shipped out of Colorado, so the cost of gas & hauling probably really makes it pricey.  

Anyway John & Patti were roaming around visiting with all the donkeys.  I came out & noticed Pepper was down in the dusting spot by the dog pen.  I yelled for them & they put ropes on his down side legs, rolled him over & he popped up like he was on springs, so he hadn't been down long enough to wear himself out.  But he was really sweaty from laying in the sun, so they hosed him off.  Not sure he appreciated the experience, but it did cool him off.  

John said he was going to figure out some way of keeping him from rolling on that side, but so far nothing practical has come to mind.  Pepper is still very lively, he goes out & roams around doing his thing, & enjoying being around the girls, it's a shame the body isn't in better shape.  I worry about him getting down when we aren't here & thrashing around for a long time. 

HOPEFULLY WE'VE TURNED A CORNER

 LOUISE, 

(I forgot I took a couple of pictures of her)

After sharing Louise's necropsy with friends that know a whole lot more than I do about a lot of things the consensus was, the other 2 girls were probably about as compromised as Louise had been.  

The problem is & believe me this is simplistic, otherwise I'd really be confused.  With fatty liver disease, if they quit taking in enough calories, the fat in the liver breaks off & gets in the blood stream.  They can end up with hyperlipidemia which is probably what Louise had.  It can be caused by stress, (left her home, got her feet trimmed, went from eating alfalfa & sweet feet to bermuda & beet pulp, etc)  And of course was about 10 months pregnant.  

The other 2 girls weren't eating very good either, so I was told that I had to get them to eat.................!!!!   Friday night John brought them some of the chicken's alfalfa, but they just picked at it.  So I spent a lot of yesterday on the internet e-mailing back & forth trying to figure out what they might eat.  Then John took me to the store to get just about everything anyone suggested, although I couldn't find Fenugreek.  John said I need to shop a little higher up the food  chain than Wal-Mart........!!!!  We also brought home a new cutting of alfalfa, needless to say John got that unloaded & hidden in the hay barn first thing when we got home, & before anyone figured out what was going on or he would have been mobbed.  

I have piled on my kitchen table, assorted jellos, such as strawberry, lime, orange, cherry.  Apple juice to spritz their hay if necessary.  Applesauce if the juice doesn't work.  Cheerios, & peppermint & banana extract to use for "spritzing".  Baby foods such as carrots, &  peas.  So far I tried orange jello powder sprinkled on pellets.  Mocha said, NO.........Thelma seemed to think it was pretty good. 

I got a little over 4 pounds of pellets down them yesterday & this morning they ate pellets pretty good.  But the bermuda hay from yesterday was still there this morning.  John took it up to the hay barn, mixed it 50-50 with some alfalfa & the last I saw of them, they were plowing thru it, looking for...............the alfalfa of course.  So hopefully we won't have to use all the exotic "flavors" to entice them to eat.  If they do have fatty liver disease and/or hyperlipidemia or both, it is absolutely vital that they eat & keep their systems operating thru-out. 

One suggestion that was really neat was to make a tea from alfalfa, put it in a spray bottle & spray the bermuda with the alfalfa tea.  I might try that this afternoon just to see if it works.  What a great idea, they wouldn't be getting much alfalfa that way.  

Old Pepper is managing to either get up or stay on his feet the last few days, John hasn't had to get him up anyway.  He's still got 3 nasty "bed" sores on his hip where he was down for quite awhile the last time.  But the ears are up & he is still upset that Burroland isn't open. 

Everyone else is doing good.  Jenny walks so much better in her boots, I've about decided she's just going to wear them all the time, rather than try to work her out of them & back to barefoot.  It isn't worth the effort, if she's comfortable wearing them.  The only real problem is, we have to keep a close eye on her to make sure the boots made for horses, don't make her coronets sore. 

Saw our first rattlesnake yesterday.  He was on the back porch & the outdoor cats showed John where he was.  This morning I looked out the bedroom window & saw Selena half rear, spin & move about 15 feet, stop come back & start using her nose to figure out what was making all that noise.............!!!!  YIKES, I started screaming for John, he was having breakfast.  The snake was still rattling like crazy & Selena is still acting like she's going to put her nose on it, or at least close enough that I could envision another rattlesnake bite.  By the time John got out there, the snake had decided he'd had enough & had crawled into a convenient Rabbit Bush.  There is everything in that bush, including rabbits, it's about 20 feet across.  Of course when Selena saw John she went to him, in case he had a treat, so that got her away from the area.  WHEW!  sure don't want no more rattlesnake bites.  Everyone says to kill them, but our theory is, if you know where your snakes are, you're better off than having new snakes coming in & surprising you when you least expect it.  Wish we could explain that to the donkeys. 

Louise's Necropsy

 HIESTAND, LETISHA Fax:
360 E ROCKSPRINGS RD Accession Date: 08/22/11
BENSON, AZ
Case: 11-4137 Species: Burro, Ass, Donkey
Animal ID: LOUISE Breed: Burro, Ass, Donkey
Owner: HIESTAND Age: 6 Years
Necropsy
Page 1 of 3

Received is the cadaver of a 6 years old female donkey. History includes heavy breathing, went down, gums
white, temp. 102.2, breath very nasty smelling (stomach smell, not bad tooth). Got up and walked in small
circles, went down, front legs stiffened, rear legs spasmed. Convulsed and died, all in about one hour.
Gross Necropsy Findings:
EXTERNAL FINDINGS: The animal has the typical body conformation and hair coloration of the breed. The
hair coat is clean and in good condition. There are no abnormal discharges from any of the body orifices.
INTERNAL FINDINGS:
General: There is ample fat in the subcutaneous and abdominal regions. Mild to moderate icterus is present. The
peritoneal cavity contains a small amount of bloody, cloudy fluid.
Respiratory System: The trachea and large bronchi are clear. The ventral zone of the lungs have a pattern of
small depressed foci interwoven with inflated lung parenchyma, accompanied by mottled light and dark red
coloration. There are no areas of definitive consolidation. Bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes are normal.
Digestive System: The mouth and esophagus are empty and the mucosa is normal. The stomach is filled with
green forage. The small intestine is empty. The colon and cecum are approximately half filled with normal
ingesta. The rectum contains a few normal fecal balls. The mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract is normal
throughout. There are several patches of ecchymotic hemorrhage on the serosal surface of the small intestine
with extension to the mesentery. Several small ecchymotic hemorrhagic areas are present on the serosal surface
of the colon. The mesenteric lymph nodes, and pancreas are normal. The liver is uniformly pale yellow-brown,
fatty, extremely friable, and appears to be moderately enlarged. There is a large area of necrosis of the fat of the
mesenteric root, extending prominently into the perirenal fat of the left kidney and to a mild degree into the right
perirenal fat.
Cardiovascular System: The myocardium, chambers, and valves of the heart are normal. The associated large
veins and arteries are normal.
Urogenital System: The kidneys are unusually pale. The urinary bladder is half full with clear normal urine. The
uterus is gravid with a well developed fetus that has a full hair coat and appears to be completely developed and
in the last month of gestation. There is a small amount of milk in the mammary glands.
Lymphatic System: The spleen is congested and enlarged. There is ample fat in the suspensory ligament of the
spleen and most of it is necrotic. The thymus is not identified
Endocrine System: The thyroids, adrenals and pituitary gland are normal.
Nervous System: The meningeal vasculature of the brain is very congested by the brain appears normal. The
large femoral and brachial nerves
are normal.
Musculoskeletal System: The musculature is normal. The bones and proximal joints of the limbs are normal.
Histopathology:
Liver: There is extreme fatty degeneration characterized by the presence of fat vacuoles in the cytoplasm in most
of the hepatocytes.
Fat tissue from mesenteric root and left perirenal regions: There are extensive, coalescing foci of necrosis in all
the sections.
Kidney: There is marked fatty degeneration of tubular epithelial cells.
Brain, Heart, Lung, Spleen, Small Intestine: There is postmortem autolysis with many saprophytic bacteria
present in these tissues. However, there are no visible lesions in any of the sections.
Diagnosis and Comments:
Hepatic lipidosis. This condition, more commonly known as fatty liver syndrome, is one of the more common
liver diseases in donkeys. It is a metabolic disease and is usually associated with stress or nutritional problems.
This jenny was pregnant with a fetus that was near full term. Pregnancy is an acknowledged factor that can lead
to hepatic lipidosis. The current hot, humid weather was undoubtedly another stress factor. Nutritional factors
can also contribute to this condition. A check of the diet as related to the condition of the animals is indicated.
Fatty liver syndrome is a rather common problem in dairy cattle that are overfed and overweight.
Reported on: 08/26/11
Jack A. Schmitz, DVM PhD
Diplomate, ACVP
Bacteriology
Culture, Aerobic Verified on: 08/25/11
Animal ID Specimen Isolate
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Liver 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Liver 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Lung 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Lung 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Spleen 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Spleen 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
FAT Tissue, Fresh 4 + Escherichia coli
FAT Tissue, Fresh 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
LOUISE Swab, Abscess 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Swab, Abscess 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
Page 2 of 3
Case: 11-4137 - HIESTAND, LOUISE
END OF REPORT
Page 3 of 3
Case: 11-4137 - HIESTAND, LOUISE 

 * If you have donkeys DO NOT feed them alfalfa & sweet feed, unless you want their insides to look like this at the age of 6 years. 

NOW JOHN KNOWS WHAT I DO.........!!!!

 Carol Grigg - Mule in Bath

I think he might have thought I was sitting around eating bon-bons or something.  He's getting baptism under fire now..........well except for the medical, trying to figure out what would be best to do, part.  I'm still getting to do that.  When Lisa comes over she & I do the doctoring, but she wasn't here this morning, so John got to be the medic.  Number one, he isn't the medic type, he doesn't like all that icky stuff & when it comes to bandaging something...........well let's just say it's very frustrating to watch...........!!!! (G)  I keep telling myself he's doing a much better job than I would if I was doing electrical or plumbing or changing a fuel pump.  Hopefully I'll get good news Monday & this little bump in the road will be just a memory & we can get back to normal, whatever that is.  

It was a little easier to round them up this morning because they were on the 10 acres, but of course there are always a few hold outs, to keep the game interesting for us & for them.   Especially them, for the most part we just find it irritating.  

We're taking Jenny's boots off every morning & making sure they aren't rubbing too much on her coronets.  The major problem is I don't think any company makes boots specifically for donkeys.  So as usual we're trying to use a horse product for a donkey.  Donkey feet are not horse feet & hers are deformed from years of chronic laminitis & neglect.

Courtney said she has left them on more than one day at a time up to 5 days & had no problems...........on horses.  But Jenny needs more supervision than that, so every morning we take her boots off, & check her over.  It wouldn't be so bad except she has a sense of humor, at least I guess that's what it is.  If you try to pick up her foot she will lift the other one off the ground & just stand there.  She's always done it, so I can only assume she gets a thrill by being in charge.  

Sure will be glad when fly season is over.  Saw an ad on TV yesterday, from Spalding Labs & they said the leg biting flies are stable flies.  They were saying that in order to control flies you have to use the right methods.  Guess I need to read up on stable flies to see if fly predators & fly traps will get them.  The fly traps are keeping busy, we have 8 bags hanging away from the pens, & when you walk in the area you can hear them "partying" like there's no tomorrow. Guess for them there isn't, good riddance.

BURROLAND IS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS...........!!

As of this morning Burroland is officially closed until the monsoon & mesquite bean season is over. 

Last night John asked if I had felt the minis crest's lately.  No, I spend most of my time trying to keep my balance on crutches, if I can't find some place to sit down.  Besides I've been pretty careful about getting real close to even the ones that don't spook.  I don't want to mess up my doctor's appointment next Monday.

I guess they are getting pretty big & hard.  I would imagine the others are about the same, at least the sugar/starch dependent ones...............soooooo.......... the party is over.........!!!!!!  When John let them out this morning, they all marched over to the gate & just stood there, waiting for him to come to his senses, I guess.  

It won't take them long to glean the 10 acres, although a lot of the mesquite are blooming again, so we'll probably have a late crop of beans for them to enjoy.

This afternoon John is going to open the 2 outside gates to Burroland, so the cows can go in.  He will also put out some loose salt, especially at the gates to encourage the cows to go where they aren't use to going.  It usually takes them a few days to find the open gates, but after that it doesn't take them long to clean up the beans.  

The University called again yesterday to tell me the fetus had hair & Louise had milk in her mammeries.  I had no idea what that meant, so got on the internet donkey group I belong to.  The concensus was the foal was at least 10 months, & probably Louise was within a month of delivering.  

So I have dug out a foaling book someone gave me that I never thought I'd use & will try to get myself prepared.  I would assume the other 2 probably got PG about the same time, although neither of them look PG, but neither did Louise.  

I know it would be better to have 2 little babies so they could grow up together, but Mocha is only a little over 2 years old herself, so I really hope she isn't PG.  John is already in a panic, not sure he will be much help.  I know they have babies all the time, but we certainly don't want anything to go wrong if we can help it. 

 DONKEYS FOR RENT - ITALY

This morning when John went out to find everyone, he found Pepper down on his right side again.  Had been there awhile, trying to get up.  This is about the 5th time he's needed help to get up since I broke my leg. John & our neighbor Vic rolled him over on his good side, & after he rested about 10 minutes up he popped & was headed for Burroland.  It took both John & Vic to stop him & John said he wasn't about to give up without a fight.  It's hard to watch him, his mind & determination is still good, but his body isn't.  At least once he's up he actually moves around pretty good, he just can't lay down on that right hip.  The knee on that side isn't any good either.  

They got Louise loaded yesterday & we headed for the University Diagnostic Lab, got there about 3pm, which was too late for them to start, so they put her in a cooler until this morning.  We were pretty sure the 3 girls were pregnant, because Beau is 26 months old & has had plenty of time to figure out what he was put on the earth to do. They were letting me know that there would be an extra charge, she weighed over 500 pounds because of a fetus.  The charges for necropsy goes by size, & we paid for the 200-500 pound size. Guess there isn't any leeway in their rules. They will let me know the age of the fetus, I would imagine the girls all got pregnant about the same time, so that will give us an idea of when they are due.  All she would tell me was that Louise had other problems.  Originally they said if would take about a week to get the results, so we'll get a report of what they found eventually.

Everyone else seem to be fine, although they are bound & determined to not come in to be fed.  I don't blame them, there's all sorts of goodies out there growing.  But they could at least be polite enough to pretend they want to come in because we want them to.  Not only do they not come, some of them have started taking off when they see John headed their way.  That does not make him happy..........!!!   It takes a long time to do chores when they don't cooperate.  It would be easier to just not feed them, but unfortunately some of them do show up, or wander in & expect their routine to be followed.   

I will find out if it's surgery or therapy next Monday.  I think everyone is hoping for therapy, even that will take awhile for me to get back in the groove, but it would be a lot better than surgery.  At least I could start transitioning back into helping. 

LOUISE RIP.......!!!!!

A horrible morning........Louise hadn't been acting right for a couple of days, but we just thought it was her feet.  Because her feet were so bad, it's been hard for her to walk, but she was going out of the pen & moving around, which is a good thing.

Yesterday John saw her hanging her head over the water a couple of times, not drinking, but he didn't really think that much about it.

This morning when he went out he noticed she was breathing heavy when he put her in the pen.  Lisa that's been helping with chores said her breath was absolutely horrible & her gums were white.  She had a little temperature, & when I called the vet she said she'd be here in about an hour.  

Louise went down, Lisa & John got her back up & she started walking in small circles.  When she went down again, I sent John up to get a bale of hay to help keep her up on her chest rather than laying out flat.  By the time he got back with the hay, she was have convulsions, legs stiff.  By the time I went to the house to call the vet again, & was headed out of the door, John met me to tell me she was dead.  Called the vet to have her come out anyway, in case she had some idea of what happened.  My first thought was noxious weed of some kind, but like the vet said, these donkeys are well fed, we've had donkeys on the acreage for years, so we really don't know.  The vet noticed the horrible smell & when she reached in Louise's mouth she found rotten stuff of some kind, not from her teeth, probably from her digestive system.  The vet couldn't draw blood, it had been too long & suggested if we really wanted to hopefully find out what happened, that we could have a necropsy done at the UofA in Tucson.  I really want to know what happened, so John & Vic our neighbor are working at loading her in the stock trailer.  

When I called the University the woman I walked to said to keep her on ice..............!!!  I know it would be much better to have her on ice, but they'll just have to work with her as is.  We were going to haul her on the flat trailer covered with a tarp, but decided she wouldn't get as hot if she was in the stock trailer uncovered.  

She was Mocha's mom, only 6 years old, & we had high hopes that her feet would get straightened out & she would have a good life, hopefully in a Forever Home of her own.  I really hate to lose them & this makes 3 this year, too many. 

I didn't even get a decent picture of her, didn't know there would be any hurry.  But we won't forget her. 

DESPERATE SITUATION

This is a long shot, but stranger things have happened & this old boy needs a home.  A man got in touch with me awhile back, said he had been foreclosed on & needed a home for his 30+ mule that eats mush, can't eat hay.  The man is running out the clock on his home, hoping for a place for his old friend.

I've tried to come up with something, a friend has gotten in touch with 8 individuals & 3 rescues & there's no place for this mule.  One of the rescues said to just euthanize him.  Not exactly the type of help one would hope for from a rescue right off the bat.  

If I wasn't crippin' around on a broken leg I might try to talk John into adding just one more to the mix, I know Rusty & Jack wouldn't mind.  But that would be a lot of ask of John especially when we don't know if my leg will have to be operated on or not.  

So if anyone in the area might like to give an old gentleman a retirement home, please let me know.  He wouldn't take much, just some mush & a little attention.

Thelma, Louise & Mocha have really caught on to this, going in the pen routine twice a day.  They go in better than some of the old timers..........like Jenny for instance.  This morning most of them were over in Burroland, & eventually it got down to Cisco, Pepper & Jenny.  Lisa hauled Cisco back by halter & lead, & John got the pleasure of escorting Pepper.  John said they have to go the way Pepper wants to go thru the brush.  If there are 2 or 3 paths they can take, John says he finds out real quick, if he's trying to take the "wrong" one.  And with Pepper it's much easier to just "go along to get along" with him & do it his way.  

Jenny is still over there, in fact Lisa took the zinc oxide over there to doctor her "in the field" so to speak.  They tried everything to get her to come over here, but there are just too many mesquite beans ripe & ready to fall, for her to leave them.  

Selena & Falena are about the 1st ones to greet John when he goes out in the morning.  Then they walk around with him as he gets organized.  But they are very judgemental when it comes to wasting their valuable time.  If they don't think things are moving along at an acceptable pace, they take off & go back to Burroland, which is what they did this morning, just about the time we were ready to feed.  They move faster than any of the other donkeys, I told John I think they've been on a lot of acreage, they don't move like they've been in a pen that's for sure.