GREAT VET CLINIC

Rusty was not improving as the day wore on, so I called the local vet clinic and she was out of town for the next few days.  With a 36 year old mule and temperatures above 100, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to wait and watch too long, if nothing else dehydration becomes a factor.  I had heard thru the grapevine about a fairly new mobile vet clinic in Tucson, ran by 2 recent graduates.  I went on their web-sit, didn't see Benson area listed, but figured, what the heck.  Called, talked to one of the vets, told her what was happening and she said she could come right out......... I told her I also had 2 others with skin problems for her to look at.......she said fine.  

John had just let the herd over on Burroland, Rusty wasn't a problem, he was laying down in the shade over here.  But the other two weren't on this side of course.  Usually a lot of them "help" John open the gate, so they don't miss anytime eating beans........LOL  So John and I went over to find them.  Finding them wasn't much of a problem, they were all under trees that were dropping the most beans.  Getting them to move in the direction of the pens..........that was a problem.  No cooperation at all.  Actually John had went over first by himself and quickly decided one person couldn't do it.  It wasn't easy for 2 either, especially Rosie, who's answer to being headed in a direction she didn't want to go is to explode in a high speed run, the opposite direction.  Boaz pretty much gave up when he saw both of us and we got him penned.  Rosie dragged the game out as she "raced" all over the place at mid afternoon in the hot blazing sun.......!!!  You can tell when they give up, which she finally did.  I looked up from closing her gate and the vet truck was just coming in.  Whew!  

Rusty actually got up and walked to his pen, which made it a lot easier.  She checked him over, all his vitals were good, so he got tubed with mineral oil, electrolytes and a shot of banamine, which is what he's gotten the 3 or 4 other times he's done this.  This morning he seems to be just fine, and is eating his breakfast.......  I know at his age, anything could happen, and if it happens again we'll probably have a complete blood workup, to see if his "innerds" are up to par.  

I had already told her that Boaz would have to have a happy shot, because if he isn't happy with what you are doing, he isn't above letting you know it.  He has a wonderful personality but has a lot of survival attitude if he thinks it's necessary.  So we headed for Rosie, who is easy if she knows she doesn't have a choice, like being in a pen, tied up...........LOL  Dr. Lindsey agreed, with my diagnosis, over reaction to bug bites and/or possible neck worms.  She recommended giving her a steroid shot.  Years ago a vet tried that on Cisco, but he's such a mess, I didn't really notice a difference.  Hopefully it will work for her.  

Then on to Boaz.  Since she was going to be looking at sores on his sheath, the happy shot was definitely necessary.  Even then, he let loose with a couple of cheap shots.  The vet was raised on a ranch in Nevada and said the wild donkeys and mustangs use to come down on their ranch all the time and she has worked a lot with donkeys...........YEA.......!!!  She was surprised at how thick his hide was though.  I think that happens when these jacks are gelded later in life.  I think they must build up a tough hide to hopefully survive the horrible nasty fighting these guys go thru for the right to breed, in the wild.  Boaz isn't a BLM burro, but he's been thru a lot at sometime in his life, lots of scars and a real aggressive attitude if he thinks it's necessary.  I think he might have been part of a roping string of young jacks on a ranch, the cowboys used for roping practice at one time.  

She took a biopsy and if it is cancer, she will come back and freeze all the spots.  

I was pleasantly surprised with the bill.  I don't think it cost much if anymore than if I had the local vet come out for a farm call for 3 donkeys.  And she was very good, seemed to know her stuff.  Anyone that can hit the vein on a thick skinned ex-jack on the first stab must be good............LOL