OUT OF TOWN AGAIN.....!!!

I will be in Missouri at my high school reunion until the middle of next week.  Vic will also be gone, so Lora his wife is going to be helping John, when Lisa doesn't come over.  

ZEKE IS WALKING FOR HIS BUDDIES

October 12th is Donkey Appreciation Day...........who knew........??  I certainly didn't.  Zeke's mom got in touch with us about the walkathon Zeke & Mike will be doing on the 12th from Tombstone to the front gate at Ft. Huachuca.  As I understand it, every year Zeke does something to raise money for charity.  This year he has decided to raise money to help his less fortunate donkeys that are in rescue or sanctuary, & has chosen Forever Home Rescue as the recipient.  What a wonderful thing for Teresa, Mike, & of course Zeke to do.

Sunday John & BlackJack are going to a photo shoot with Mike & Zeke to be used for publicity.  Guess I'll miss all the excitement.  I hope BlackJack behaves himself, he usually goes in the trailer pretty good & likes to be fussed over, so it should go well.  Of course he is a donkey & might decide this wasn't what he had planned for the day too..................!!!

This morning when John went out Tucker was in Thelma's pen.  There's an area between them that is just corral panels, & sure enough the little stinker found it.  John said none of the 3 seemed upset, which is surprising, I would have thought Mocha would have a fit.  

Thelma still doesn't show any signs of being pregnant, so maybe she isn't, but we'll continue to treat her like she is.

Sha'ba & Georgette 2009

Sha'ba was ready to go this morning, it took very little drugs to release him from his pain.  

He had so much liquid draining from his nose & by the time the vet got here it was starting to have a red tinge to it.  He kept moving, like he was very uncomfortable & we could tell it was time.  

The vet's best guess was cancer with tumors either blocking his system, or tumors that had wrapped around his intestines  & were causing the contents of his stomach to back up thru his nose.  

 

You could just tell by looking at him his life hadn't been easy.  His ears had been cut off, he was blind in one eye, had an old break in a rear fetlock, & somewhere along the line someone had punched a hole thru his nose to use a bull ring, rather than a halter.  He would fight you if you tried to tie him up, & the shorter you tied him, the harder he would fight.  When we picked him up in Tucson 8 years ago we thought he was blind in both eyes, they were so infected.  He also weighed about 100 pounds less than he should.  We really didn't think he would be alive when we got him home.   We found out he could see a little bit, & he eventually gained weight , even though his teeth were worn off to the gums.  

He learned to trust people again, & enjoyed being with them.   Anytime we would go out on the property, if we went close to him, he would come over & then follow us around.  

A few years ago he was bitten by a rattlesnake on a front leg.  Didn't seem to bother him I guess the fangs hit his cannon bone & didn't release much venom if any.  

He had a spirit that couldn't be destroyed & our lives were much richer for getting to know him.  They are all special, but he was extra special...........we will miss  him. 

We are waiting for the vet to come out for Sha'ba.  She was out last night we thought he was choked.  That wasn't the case, & her best guess is, at his age probably a blockage or tumor.

There is no change this morning, & he is very uncomfortable.  Georgette his special friend is coming out from Tucson, to be with him for his last journey. 

SUMMER MUST BE OVER.........!!

VISITING WITH ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS

We had people come out yesterday for a tour, & I just got a call from some people wanting to come out tomorrow.  It's a little early for the "winter" visitors to start showing up, so I assume people are taking advantage of the "much" cooler weather we are having.  

We didn't know the people yesterday were coming, so the donkeys were out of the pens, thankfully just on the 10 acres.  We found most of them, & people do enjoy being able to wade into the herd, although it makes me a little nervous.  These were horse people, so they knew about being in close proximity with equine.  

Yesterday was suppose to be trim day for Thelma & Mocha & reset day for Falena's elongated shoe.  Tyler came out & said Thelma & Mocha's feet looked good & he didn't trim them.  Did say Thelma needs to move around more.  She doesn't move around a lot, I'm sure her feet hurt because they were so very long when we got her & it will take time for the bones in her feet to adjust.  There's nothing in her pen to make her move around, so John is working on her pen this morning to give it an outside gate, so we can let her in & out without having to go thru Mocha & Tucker's pen.  I hope she is cooperative when it comes time to go back in this afternoon.  

Tyler was quite pleased with the way Falena's foot is doing.  When we picked her & Selena up, she had been walking on the top of her foot probably all her life, at least long enough to wear the top of her hoof off flat.  So Tyler built her a complete hoof, using a special shoe & designing a front for her hoof with epoxy.  She walks right about 99% of the time, although she does stand with the foot turned over.  But Tyler said where her hoof is growing in new, is growing at the correct angle to eventually grow correctly, & she won't need the shoe.  It will take about a year, but that's OK.  They still belong to the state & the livestock inspector hasn't ever called me back, so we couldn't adopt them out anyway.  If I did, I'm sure the next day the livestock inspector would call........!!!!!  LOL

Falena isn't real cooperative, & in the ensuing battle, I got my hand caught between the rope & the 4x4 upright post I was trying to wrap the rope around.  The guys thought I should go for stitches, but I opted for super glue.  Getting stitches would be an all day process, & a lot of paperwork.  It sure seems like I'm getting beat up a lot lately.  Unfortunately it's my right hand, so the super glue is really getting a work-out, & not working as well as I'd like.  

John came in this morning & said, "you should have seen Tucker, he was really making high speed laps around & around his pen."  I want to get pictures of him running, but usually when I go out with the camera, if he is running, he decides to be a statue........or he's sleeping or eating.  The dogs usually tattle, when he's running like that.  I just need to coordinate getting my camera & getting out there in time. 

TUCKER & MOCHA AT CLINIC

(THANKS GEORGETTE)

Today is the last day for Tucker's antibiotics.  The vet said it would be good to get another complete blood work-up to see how he is doing.  He doesn't realize how difficult it is to get things done in Cochise County.  As active as Tucker is, he certainly seems to be just fine, so I might just watch him for a few days.  I have my handy dandy thermometer, ready at a moment's notice, if he started acting "off", so we'll see how it goes.  

Yesterday morning Sha'ba was acting "off".  Didn't want to eat his breakfast, which for him is very unusual.  My best guess was gas colic.  When I took him temp, I got a big "blessing" & it wasn't long before he started eating & then wanted out.  I guess raising that tail, helped with the problem.  

Jenny still has an open abscess on the bulb of her hoof.  The thing has just continued to move around, so the whole side of her hoof & coronet has been involved.  We didn't soak this morning since it was already open.  A clean up with Betadine & then covering the whole area with ichthammol .  

John is now taking the fly masks off at night, so summer must be over.  The fly traps aren't filling up near as quickly...........YIPPEE!  Well except for Thelma, she doesn't mind it being taken off, but putting it back on can be a challenge.  Having this bum leg really puts a cramp in my style as far as working with the donkeys goes.  John's idea of putting on a fly mask is to stomp up from the front & put it on.  The donkeys that have been here for awhile have gotten use to this "abuse of manners" & allows him to do it.  Thelma obviously expects a little "wooing" & perhaps an approach from the side.  But I'm not ready to take a chance of getting knocked down.  

I'm not even feeding Sha'ba yet.  We have a relationship that consists of him butting me like a billy goat when I go in his pen with his bucket, & me trying to get away from him.  I know it isn't acceptable behavior, but he was so beat down when he got here, I was thrilled when he started showing a little moxey, & have let him keep doing it.  (And will do so for as long as he wants to do it)  But I still can't pivot or change directions with my leg, so can't take a chance.  

Thelma really doesn't care for ropes or heaven forbid a halter, so I guess that will be my first project when my leg gets stronger. 

Last night I got a call from a woman.  Tyler had said something about her as a possible home for Beau, when he was out to trim him & the 3 jennies last month.  She has a 30 year old mare & a 2 year old donkey gelding & has been looking for a buddy for them.  Tyler thought Beau would be a good match.  I had to tell her what happened.  I'm always amazed at how things turn out sometimes.  I doubt that anything would have been different if she had called earlier, although she said she could have taken him as a jack, she has a place she could have kept him if necessary.  But I don't know that we would have let him go as a jack, because so many times people don't follow thru with getting them gelded. 

Doesn't really do any good to second guess, it is what it is, it just seems to be such a waste.  He was such a cute small standard & would have been a great little guy with some training.  

Everyone else seems to be doing pretty good today.  Since it's cooled off, & there are less flies doctoring is getting easier.  Jenny is still limping around 3 legged lame.  Yesterday when Lisa & I went out to doctor her, we noticed a "herd" of flies on her coronet & sure enough an abscess was draining, so that's 2 on that foot.  She's still favoring that foot, so I soaked her again this morning.  She still has swelling in the hock, so it's really difficult to tell where her problem really is.  She's tired of staying in her pen, & lets us know every chance she gets.  

Tucker is running around like crazy, still on antibiotics for 2 more days.  He's 2 weeks old today.  I've found out if I'm close to him, if I reach out & scratch his butt, he'll stand still for more scratching & rubbing.  Mocha is still being over protective, kicking & biting if she thinks it's necessary.  She even kicked at Vic yesterday, when he was in Thelma's pen.  When Tucker gets his antibiotics syringed in his mouth, she will nip you if she can.  We don't know if she's protecting him, or trying to get the karo syrup.  

Pepper is doing much better, he hasn't got down & needed help getting up in quite awhile.  

Quilla has discovered a new past time.  Selena & Falena both are entertaining the boys.  In fact they are the reason Beau tried to get out of the pens.  Quilla stays right with them & occasionally tries to do the "dirty" deed.  Not bad for an old guy that this time last year was fighting for his life from a rattlesnake bite.  Unfortunately 2nd in line is Pepper, he follows them around all day waiting for an opportunity.  So far Quilla hasn't gotten mean with him, for one thing all the 3 have to do is walk off, & it will take Pepper awhile to catch up.  But he doesn't mind getting in close if he can, he's never figured out that he is old & frail.  And I don't think he ever will. 

IT'S OVER

It went as well as these things can go.  I have heard horror stories about ones that have gone wrong & can't imagine how horrible that would be, for all involved, especially the owner. 

When it was over, Nancy cut the bandage we put on yesterday, to exam the leg & also to see where the bandage failed.  The thin PVC collapsed, but the leg was like a piece of spaghetti, it had no tone to it at all below the knee.  It makes me feel better, Nancy said if we had tortured him for weeks or months, he still would have never been able to use that leg, 

John put him in the garage for the night, it was too late to try to bury him tonight & because of the drugs used, he couldn't stay outside.  It could poison any animal that might take a bite. 

We've lost 4 this year, way too many.  RIP Lucy, Noelle, Louise, & Beau.....!!!

NOT A GOOD ENDING

We are waiting for the vet to come out & euthanize Beau.  John just came in awhile ago, & said something had changed, with his leg.  I went out & it is bowed out to the side like a cowboy with bowed legs.  I guess the PVC in the wrap isn't doing it's job.  

I talked to the vet & she said although she saw nothing in the x-rays to show anything broken, her best guess is the ligaments in the knee area are destroyed, & if we put him in a cast it would have to be replaced every couple of weeks.  She talked about a lot of things not good, & nothing really good except no broken bones.  

He's unhandled, & hard to work with, so he would have to be tranquilized every time you wanted to work with him. 

I have to weigh the facts, & unfortunately the facts are I think we would be torturing him for a long time, for hopefully an outcome that would let him be able to use his leg.  If not, then the end result would be the same.  Animals don't understand you are trying to help them, especially one that has very little relationship with humans.

If he would stand still to be bandaged, or if he had a calm disposition we might try it.  But I see nothing to be accomplished by all the time & effort it would take on our part to keep him miserable for months.  

Anyone that knows me knows this is a hard decision for me to make.  I'm not God & the idea of being responsible for killing an animal even for the right reasons, turns my stomach.  

The bottom line is what is best for Beau?  It would have been best if he had been socialized, & been gelded, in which case we wouldn't have ever been involved in his life probably.  But he wasn't, & we were, so we have to make the hard decisions. 

VET JUST LEFT

She came out with 2 helpers & it's probably a good thing.  We went down to look at him & figure out a plan to get him close enough to the x-ray.  He was in Rusty's pen, which was too far from the feed room & electricity to get a good x-ray.  We decided to try to move him 5 pens up to the front pen, which is his pen anyway, if we could.  

I went to get a lead ropes, & when I came back they were busy shutting gates as he was headed for his pen.  At the rate he was moving he was getting to the gates before they did & I was afraid he'd get out.  He might have a bum leg, but he wasn't letting it slow him down much.

She finally decided he'd have to be tranquilized, too many people & most of them with ropes didn't set well with him.  John also set up one of our corral panel chutes, actually had to have it in order to give Beau his tranquilizer, to say he wasn't cooperating is an understatement.  

They got 4 x-rays, in spite of him trying to kick anyone that came close to him, & will call from the office to let us know what the verdict is.  

She said he could have some nerves damaged, she named one I can't remember & also the radial nerve.  Chester had a paralyzed radial nerve & Martha managed to get it working with massages.  So we haven't given up yet. 

WAITING FOR THE VET

The vet is suppose to be here around noon to x-ray Beau, & see what we are actually dealing with.  She's going to try to x-ray thru the wrapping, although I'd really rather someone that knew what they were doing would wrap it.  Although if the x-ray shows more damage than just the knee I guess it probably won't matter much, long term. 

He's eating & moving around, but donkeys are so stoic there's no way to know how much pain he has.  I haven't given him any banamine this morning because the vets usually want to be able to evaluate them without drugs.