What's wrong with my donkey? Sight? Muscle?

[Saddlebum]

Friday, my donkey seemed to walk funny and with his head down. By walking funny, he was paddling out with his left front hoof and I assumed his head was down because of his hoof or leg problem.

I checked out his hoof and there was nothing in it, no heat, seemed perfectly ok. I lead him out and he kept his head up but paddled with that left front. I thought maybe he had pulled a muscle because the ground is icy and their paths are covered in snow and very up and down. Also, my horse and him play a LOT and thought he might have hurt himself then.

I had the vet out Sunday to clean his sheath and he seemed to walk better and was just a little hesitant. So I didn't mention it.

Today, he is paddling out with both fronts and keeps his head down, nose to the ground when walking and he keeps his hinds well under him or so it seems.

I have checked his feet and they seem fine. There are no bumps or sore areas when I rub his legs, chest, or anywhere. No heat anywhere that I can find. He does seem to keep his nose down to the ground like he's checking it out for stuff in his way????

He is alert when he's just standing, head up and ears up. He's eating and drinking fine or so it appears. He is fat.

He is getting no grain this winter at all. Just first cutting orchard grass and blue grass mixed hay (really nice I might add). He has two salt blocks, one white and one mineral. Just him and my horse in there.

My vet also gave them a selinium shot on Sunday. Should have asked her about this then. Geeze, $55 farm call, ugh.

Please, I hope someone has experience with this.

[kande50]

Please, I hope someone has experience with this.

Is the footing bad? Donkeys put their heads down when they're worried about keeping their feet underneath them, and will even prop themselves up with their noses if they start to go down.

Don't know what the paddling could be. Neurological, perhaps, although that usually starts in the hind end? Could he have injured his spine or shoulders or neck playing with the horse?

[Saddlebum]

Kande50, thought of all those things. I called my vet and she can't be here till the weekend. she called this am after thinking about it overnight and thought it might be a worm that only donkeys and goats get.

I drove over and picked up some dexamethasone from her and injected along with a heavy dose of ivermectin. Hoping this resolves it. It's a waiting game now. Another dose of the dex. and ivermectin tomorrow am and then wait again.

He is eating and drinking fine. Just this am his symptoms were way worse. LIfting his front leg really high up to take one step. Lifting his hinds up as well. Two hours after medicating He's now parked at the hay bag and am keeping a a close eye on him.

Vet. said tomorrow am should show enough of a difference to know if this is what it is and is helping or not.

Horses cannot get this worm if that's what is the problem.

[Saddlebum]

opps, wanted to add. his eyes followed the apple all around the moon so his eyes are working. i really think it's neurological.

[kande50]

Horses cannot get this worm if that's what is the problem.

Something that gets into the spinal cord?

[Josette]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18987238

?????

[Chisamba]

leptospirosis, EPM, and even neurological lymes will all give that slow neurological onset.

[Saddlebum]

Josette, I don't think that's it. His attitude is good except he's having a hard time walking. His ears prick up and he's alert. No stupor and no depression that I can see. He's been standing in the run-in shed stall doorway and looking out. He keeps pricking up his ears and looking at stuff. It's snowing hard right now.

Supposed to warm up in the low 40's by Friday. That will help. Tomorrow will tell if there's improvement. Vet. said there should be enough to make a noticable difference. I'll post back. Thanks.

[Saddlebum]

My donkey is significantly better this am. Still not out of the woods but I believe my vet has the correct diagnosis based on his improvement. Left her messages this am and am waiting to hear back on where to go now.

He walks with his head down but not on the ground like before. About one foot above and he no longer reaches for the clouds when he walks with his fronts - not normal yet but I have not seen him paddling out either - so really big improvement there. He also walks from point A to B without stopping. Yesterday he would take a couple of steps with his nose down and stop, repeat until he got to his destination.

Significantly better, yes.

[Chisamba]

Yay

[Josette]

Very glad to hear your little donkey is improving. When you are sure he is out of the woods and know more about his condition - please post. I always learn something from reading these posts. Many years ago, I had a pony bang the top of his head when he put it through a gate. When he picked himself up he was very wobbly and unsteady on his feet - - eyes with rapid movement side to side. Vet treated with several drugs I cannot recall - - probably anti-inflammatory. I was told to wait 24 hr and see if he improved in the AM. Fortunately the next morning he acted and walked fine. Lived to age 36.

[Saddlebum]

I had another Vet. out on Friday as the improvement from the worm treatment was minor really and no further improvement. The vet. on Friday said he thought it was a slip on the ice and the injury was in both front pastern areas???? hmmm, ok, treated with bute and wait. Sat. minor improvement and no further improvement on Sunday.

The bute helped but not enough. Last night I talked with my friend who owns her own 'small' animal clinic, much discussion, she came up with lyme. the canine test is adequate to use in this case and will draw blood this afternoon and take to her clinic. I started him on Colloidal Silver last night and will put him on oxytectracycline tomorrow after the results from the lyme test comes in. The CS helps boosts any antibiotic by a huge margin so am hoping a big improvement by Wed, Thus. I forgot that I pulled a tick off him this summer!

His symptoms are: having trouble with his front legs moving properly and sensitivity to touch, he's losing wt but has a big appetite. The vet. Friday said he was not that fat, he's seen worse.

will post back...

[Josette]

saddlebum - thanks for your update. I looked up the Lyme dx symptoms and it looks like a very reasonable diagnosis. Hoping you get a resolution to this illness for your guy. I am in a high tick area and now with our mild winter - - I expect the ticks will be an epidemic this year. I was bitten twice last year with multiple rashes, swollen joints, headache and had to take Doxy twice. Note: I took probiotics while taking treatment to avoid GI issues.

[kande50]

His symptoms are: having trouble with his front legs moving properly and sensitivity to touch, he's losing wt but has a big appetite. The vet. Friday said he was not that fat, he's seen worse.

will post back...

A friend of mine has a couple of standard jennets who have both been treated for tick borne diseases. They're mother and daughter, and what's really odd about them is both of them developed the same hoof defect on their left front at about 2 o'clock (looking down at the bottom). Both defects started as a split up near the coronary band and opened up as it grew down; one is almost grown out and the other has a few months to go.

I wish I knew exactly when each of them had the tick borne disease, but the owner isn't sure. They didn't have it at the same time though, and one was treated with IV antibiotics at home (and had a reaction), and I think the other went to the clinic for treatment.

AFAIK, neither donkey was all that lame, although one did have some laminitic changes which don't appear to be permanent, and I don't think either lost weight.

[Saddlebum]

gave him his first antibiotic injection tonight. Vet. friend said should see improvement tomorrow night and even more improvement by Wed.

I HOPE SO. Very tired of seeing him struggle to walk. Very tired of seeing him laying down. He got up, waited for me to inject him then laid back down on the other side. What a guy. His attitude is really good considering. He pulled at my jacket as I gave the shot.

[Saddlebum]

He is getting around and walking nearly normal The canine lyme test was negative. Friend suggest stopping the antibiotic to see what happens. I'm scared to do so but I suppose I should. Started it Monday evening and gave the fifth dose last night. The antibiotic caused a lot of edema in his neck. Gave last nights does sub-q in his flank.

He's stiff and still not walking freely but is getting around. Just not lifting his legs high and struggling to put them back down. No paddling.

Maybe he did slip on the ice and injure both front pasture ligaments????

[Saddlebum]

He's walking normal and getting around. Still laying down more than usual but way less than last week. I cannot say in words how relieved I am. Calling the vets. tomorrow am with the update. He's getting lots of carrots and apples, hugs and yes, kisses!

[Josette]

Sometimes you just wish they could talk and tell us what happened. Glad to hear he is improving and enjoying his hugs and kisses.

[Saddlebum]

Whoo Hoo! I saw it with my own eyes. Homer, the donk, had the zoomies! Then he went after my horse and they reared, played and Homer got the zoomies - AGAIN! Life is good (for now )...

[PaulaO]

Uhhhh, this thread is worthless without Homer pictures. Just sayin'

[Josette]

Donkey zoomies are so cute! There is a little black donkey nearby as a companion to several TALL event TBs. Once when I was driving past the owner was riding her 17hd TB and the donkey was showing off doing zoomies in the ring. I swear she was saying LOOK AT ME _ LOOK AT ME!!!!