Part two: More about Siog

There are some things I didn't mention in my post about Siog and her puzzling displays of discomfort.

While the acupuncture is helping her overall health, I don't think it's really "the thing" that is solving whatever is ailing her.  I didn't mention that she has bouts of liquid manure ... not diarrhea, just brown liquid sometimes.  Hmmm ... this points to digestive issues.

Ulcers cause belly ache and with belly ache, you don't feel like eating.  A donkey off her feed is a red flag alert!  And I would immediately take action.  I have a list of things I try right away and if nothing works, I call the vet. But that's for another post.

All this to say that I don't think Siog is suffering from ulcers, at least not stomach ulcers.  Her appetite is nothing short of amazing - I have never known her to be off her feed, in fact, she gains weight SO easily, I have to be really careful with her.

see those fat bulges?

However she has been treated with Gastroguard just to be sure, and then with a generic brand that also has the amino acid L-glutamine in it. L-glutamine works on the hind gut and hind gut digestive problems are different from stomach digestive problems.

A friend pointed me to these products: www.healthyhorses.ca 
and after trying numerous supplements added to her morning mash, or  in "extra" little mashes throughout the day, I think these are the very best so far.  They support digestive health in the stomach and also in the hind gut. Read about them!

But, we're not out of the woods yet. Siog has had the intensive round of all 3 products, then I back her off and if/ when I see her symptoms appear, I reintroduce the supplements.  She is on the top dressing granular supplement every day though.  And this morning, she was in a real snit, very unsettled and grumpy and chasing poor Rose ... so this will be a day to add the paste and the amino acids back in.  It's so trial and error, I doubt we'll ever home free with this gal.  But I watch her like a hawk and do what I can.

And one final note:  the hemming and hawing over whether her so called "displays" are physical or emotional? That's the 64 dollar question (remember that expression?)   She is a very emotional little donkey, no doubt about it, very annoyed when I work with one of the others, very annoyed if I walk by without asking to perform one of her many splendid behaviours, whimpering and watching me constantly! So ... I think it's both ... something's bugging her.  The way to help, I think, is offering her as much physical AND mental support as I can!

Siog, puzzling conditions and acupuncture

I have promised to write about Siog (She-OH-g) She is my youngest donkey and will be 11 this summer (who can believe it?)  She came to live with me from a farm on Pender island - her birth place, when she was 3 years old. her owner told me she was "very alpha," which didn't bother me in the least but whatever the term, she is certainly a character and I have to say she has been my teacher.

You see that look?  Well, her eyes follow me everywhere, she whimpers like a dog, she is smart as a tack, curious and loves clicker training!  Still, she has her antics ... such as coming to a complete dead STOP on our walks, refusing to walk through the gate when we (finally) get back and her puzzling displays of physical disomfort.

I have been keeping notes on her outward signs of discomfort for, well, years now!  I don't think there is anything terribly wrong, this after years of trial and error supplements, diet changes, consultations with various vets, ulcer treatments, fecal floats and panels, medical check-ups and simply gazing into those eyes and asking her questions.

So what does the discomfort look like?  Biting her flank (either side) pinning her ears, chasing the other donkeys, irritable with the other donkeys, sometimes pawing, occasionally a roll or two and always, always food calms her down. Sounds like colic, doesn't it?  But it's not. It's stagnant liver chi, it's being a jenny, it's attitude, it's possibly digestive (as in bloating, cramps, hind gut acididosis ...) all of the above or none of the above.

It's NOT my worst nightmares of enterolith, pancreatitis, ovarian tumors ... I don't think so anyway.
So now we are trying acupuncture and it seems to help her ... a lot! She has had about 5 treatments from our very skilled vet.

One of the things I have noticed about Siog is that she hates to touched on her back, doesn't like to be groomed and often stands camped out with her hind legs out at an angle. Like this:

And the acupuncture treatments have helped with much of this. Siog is always at liberty during the treatments, free to walk away and she never does - and it takes awhile too before the copper needles are ready to pop out.

For more info, I just read this interesting article about acupuncture and equine:

https://equinewellnessmagazine.com/acupuncture-cold-backed-horse/

Siog always seems so calm after her treatments, so reading the signs, I'd say they are helping her!

"zzzzzzz ..."

Pack Saddle!

Here is Siog with my lovely young neighbour, Forrest - first time with a pack saddle!

She was puzzled when we fitted it on her but fine to walk around the paddocks.

This is a saw buck pack saddle made by someone in Alberta some years ago.  It's a bit heavy and the side panels don't adjust to the donkey's shape, unlike some of the more modern ones.

I'm happy to have it as it's not easy to find packing gear to fit miniature donkeys!  Oh - and the midges are awful this year, hence the fly mask with ear protectors - the donkeys love having them on!

Some games with Siog!

Labour Day Portraits

Siog

Heather

Rose

Dorrie

Alice!

September 11- the weather is fine and it's ... NAPTIME!

 

 

"Zzzzzz ....."

It's beautiful outside, but ...

Where, oh where are the donkeys?  Expecting to see my little herd basking in Spring's first warmth,
I found them instead way back in the barn!  Huh?  Out they came when I called and then I realized ... MIDGE ATTACK!  Oh, poor donkeys, they were getting eaten alive.

So out came the fly masks with ear protectors and my home-made fly spray (thank you Avon Lady!)
See my recipe to the right of this post.  It works great, although you do have to reapply every few hours for best results.  (I usually give them a spritz about twice a day.)

I use these fly masks during midge season which lasts a few weeks, they look completely ridiculous (imagine a herd of, say 200 donkeys all wearing them!?)  But ears are favorite biting places for midges and they can cause a lot of discomfort and scabs, so I love these masks. 

Before I got them, I tried gently rubbing a few products in donkey ears, but most made their ears too sticky or matted down the hair - I now prefer the masks.

Fooling around with some cardboard!

Rose, you should see yourself - ha!

Proud of those ear extensions - even longer - yay!

Spring Romp!

Each time that Spring rolls around, I can hardly believe that "we made it" through winter!  It feels like such a relief.

Waking up to birds chirping puts an instant smile on my face.  Here is another of my favorite things:  (my version of "reality TV!)  Rose and Siog really have a "thing" going (someone was in heat,) while Dorrie rushes around daintily and Heather just keeps on grazing.

Enjoy!

Siog- what's going on?

Siog, who turned 6 this past July, cycles frequently.  She seems to come into heat about every 3 1/2 -4 weeks and even when I think it's over, she'll display some sign that it's not.

I've been keeping an eye on her, as she clearly seems to be in some discomfort during her cycles. 
What I notice is that she turns her head and noses or nips at her flank just in front of her stifle.  She seems perpetually hungry and she is grumpy with the other donkeys, suddenly turning on whomever is closest and chasing her away.

Several months ago, I asked my vet about the possibility of an ovarian cyst. She agreed that it was possible but how to find out on a mini?  An ultra sound probe is not possible.

So I turned to an equine nutritionist who practices homeopathy, herbal medicine and kinesiology (and then recommends her own expensive products!)   She said to give Siog Vitamin B6 and also Magnesium Citrate when I see her in discomfort,  which acts as a  anti-spasmodic muscle relaxant. 

This does seem to help but I'm a bit leary of giving too much.  If I see Siog in discomfort, I'll mix up some Timothy hay pellets with warmish water and stir in 1/2 tablespoon of the magnesium citrate.  However this isn't getting to the root of whatever problem she has.  Which seems impossible to actually diagnose, other than observing clinical signs.

Spiking hormones, ovarian cyst, something else?   I may try Chaste Tree Berries - am just worried about mucking around feeding her stuff  when I don't really know what's going on!  Any advice out there?

Siog on her 6th Birthday

Siog's hoof abscess

Oh it's been a tough week - poor little Siog!  I have been soaking her hoof 3 times a day for 20 minutes each time, in an attempt to encourage her abscess to work its way out.  Finally offered her some paste Banamine as she has been so miserable.

Siog is a master at removing poultices.  Every time I come up with a new and improved way to attach a poultice, she tries to "break her personal best" at removing it ... wizard!

The vet came today and found two spots, made big holes so the pus would drain.  She should feel some relief but she is still limping.  I will continue the hoof soaks through Friday and add some Betadine to the water + Epsom salts.

The vet said it's been the worst year in a long time for hoof abscess problems!  My theory is that the ground never really hardened through the relatively mild winter we had, so hooves absorbed too much moisture, leaving them vulnerable to infection.

I clean every evening but will need to disinfect more frequently, especially when it's wet out.  And I think I'll scrub the disinfectant in with an old toothbrush too to really make sure I'm getting the cracks.

I'm off to do the lunchtime soak - it's a good opportunity to clicker train her!

More limping ...!

I knew that when I decided to live with more donkeys, I was also increasing my opportunities to deal with health issues by 50%!

Yesterday, poor little Siog was lame in her left front foot.  It started slowly - I couldn't even tell which front foot was bothering her but then progressed quickly - she was barely weight bearing and holding her hoof in the air.  Oh - oh! Get out the first aid kit!

I  made some external healing oil:  I used 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon each of tea tree oil and golden seal powder.   Put all that into a dark bottle with a dropper.

I have no idea if those proportions are correct but I wanted to use equal parts tea tree + golden seal and I think a little goes a long way.  I also gave her a homeopathic spray (in her mouth) for infections.

I soaked her hoof twice yesterday in very warm water + a lot of Epsom Salts (trying for 20 minutes per soak!) then applied a poultice.  I used Animalintex (which is a pad impregnated in something to help draw out the infection,)  dunked just for a second in warm water, then cotton batting, then a few pieces of hockey tape and many pieces of  duct tape.

Hoof soaking provides a great opportunity to clicker train stationary things, like hand targeting, standing quietly, etc.  and Siog was wonderful about it all.  I think her hoof must have really be painful as she preferred to hold it up and was very happy to let me dress it.

This morning I was worried, as everybody else came out of the barn but Siog hung back waiting for her hay bag to be delivered (very uncharacteristic!)  Normally I like to get them moving around in the morning, so in nice weather, I put the bags on the ground where they have to walk out to get them.  This morning Siog had hers delivered (donkeys know best!) and I noticed that the poultice was partially off her hoof so maybe that's why she was reluctant to walk!

She seems much improved this morning, still limping but weight bearing.  I took the poultice off but will still continue to treat.  The heat in her hoof is noticeably lessened too.