I'VE HAD BETTER DAYS.....!!!

 Nigel watching an unhappy male tarantula yesterday

Jill settled in nicely last night, enjoyed her supper and was busy eating her hay when we came in from chores.  When John went out to let everyone out, didn't have to let her out, she had taken care of that little detail herself.  

The 6 panels John used to make her pen were mismatched and it isn't easy to get them put together at the corners, when they have different types of latches & hooks.  

She didn't go anywhere, she was standing beside the pen and came right up to John to see what he was going to do interesting.  He came to get me, I put a halter on her (thank goodness she is a very well trained young lady), we threw Boaz out of his pen.........well he was going out anyway and put her in there for the night.  

I went back in the house and a few minutes later, John came to tell me little Wister was 3 legged lame.  Sure enough, not putting that foot down on the ground, lame......!!!  Since he and Ruthie had been in their pen, and he was just fine when he went in, I think she probably stepped on his fetlock, when he was laying down.  He expects everyone to walk around him when he's "resting", and doesn't bother moving at all.  I guess she miscalculated her step, poor little guy. 

This morning Jill was still in Boaz's pen, which is good, but Wister was still 3 legged lame.  I put a halter on him & checked his leg out better than I could in the dark last night.  There's no swelling but it is definitely sore.  

I wasn't sure about giving him Banamine since he is just 7 months old, but as usual if anyone of them are going to need a vet it will be on a week-end or holiday.  It didn't take very long before he was walking almost normal, which can be another problem.  If it isn't bothering them, life goes on & more damage can happen.......!!!  So he is having to stay in the pen today and for the 1st time in his young life momma isn't with him, we let her out.  She comes by every once in awhile, which stirs him up.  But as long as she is out of sight, he seems to forget about her not being there.  

Remember the 7 donkeys we hauled from the auction area in Buckeye?  One of the jennets has not done well.  She was the one that was definitely PG & had not been eating or drinking much if at all.  Thursday they got her to a vet & she had internal bleeding, infection, high fever really a horrible situation for all involved.  She was euthanized yesterday.  What a sad ending for a very pretty girl, that up until a month ago was running wild & free with her family, until the state decided they knew what was best. 

When the workers were trying to load the donkeys in our trailer, they had them all crunched at the back of the trailer, with a gate closed on them, so they couldn't even move unless it was to jump up into the trailer.  One of them went down on the ground and stayed down for awhile.  I'm wondering if it might have been her and while she was down, she got kicked or stepped on by some of the others?  I was not impressed with the way the state people did their jobs up there and this just adds to my displeasure. 

One little ray of sunshine was Lynn, Jeff and their daughter and grandson came out this morning to groom on the donkeys. They've been coming out about once a month and groom anyone that wants it.  They walk thru the pens with grooming supplies, if the donkeys walk off, so be it.  Most of them not only don't walk off, but will stand really still as long as someone will groom.  BlackJack almost fell over he was so "into the moment"........!!  Tula of course never participates, Penny wasn't interested, but most of the others thought it was great....!!!  They even brought apples & animal crackers......!!!  

Everyone is getting their rations cut, except for Jill, because she's not going out.  The others are all eating mesquite beans like there is nothing else on the planet to eat.  John has cut a pound of hay each day for each and everyone of them, much to their disgust.  Judging from their poo I don't think they are quite as hungry as they would like us to think they are.  Sure don't want to have to pen them. 

Well, the vet just left.  Rusty the mule had been acting a little lethargic the last 3 days or so.  Usually he is a food hog, but the last few days he just picked or didn't bother even eating. 

Tonight when John went out to round everyone up, Rusty was standing in the wash, had heavy "goop" in both eyes, & wasn't interested in moving.  Of course it's Friday, & it was at closing time for the vet, but I called & they were still there &  Dr. Megan said she'd come out.  

She checked him all over & thinks he might pneumonia, at least he had some harsh sounds in his lungs.  Of course at age 34 he could have just about anything.  So he got a shot of Banamine, & also some Tucoprim.  We'll watch him over the week-end & if he isn't getting better, we'll haul him in Monday morning when we take Buddy Brat in for his sarcoid removal on his sheath for blood work & possible IV if he gets dehydrated.  

These guys sure like to keep us on our toes..........!!!

We're going to pick up the 2 mini mules tomorrow, hopefully that will go well.  Boaz has already been moved out of his pen, so they can have it.  It's a larger pen & since there are two of them, we thought they should have it.  Boaz doesn't care, as long as he gets fed. 

We were told the grandkids rode them, but they have halters on, which sounds like they might be hard to catch.  A lot of times kids can do just about anything with equine, but let an adult try to do something with them, & they can be as wild as March hares.  Guess we'll find out.  

I took this picture of Rusty the mule when we brought him home from the vet this afternoon. 

Like I said yesterday, if he didn't perk up I was calling the vet this morning.  They said bring him in, so off we went.  Boy they were busy, had 2 or 3 horses getting shod, one getting acupuncture, a couple of alpacas, have no idea what they were getting done.  Weird little animals...........!!!  In amongst all that Nancy was spaying & neutering in the clinic too.  But she managed to keep everything moving along, by running back & forth.

She did another rectal on Rusty & said it still didn't feel right.  So we decided to do an ultrasound/sonogram.  Rusty got a shave on both sides, although she actually spent most of the exam with the probe inside him.  They shaved him on both sides, down to the skin.  He is pink skinned, so to keep him from getting sunburned, he will have to be protected by Thuja Zinc Oxide, until the hair grows out.  Hence, his little pink patch, there's one on the other side too. 

She said his kidneys are larger than she would think they should be, but she didn't find anything else that look suspicious.  So he got the usual, Dex, Banamine & Vit B-12.  Also got some acupuncture, she was doing a horse, & popped Rusty with 5 needles, one in the end of his muzzle.  As soon as she did that, he started eating grass hay like it was good...........!!!!  She said that is a spot to enduce eating.  WOW! 

I'll give him B-12 & Banamine for a couple of days, & hopefully he be OK.  When we got home & put him in his pen, he started eating leftover hay immediately.

Gus was walking good this morning much better than the last few days, so I guess Courtney's trim did some good. 

FINALLY, got the Silver Nitrite I ordered ages ago.  I ordered it off the internet & when it didn't show up I got in touch with the company.  They said they sent it by mail, of the 12th of April, had the mailing number & everything.  I checked on the internet using the number, & sure enough it was given to the post office on the 12 of April, & the next information said it continued on it's journey the 23 of April..........HUH.........????  When was it doing sitting for 11 days.  The shipper asked them, & was told they had no more information than was available on the web.  I'll try to get it mixed up tomorrow & spray it on Boaz's proud flesh.  I'm anxious to see how it works.