We have been having some incredibly stormy weather this month - wind, snow, rain, power outages - very chilly indeed!
The donkeys hate it and choose the safety of the barn, especially Deenah who really feels the cold. She is so thin even though she gets lots of extra hay. I have her on some homeopathic remedies to aid her digestion as well as lemon juice ( 2 tsp. daily) herbs for her stomach and vitamin B12. I'm hoping this regime will help her. This is all on the advice of Marijke at Riva's Remedies in Armstrong. BC. They are holistic equine specialists and I turned to them for some alternative therapy specific problems.
The donkeys are also battling itchiness which has resulted in bald patches that I have been treating with tea tree oil + calendula + golden seal. The problem causing the itchiness has not been determined but I suspect lice which are common at this time of year, especially in animals with thick winter coats.
Tomorrow I will buy a "nit" comb and see if I can actually find anything crawling - so far I can't identify a louse but I bet they're there! Awful! And it's too cold for shampooing. There's a lice powder that many people use liberally but I am resisting as it's toxic stuff.
Luckily there are a few breaks in the weather now and then and I have been able to get everybody out and trotting around to exercise their limbs. Siog gets particularly squirrley if she's cooped up in the barn for too long.
Try using diatomaceous earth on them. It will kill external parasites, including lice and is organic. You can buy it at Walmart or anyplace pool supplies are sold. It's cheap, safe, nontoxic and very effective. We use it on our organic farm all the time as it is also great for killing bugs in the garden. Some people try to use it to treat internal parasites as well, but this does NOT work and is not healthy for the animals.
ReplyDeleteAlso, for your donk who is thin, have you tried adding some oil to her diet. It is high fat, but no protein so it will help her put weight on without stressing her liver or kidneys. Just a thought, it might also help her coat.