While most donkeys don’t object to pressure on their backs, some occasionally do. If it is light pressure and it is an aversion response from pain (remember, donkeys don’t show pain like horses and dogs), that means that the discomfort is coming from the skin or the soft tissues immediately deep to the dermal layers. To get vertebral or muscle pain, you would have to put a lot more pressure. If the skin looks normal with no hair loss, scabs, ulcers, serum, or doughy swelling (edema), then it could still be an aversive nerve response (so-called “neuropathic pain”). An extremely safe medication, called Gabapentin, has been used for this sort of problem in donkeys, and would be worth trying to see if it makes a difference. If there are skin abnormalities, this response may be the result of hypersensitive or allergic reactions. That would be rare in the winter, unless it is extremely cold where you are. However, trying an anti-inflammatory like an antihistamine or a mild steroid (prednisolone) would be useful. However, I would first of all work with this young donkey with very gentle grooming, using something like just a soft towel, and see if he won’t become used to having his back touched. If he continues to arch his back or show annoyance, you should stop because it is unethical and a poor training technique to ask an animal to accept something that may hurt. So, following training, I would start trying the other approaches.

This is unlikely to be urgent. So waiting for a veterinary appointment is not a problem. What is actually causing this is hard to determine without knowing the age of the donkey, how long you have had her, previous health problems or injuries, the stage of her estrus cycle, her level of training, and a few other things. However, this response is most likely generated by pain in the skin, as opposed to deeper muscles and bones, which would require much more pressure to elicit a response. Does her skin look normal? Are there any crusts or scabs? Does the hair look different in any way? That is where I would start, especially in the winter when moisture can cause a variety of skin infections.

I am sorry to hear about your mini’s difficulties. If it is actually torn soft tissues surrounding her hock joint (defined as a “sprain”), it can be expected to improve slowly over a week or two. An alternative to cortisone and DMSO would be Surpass, which is a topical cream that contains Diclofenac, a non-steroidal (cortisone is a steroid) anti-inflammatory. It is hard to predict which will work better, and there is no harm in trying the Surpass. Though your dose of phenylbutazone is appropriate, you are right that it should not be continued past 5 days. You could also switch to Flunixin (Banamine) at 1 mg/kg (she probably weighs around 150 kg) orally. Flunixin is somewhat less irritating to the stomach than “Bute”. Another consideration is the degree of lameness. IF the hock is just swollen, rest and the anti-inflammatories that we have been talking about should resolve the problem. You could also have used an ice boot when the injury was first noted. However, this will be less effective after 3 days, though it may reduce the heat. On the other hand, if your mini is really lame (noticeable difficulty in walking or unwillingness to stand on the leg at all), it would be a good idea to invest in more diagnostics. There are 6 bones in a donkey’s hock joint, any one of which could be chipped or broken, and there is also the possibility of a joint infection. To diagnose these more serious problems would require a radiography (“x-ray”) and an ultrasound examination. I realize this means some more expense and another veterinary visit, but with significant injuries, it is often better to put more effort into figuring exactly what the problem is at the start than to find out that things are getting worse and have to do the tests later, with a poorer prognosis. Good Luck.

You are correct, surgical options do not exist for degenerative arthritis of the hip joint in donkeys (or horses for that matter). Prosthesis, as used in humans and dogs, doesn’t exist. Attempts at femoral head osteotomies (also done in dogs) have not worked well on animals as large as a donkey. As one who has “bad hips” himself, I sympathize with your donkey. There are some analgesic medications that may help. I do not know if you have used any of the NSAID’s such as phenylbutazone, flunixin meglumine (Banamine), acetaminophen, and meloxicam, but while these will not cure the arthritis or completely remove the pain, they are effective, safe when given at the proper dosages, and not expensive. One thing you can do is rotate these medications. This has been effective in humans at decreasing potential toxicity and avoiding the development of resistance. Other options are the use of hyaluronic acid substitutes, such as Legend. These need to be administered by injection, but are reported to decrease pain. We have used an entirely different category of pharmaceuticals, called Gabapentin, which can be given orally and decreases the perception of pain in the central nervous system when given at non-sedative dosages. There are also veterinary forms of the cannabinoid, CBD, which I have not used; however, this agent has been shown to be safe in a number of species and might be worth a try. Unfortunately, as we all get older and our joints wear out, it is necessary to use pharmaceuticals to alleviate the pain associated with this process, to maintain quality of life. I wish you and your donkey luck.

If the donkey was unobserved for 12 days prior to being found dead, nearly anything could have killed it, and at 10 days of decomposition, making a diagnosis would be nearly impossible. However, if you think it could have been shot, I would look for broken ribs, where a bullet may have entered the chest, or puncture holes, which might be an entry or exit wound. Actually finding a bullet is extremely hard, and if there is one, it may not even be in the carcass. I am afraid you might never be able to figure this out.

I would suggest Dormosedan gel given at the horse dose. It HAS to be given 40 minutes (can be longer) before he starts.

I forward the Dormosedan gel suggestion. For oral dosing of Dormosedan gel, my experience is that a recalcitrant donkey may take almost twice the horse dose. And waiting for 30-40 minutes is really important, even if they start dropping their head after 10 minutes. Better to have the farrier working on another animal if possible, as the sedation takes effect. Farriers are understandably impatient because they are not usually getting paid to wait around.

For these cases, I usually have them try to schedule the farrier and me together for the first visit, and I administer the Dormosedan intravenously (or sometimes intramuscular, depending on restraint capabilities and the cooperative nature of the donkey in question). That gives us an idea of how much Dormosedan Gel should be dosed in the future for dispensing to the owner. If there needs to be a redosing on that preliminary visit, I am there to do it with an intravenous injection. This keeps the farrier happy and more likely to come a second time (and third and fourth and…)

All that being said, sedation is only a temporary solution. It is absolutely vital that the donkey owner spend daily sessions (less than 10 minutes a day) training their donkey to have their feet picked up. They will save hundreds of dollars in vet and farrier bills in the long run and may even save the animal’s life.

While antibiotics will not interfere with pregnancy, they also will have a very limited effect on hoof infections. These are best managed by judicious trimming by a skilled farrier and local (on the hoof) treatment with antiseptics and antibiotics.

That is possible. You could test this by letting them walk around in very soft ground. If their soles are too short, the soft ground should make them more comfortable. Farriers who don’t regularly trim donkeys can make two common mistakes: 1. Donkey hooves, particularly the sole, should be a bit longer than what we leave in horses, 2. Donkeys normally have a steeper hoof angle than horses. You can get advice for trimming donkey feet from The Donkey Sanctuary’s website under hoof trimming. A farrier here on the West Coast, Megan Hensley (https://www.holistichooves.com/about), is also a good place to go for advice and farrier training.

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Assuming that there is no injury or swelling in the affected leg, it is reasonable to assume the foot is the source of lameness. The most common reason is a sole abscess. Donkeys are prone to these, especially if there is moisture on the ground or their hooves are not regularly trimmed. Depending on what you used for a poultice (there are thousands of poultice recipes), it may soften the hoof and allow the abscess to open, thus relieving the pressure. If this does not relieve the lameness in a couple of days, you should have a farrier (with experience in handling donkeys) or a veterinarian look at your donkey. You can learn to trim your own donkey’s hooves with a farrier’s rasp and sometimes this is easier (and cheaper) than having to rely on a farrier or hoof trimmer. You can go to this blog: https://www.holistichooves.com/classes for more information.

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Assuming that there is no injury or swelling in the affected leg, it is reasonable to assume the foot is the source of lameness. The most common reason is a sole abscess. Donkeys are prone to these, especially if there is moisture on the ground or their hooves are not regularly trimmed. Depending on what you used for a poultice (there are thousands of poultice recipes), it may soften the hoof and allow the abscess to open, thus relieving the pressure. If this does not relieve the lameness in a couple of days, you should have a farrier (with experience in handling donkeys) or a veterinarian look at your donkey. You can learn to trim your own donkey’s hooves with a farrier’s rasp and sometimes this is easier (and cheaper) than having to rely on a farrier or hoof trimmer. You can go to this blog: https://www.holistichooves.com/classes for more information.

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Take Hoof Care Into Your Own Hands. Relationship & Approach Healthy Donkey Hooves. VIEW COURSES
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Castration need not be dangerous or difficult. You should find a veterinarian with some experience in anesthetizing and castrating donkeys. The same would be true for your hoof trimmer. However, the very first thing that you need to do is to get your donkeys gentle so that they can be caught, led with a halter, and have their hooves picked up. The best place to start is by getting a lot of carrots and slicing them to make oblong carrot “wafers”. Some people use other kinds of treats, but carrots are universally safe, inexpensive, and donkeys like them. Go out to your donkey’s pen and start by hand-feeding them carrots. Until they know that they taste good, you might have to throw some on the ground next to them. Eventually, they will take them from your hand, allowing you to get close. Then start carrying a halter, so that they realize that it is normal for humans to carry ropes and halters. Eventually, you will start touching the donkey with the halter and, little by little, slide it on. This slow, stepwise approach takes time and effort on your part, but there is no way around this. Two important tips:
If they start to push on you or nip at you trying to get carrots, don’t hit them or raise your voice. Just turn away and don’t give carrots until the stand, and kindly take them from your hand. Many people worry about donkeys and horses getting “mouthy” when fed treats; this only happens if you forget this rule. Once they learn that pushing does not get a reward, they will stop doing it.
Be absolutely consistent and reward even the slightest improvement. A desirable behavior should be rewarded within 3 seconds, or the reward will not be associated with the behavior. It is really important not to try to go too far. You want to stop BEFORE they get scared and run away.

We highly recommend Ben Hart’s materials at www.hartshorsemanship.com. Ben is a behaviorist at the donkey sanctuary in the UK and the best person I know for training donkeys and teaching people how to train donkeys. Please get started on this process right away. Time spent now will result in a healthier donkey and more happiness for you. Donkeys live for 30 years and can be wonderful companions, but only after you have reached an understanding… carrots are good for that.

Castration need not be dangerous or difficult. You should find a veterinarian with some experience in anesthetizing and castrating donkeys. The same would be true for your hoof trimmer. However, the very first thing that you need to do is to get your donkeys gentle so that they can be caught, led with a halter, and have their hooves picked up. The best place to start is by getting a lot of carrots and slicing them to make oblong carrot “wafers”. Some people use other kinds of treats, but carrots are universally safe, inexpensive, and donkeys like them. Go out to your donkey’s pen and start by hand-feeding them carrots. Until they know that they taste good, you might have to throw some on the ground next to them. Eventually, they will take them from your hand, allowing you to get close. Then start carrying a halter, so that they realize that it is normal for humans to carry ropes and halters. Eventually, you will start touching the donkey with the halter and, little by little, slide it on. This slow, stepwise approach takes time and effort on your part, but there is no way around this. Two important ti She has had regular hoof trims & care for the past five months. It looks like her hooves have had a deep trim (perhaps to get rid of dead tissue?). Could it be she is just slightly sore from the trim? (Somewhat like if fingernails are clipped super short, or is this something that should cause more concern?

Without looking at your donkey’s hooves, it is a bit hard to tell. However, it is possible that even an experienced trimmer may have removed a little too much hoof wall trying to get rid of the separated wall and dead tissue. If this is the case, your donkey should respond to just being bedded in deep wood chips or other bedding material (6″ deep at least). You might also put on a pair of padded boots. We like Cavallo Boots, but there are a number of companies that make hoof boots for donkeys. However, if your donkey does not respond to more padding, you may be dealing with another bout of laminitis, which, as you know, is a serious condition requiring veterinary care.

The best thing to do is to just work on the donkey yourself, or have a friend with whom the donkey is familiar, start working with her feet. I realize that she is scared and resistant, but donkeys will learn that hoof care is not painful or traumatic if you take your time and are patient. Ben Hart has shaping plans for training donkeys to allow their hooves to be handled at www.hartshorsemanship.com, specifically https://www.hartshorsemanship.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=controller.viewPageBasket

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We use small slices of carrots as rewards. Start by getting the donkey to allow you to run your hand down the leg to the hoof. This may take a while, but just go slow. Try to stop before the donkey resists and reward small things. For instance, if the donkey allows you to run your hand to their knee, reward it with a carrot treat in 3 seconds. Then keep going just a little further, rewarding each improvement. Do not use punishment; it will only make them afraid and more willing to fight. Eventually, when you get to the hoof, ask the donkey to flex its fetlock a little, and reward when they do. Don’t try to lift the hoof until the donkey allows you to touch the back of the fetlock and flex it willingly. How long? In a donkey that basically was okay with its legs and just had a bad experience, this could take just a few days. We have trained a completely wild mule to pick up its hooves and be trimmed, but that took 4 months. It just depends. You need a new farrier, of course, but if you want to, you can learn how to trim your donkey’s hooves yourself. If you just have a good rasp, you can rasp a little every day and avoid a long trimming process.

If there is a fracture, the leg will be swollen somewhere and/or the limb will be bent in an abnormal direction. Fractures of the bones of the hoof do occur, but in donkeys they are very very rare. A sudden severe lameness like this is most likely a sole abscess (“hot” ones can cause severe pain that looks like a fracture) or, potentially, a sharp object has penetrated the hoof. I would try to find an experienced horse person in your area, get the donkey in a small pen, and use a portable panel to trap her so that the hoof can be examined. If there is no nail or screw in the hoof and you cannot get a farrier to examine the hoof for an abscess, put a plastic bag filled with a warm Epsom salt solution on the hoof and tape it around the pastern. Soaking the foot in warm Epsom salts will soften the hoof wall and encourage the abscess to open and drain. You can also use a material called Icthamol to coat the bottom of the foot. You can hold it in place with an old sweat sock and cover it with duct tape or a plastic bag. This will also help get the abscess drained. These should be available at a pharmacy or feed store. Other appropriate poltices would include “Reducine” (at a tack shop or feed store) or pine tar (hardware or feed store). If it really is a fractured bone in the hoof, you will need an X-ray to diagnose it, and the only treatment is rest in a stall.

If there is a fracture, the leg will be swollen somewhere and/or the limb will be bent in an abnormal direction. Fractures of the bones of the hoof do occur, but in donkeys they are very very rare. A sudden severe lameness like this is most likely a sole abscess (“hot” ones can cause severe pain that looks like a fracture) or, potentially, a sharp object has penetrated the hoof. I would try to find an experienced horse person in your area, get the donkey in a small pen, and use a portable panel to trap her so that the hoof can be examined. If there is no nail or screw in the hoof and you cannot get a farrier to examine the hoof for an abscess, put a plastic bag filled with a warm Epsom salt solution on the hoof and tape it around the pastern. Soaking the foot in warm Epsom salts will soften the hoof wall and encourage the abscess to open and drain. You can also use a material called Icthamol to coat the bottom of the foot. You can hold it in place with an old sweat sock and cover it with duct tape or a plastic bag. This will also help get the abscess drained. These should be available at a pharmacy or feed store. Other appropriate poltices would include “Reducine” (at a tack shop or feed store) or pine tar (hardware or feed store). If it really is a fractured bone in the hoof, you will need an X-ray to diagnose it, and the only treatment is rest in a stall.

Assuming the foal has no congenital abnormalities or health problems, the white hooves should not be a problem. The mechanical characteristics of hoof material with and without melanins (the color-producing chemicals in skin, hair, and hooves) have been studied in the laboratory. As it turns out, hooves that lack melanin are somewhat softer and, presumably, more prone to wear. However, I have seen horses and donkeys whose white hooves are extremely hard and durable. There are a large number of environmental factors, from nutrition to ambient moisture, that affect hoof quality, and they tend to overshadow the effects of hoof color. So, while there is a difference, I would not consider white hooves a serious compromise to the donkey’s health. I imagine that this foal has some other unpigmented areas in its hair coat.

We have had the best luck with Cavallo mini boots (https://www.cavallo-inc.com/product-category/hoof-boot/mini-hoof-boots/). Even if they don’t fit exactly by the chart they seem to work on donkeys as long as you don’t buy a version that is too small.https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk

It is easy to train a donkey to pick up its feet. You just have to be patient and persistent. Start by just touching the legs and reward with a small piece of carrot when he stands still. Then slowly start working your way down the leg to the hooves. This may take a couple of weeks or just a couple of days, depending on the donkey and your timing. Ben Hart Horsemanship (https://www.hartshorsemanship.com) has a training plan for hooves in horses and donkeys. It is easy to follow and safe. If the donkey is really lame and the feet are extremely bad, it may be necessary to anesthetize the donkey and do a good trimming before starting training. A competent veterinarian can do this for you.

While it is difficult to diagnose this without seeing the donkey, there are a couple of things that need consideration: first is that, while a ligament injury is not impossible, with the environment that you describe, I am still suspicious of an ongoing sub-solar abscess. While I find hoof testers very effective in finding these problems in horses, they don’t work as well in donkeys and have been fooled a number of times by an abscess that did not result in a reaction when hoof tested. Also, unlike horses, where all but the most severe thrush does not cause lameness, in donkeys, I’ve seen several where the sulci (grooves next to the frog) became very tender due to the anaerobic infection referred to as “thrush”, and required treatment to resolve lameness. My preferred treatment for this is packing the sulci with metronidazole powder, which is easy to do as donkeys have a large frog and deep sulci. Has a farrier looked at your donkey’s feet and trimmed them? It may be necessary to “shop around” a bit to find a farrier with donkey experience. To help with both the diagnosis and the farrier’s hoof trimming, it may also be valuable to get some X-rays of the donkey’s hooves, particularly in the lateral view. Sometimes abscesses and a condition called “false sole” can be detected with an X-ray. This will also help your farrier determine how much hoof can be trimmed away, both to find an abscess and to be sure that the donkey’s hooves are well balanced. Hope this helps. I used to be at the Veterinary School in Knoxville, so I am familiar with the Smokies and the wet environment there. Donkey’s hooves would require regular trimming.

I suspect that the pasture is the problem itself. This time of year, most parts of the country have plant growth that is too high in soluble carbohydrates for donkeys. Donkey metabolism is different from that of horses because of the extreme desert environment in which they evolved. Also, is she overweight? The combination of the proinflammatory effects of excess fat and the high sugar content of grasses further promotes laminitis. Other things that can help: soaking feet in ice water has proven to be one of the more effective approaches to acute laminitis. You will need to get veterinary and farrier assistance soon. Part of this will be a planned weight reduction diet, which usually involves feeding straw as a roughage. These can be difficult to treat, and we wish you luck.

Detomidine (Dormosedan) gel would be a reasonable thing to do, assuming the younger donkey will allow you to put something in its mouth. I will say that putting effort into training your donkey to accept hoof trimming is a better and safer idea in the long run. Start by just getting the little guy to pick up its feet easily and hold them as he would have to for the farrier. Just a few seconds at first, followed by a reward (we prefer carrot slices), gradually increasing the time until he will tolerate, and look forward to, a process that takes half an hour. Then get yourself a small hoof rasp and rasp the hooves a little: again, short periods followed by rewards. Then have the farrier out just to pick up feet for a short period, even though you will have to pay them for their time. Eventually, you will have a compliant donkey, and it will be much more convenient. Since the donkey is going to need a lot of hoof trims in the remaining maybe 35 years of its life, putting in a little time now will really pay off. If you need a plan for hoof training, go to www.hartshorsemanship.com.​ Some farriers these days will only work on sedated animals. If that is the case…get another farrier.

I will contact you directly by email to get some more laboratory information, but basically, if she had PHF, laminitis is a very, very common part of that disease. It may be worthwhile re-X-raying her feet to see if there has been slow change resulting from an initial bout of laminitis that had not changed the alignment of her coffin bone and hoof wall at the time the original radiographs were taken, but has resulted in more changes over time. Donkeys and mules don’t always rotate the way horses do when they founder, so unless the person reading the radiographs has some experience beyond horses and doesn’t actually measure the distance between the proximal end of the hoof wall and the extensor eminence on the coffin bone, it is possible to miss laminitis. Of course, there are other possibilities, and a complete chemistry panel and complete blood count would be needed to rule some of those out. Depending on what part of the country you are in, a Lyme’s Disease test might also be necessary. Sorry for your trauma, and I wish I could help more

Your donkey is locking its patellar ligaments over the end of his femur (thigh bone). Equines of all species can do this because it allows them to rest standing, which is important in a prey species. However, in some animals, the space between the middle and the medial patellar ligaments is abnormal, and the structure “catches” on a prominence on the end of the femur. In extreme cases, it will actually lock the stifle (knee) joint, making it impossible for the animal to flex its hind leg. More commonly, it catches and then pops free, giving the leg a jerking motion when moving. Depending on how badly the joint catches or locks, this can eventually contribute to pain and arthritis in the joint. There really aren’t any supplements that will help, other than standard good nutrition. Poor nutrition during the growing years is a predisposing factor. Donkeys are also more prone this problem than horses or mules. Minis are especially commonly affected. Fortunately, there are a number of effective treatments:
Many just grow out of the condition as they mature
Exercise is beneficial, as improved muscle tone in the hind legs seems to keep the catching from happening… especially climbing hills will help
Trimming the hind hooves so that the lateral wall is slightly long, thus tilting the hoof laterally, will often solve the problem, in my experience, and is something that I would always try first. This should not be done radically, but a couple of extra ‘licks’ with the farrier’s rasp on the inner wall will usually do it.
Various techniques to cause a small amount of scar formation in the medial patellar ligament will change the conformation of the inter-ligamental space and prevent the triangle formed by the two ligaments from getting caught. These involve either injecting a mild inflammatory agent into the ligament or just inserting a needle or small scalpel blade to spread some of the ligament fibers and start a very small amount of bleeding. The resultant scar makes the space smaller. All this can be done with a local anesthetic and sedation. It takes a few seconds, can be done at your farm, and has nearly no complications.
In the most persistent cases, the medial patellar ligament can be cut because it is not essential to the functioning of the joint. This changes the interligamentous space the most and is always curative. Again, this only requires sedation (or mild field anesthesia in an untrained patient) and a local anesthetic. It is recommended that the donkey or horse be kept in a stall for a month afterward, as there have been very rare reports of patellar fractures following this procedure, though I have never seen this happen in 43 years of practice.
Exercise and hoof trimming resolve milder cases, in my experience.

While there are a lot of possibilities, I would be almost certain this is a so-called “sole abscess”, which could be under the sole or hoof wall and is common in even ‘healthy’ hooves in the winter. They can also be quite painful, even if they are very small. We find that they are often found at the angle of the bars toward the heel of the hoof. For the most rapid relief, have a veterinarian or farrier out to remove a little of the overlying keratinized sole or wall and let it drain. You can poultice the hoof (Icthamol, Pine tar, Warm Epsom Salts solution, or others) to soften the sole and allow it to drain on its own. However, this will take longer, and the poor little donkey will be in pain for a longer time. Do not give antibiotics, as they will not help the problem and have potential side effects.

You clearly have a very complex problem with this mini, and some of these behaviors will require patience and time to reverse. I would recommend contacting Benjamin Hart at https://www.hartshorsemanship.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=controller.viewPageContact. Ben has a world of experience in donkey behavior problems and is the behaviorist for The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, UK, the largest donkey sanctuary and welfare organization in the world. He is also a good friend who has helped us a lot with donkey behavioral issues over the years. When you contact him, tell him that Cindy Davis recommended that you ask him for help.
On the rain rot: that is also tough as donkeys tend to have skin (and hoof) problems in wet climates such as the northern States and the South East. Their skin and hooves are just poorly adapted to moisture. I wonder if he would be better about going into the shelter if he had another donkey as a friend. Our donkeys have no interest in being out in the rain, even when the horses are just getting soaked. They stay in their barn together at the first droplets. That is just a thought and cannot guarantee that it would work. You can also help prevent rain rot by regular grooming and by brushing a mild disinfectant like white vinegar into the areas where the moisture tends to accumulate.

Hoof growth is impacted by many variables. Donkeys on hard rocky ground may never need trimming; wild burros’ hooves are typically perfect. Nutrition and time of year can also influence growth; hooves grow less in colder months as the donkey’s metabolism switches gears and uses more energy to keep warm.

White line disease can be frustrating to deal with for sure, and seems to be very common in donkeys. Depending on the severity, treatment often entails a hoof wall resection by a farrier. This procedure allows for oxygenation of the affected area so that the causative anaerobic bacteria can no longer survive. Treatment and prevention should also be focused on good hygiene and keeping the hooves as clean and dry as possible.

“Medication, feed, supplements?” is all of the above, but by far the most important two things are controlling moisture in the ground and have hooves properly trimmed. Donkeys have evolved hooves that are designed to deal with hard, dry ground. Where we work in the mountainous deserts in Mexico, the burro’s hooves are always perfect. There is actual research that, while donkey hoof is structurally very similar to horse hoof, it has slight chemical differences that prevent it from dealing with a lot of humidity and water. Here in California, which, with climate change, is rapidly turning into a desert , we make a real effort to give our donkeys a dry place to be when it does rain. We also, use bedding pellets in the communal urination areas that they make to keep them dry. Then, we trim their hooves regularly, which not only prevents chipping, but also keeps dirt and moisture from packing next to the frog and at the junction between the wall and the sole (the “white line”). This would not be necessary if the donkeys were exercised for at least 5 miles a day on a dry abrasive surface, but right now I have not been able to drive my donkey team as much as I would like to. There is some evidence in cattle that trace mineral supplements can strengthen hooves and make them healthier. However, objective research on this has not been done in donkeys and only a little in horses (where the findings are equivocal). There are a huge number of supplements that purport to improve hoof quality, prevent chipping, and so on, but without any actual objective evaluation of efficacy. The amino acid, methionine, along with biotin (aka vitamin B7 or Vitamin H) may improve the hardness and elasticity of hoof wall. Trace minerals Zinc, Copper, Magnesium and Manganese are likely beneficial too. Be careful of supplements that are high in sugar (usually as molasses) or digestible calories in general, as these can lead to obesity and laminitis. Medications either given orally or painted on the hooves are not useful, beyond the nutrients mentioned above. A good quality diet, that provides several different plant sources, is low in soluble and non-structural carbohydrates, coupled with exercise and trimming will provide the best hoof quality. Of course, this means that the donkeys need to be accustomed to having their hooves handled. They are very easy to train, given time and patience. Further, with a little training anyone can learn how to trim donkey hooves. We can provide you with references to places where you can learn.

I am assuming that your donkey is otherwise healthy and he has a place to go where he does not have to stand in snow or frozen mud. I very cold climates donkeys need a place where their hooves can on dry bedding. They are not evolved to live in very cold or damp conditions. Another thing to consider is that donkeys, unlike horses, will develop laminitis (founder) in their rear hooves, without having the problem in their fronts. Your farrier, hoof trimmer, or veterinarian could help you determine if this is the problem. Cavallo (https://www.cavallo-inc.com)also makes boots that will fit donkeys. It is important that if you were going to go that route to keep your donkey’s hooves warm that those boots are removed and cleaned at least once a day, and that the donkey is not in a wet environment.

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A good hoof boot is made of a strong upper material that is flexible and strong. It should comfortably cover the horse’s hoof and fasten easily. It is securely connected to a hard wearing sole that provides support and protection for the barefoot horse to be ridden over and through any terrain at any speed. A good hoof boot should be simple and quick to put on.
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You can absolutely put boots on donkeys. We like Cavallo hoof boots and have used the ones for miniature horses (sizes M1-M4) or small horse ones (size 0 -1). https://www.cavallo-inc.com/product-category/hoof-boot/?gclid=CjwKCAiA0KmPBhBqEiwAJqKK49udD2UyJt0LGEzskb7T1Q7Hi7MpKbr4neZC5jkToloFbmwVCWfsuxoC7NQQAvD_BwE
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These work well, stay on, protect their hooves, and are easy to clean.

While phenylbutazone (Bute) is metabolized somewhat more rapidly in donkeys than in horses, we use the horse dose. The maximum is 4 mg/kg at a time and not to exceed 8 mg/kg in 24 hours. I would try half this level (2 mg/kg = 363 mg for a 400 lb donkey), and see if that gives you relief. At the higher doses you are more likely to get gastric ulcers and if you intend to use this medication chronically, giving a gastric protectant would be a good idea.

While phenylbutazone (Bute) is metabolized somewhat more rapidly in donkeys than in horses, we use the horse dose. The maximum is 4 mg/kg at a time and not to exceed 8 mg/kg in 24 hours. I would try half this level (2 mg/kg = 363 mg for a 400 lb donkey), and see if that gives you relief. At the higher doses you are more likely to get gastric ulcers and if you intend to use this medication chronically, giving a gastric protectant would be a good idea.

I don’t know where you are, but mud and wet ground can definitely be a problem for donkeys, who have evolved to live in very dry environments. I am familiar with Lighthoof panels and have a friend who uses this with their donkey housing and it works great. It is expensive, but it does keep things dry. Hoof cleaning and care will still be important, especially in the wet season, but this looks like a good option. We have just used coarse wood chips (cedar), 4 inches deep, to keep the mud at bay. This works well and keeps the donkey’s hooves from getting saturated. They also like the soft bedding effect, especially when the sun comes out. The chips do break down to powder after several months, and have to be replaced. I have never priced out the difference between the Lighthoof and the chips. So I don’t know what is the most cost effective. However, both work.

The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that the foal is not wearing a hole in the skin on the end of the leg that is missing a hoof. If this happens and the bone becomes exposed and contaminated with dirt, it will be very hard to successfully do anything for this little guy. It would be very helpful if you could take a couple of pictures (side and front to back) and send them to me. That would allow me to get an idea of possible surgical options for this foal. It is possible that a procedure called “fetlock arthrodesis” may be able to straighten the lower leg and put hoof material in contact with the ground, but it is hard to tell from just a description. To protect the lower leg, just pulling a sweat sock with cotton stuffed inside may be adequate. If you do that and then tape the top of the sock to the foal’s hair somewhere on a straight bone above the ankle, this will give some temporary protection. Use white medical tape (the cloth kind) or Elastacon. Do not wrap it too tight and do NOT use Vetwrap. Otherwise the tape could act as a torniquet and impare the blood supply to the leg. IF there is any good news it is that this is a hind leg on a mini. Because they don’t weigh as much as full sized donkeys this one may be able to do okay with a custome made boot to protect the skin, even if the leg cannot be repaired. However, it will take a lot of time and dedication, and, possibly , some expense to deal with this leg. You are a kind person who worries about the foal’s suffering, and I admire that . So you will have to decide whether you want to pursue treatment, which may last all of this mini’s life, or whether you should give it relief by preventing suffering now. Thank you for being diligent

This is probably the most common question that we get. I understand that it can be difficult to get donkey’s hooves trimmed and that veterinary intervention can be expensive. Further, you don’t want to have to give your donkey tranquilizing drugs every 6-8 weeks. On the other hand, the various supplements and diets that claim to calm or tranquilize animals really do not work. They are not based on any reliable research, and are, basically, a waste of your money. Especially since this is something that you (and your donkeys) will have to deal with for the rest of their lives (which may be 30 years), by far the best approach would be to get your donkeys used to having their hooves trimmed, using a gentle and consistent training program. Even if you have no experience training donkeys, you can do this, because these animals are easy to train. It does take patience and a willingness to try to see things from the donkey’s standpoint. For guidance I would suggest “shaping plans” by Ben Hart at www.hartshorsemanship.com or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeR2nO_sLsE.

How to work with donkey feet – handling issues
This webinar recording explores why feet handling is such a common issue for donkeys. We will explore why your donkey may have an issue with their feet being handled and what you can do about it safely without pain, force and fear.
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You will also need a farrier who wants to work with donkeys. They are not “horses with long ears”. Also, they are not “stubborn”, “naughty”, or “difficulty”. They are just acting in what they perceive to be their best interest and it is worthwhile putting in the time to work with them. If you can halter your rescue donkeys that is a good start. I encourage you to work with them and go further.

It would be best to get a veterinarian out to the farm to take a look at your mule. Since it sounds like he has always had some sensitivity in that area, a thorough exam is a very good idea. It may be an abscess, or it may require further diagnostics, such as X-rays, to determine the cause of the sensitivity and then come up with the best treatment plan. Further, mules and donkeys, unlike most horses, can have pain in the lateral sulci (deep grooves next to the frog) resulting from chronic anaerobic bacterial infection thinning the keratinized covering of the sensitive tissues that form the sole and frog. They will react to minor hoof pick pressure. They respond to treating the infection (sometimes called “thrush”) and allowing the hooves to dry out and toughen.

I sympathize with the owner (and of course, the donkey) and recognize that what we call lameness is often brought on by a combination of factors. To really come up with a diagnosis, one would have to know a little more about this case, primarily: “How lame is this donkey?” If we make “1” as a case where it is very hard to see any abnormal gait at all, even at the trot, and “5” where the patient will not bear any weight at all on the leg, where is this donkey on that spectrum? I am also assuming that you cannot feel or see any swelling somewhere else in the leg. It does sound like the hoof is the site of the problem and that he may very well have “white line disease” in all 4 feet. However, WLD only causes severe lameness in extreme cases, and since your farrier feels that all 4 feet are affected, yet the lameness is primarily in one leg, you have to wonder if there is something else going on with that lame leg. Was a ‘hoof tester’ used on the affected hoof? It does sound like this might be a wall or sole abscess, which the donkey could have in addition to the WLD. Hoof testers are a good way to isolate the area of the abscess. There also seems to be some concern over laminitis. Does the donkey’s hoof growth or previous x-rays suggest that this donkey has chronic laminitis? Is the donkey obese? For the time being, your treatment of the White Line situation is appropriate. My experience is that all the separated walls must be removed, back to normal white line and hoof wall tissue, to achieve a cure in WLD. This often requires some kind of hoof protection to protect the more sensitive structures of the hoof from bruising. So your hoof packing and, perhaps, a boot are good ideas. Scrupulous cleanliness and the local treatment you are using, along with your farrier’s help, can overcome WLD. If the lameness is in the 3-5 category and if it persists for any number of days, we would also recommend a veterinary visit.

This is so tough, protecting donkey hooves from moisture. They are simply not adapted to moisture and their hooves are so much more sensitive to wet conditions than are horses. Where donkeys exist in really wet, tropical environments, they really suffer. There are three components that will help, though. First is very regular hoof care. All separated hoof should be removed completely down to normal wall and white line with every trimming. In my experience you cannot control white line disease without doing this. Further, get a good hoof pick with a semi-sharp end to daily remove any bits of sand or gravel that may have gotten pushed into the moisture softened hooves. Bedding with straw is okay, but you also have to be judicious in cleaning out the “pee spots” and using either wood bedding pellets or lime powder to dry up these areas. They can provide enough moisture to cause problems even when it isn’t raining. We us coarse wood chips (cedar) as bedding because they make a mat in the stall through which moisture can pass away from the surface. They are also mildly astringent. I would continue to put some straw in too, because the donkey will chew on that and not the wood chips. Item number two: feed a trace mineral supplement to ensure that your donkey is getting adequate Zinc, Copper, and other trace elements. While this has not been proven to help donkeys, research has demonstrated that it does decrease abscesses and lameness in dairy cows in wet environments. We use California Trace. Finally, while Hoof Flex may have some benefit, your hoof ointment probably has the least to do with successful prevention of hoof problems. I would use one that has lanolin and/or pine tar in it, because these provide a temporary barrier to moisture. That said, any hoof ointment needs to be applied daily to have any chance of effecting moisture absorption by the hoof. Anyone who has donkeys, in a place other than a desert, is going to have some hoof issues.

I am really sorry to hear about your donkey and especially because these are really difficult cases to treat. The things that I would look at would be, first, how are the hooves being trimmed? If he is wearing pads but is remaining lame looking at the way that that the hooves are trimmed. Looking at the hoof angle and the amount of sole that is remaining on the coffin bone are important. If your farrier is not familiar with trimming donkeys with laminitis they can get more information from The Donkey Sanctuary website or from Megan Hensley at https://www.holistichooves.com. We also like Cavalo Boots for hoof protection is the sole is thin. They are available in sizes that fit donkeys. Another consideration that would be related to his not eating well include liver function tests, because when donkeys go “off feed” they can accumulate fat in their liver. Besides liver enzymes a test called “bile acids” would be a good idea. When the blood is being tested they should also look at the triglyceride level, because increased circulating lipids (hyperlipemia) can cause depression and liver damage. A donkey with Cushings would be more prone to this problem. Finally, consider treating him for gastric ulcers, which donkeys get, especially if they have been on phenylbutazone or related analgesics for a long time. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of other pain bmy own legs). I hope this helps.

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There are a huge number of potential problems here. Since, I don’t know exactly what your veterinarian did to examine your donkey, I am going to start at the beginning. You have already done what is probably the most important “test”: feeding him well, with what sounds like a highly digestible feed. Any healthy donkey should gain weight on such a diet. After all, these are animals who maintain body condition in places like Death Valley or doing heavy work and eating nothing but straw. This means that your donkey has a serious physical abnormality which needs to be diagnosed if he is to survive. I would approach it as follows (you can check off anything that your veterinarian has already done):
A good complete physical examination, paying particular attention to feeling all parts of the body, joints, and bones, in addition to a detailed auscultation (listening with a stethoscope) to his lungs and chest. I would add chest percussion or a chest ultrasound examination to look for fluid or abscesses. This can all be done in a relatively short period of time. Auctions are festering masses of respiratory disease, and chronic pleural or broncho pneumonia is an important cause of weight loss and weakness in all equids. A single shot of an antibiotic would not fix this.
During the physical, he should have a detailed examination of his teeth, including looking way back in his mouth for sources of dental pain that would make his chewing ineffective. Most donkeys (unlike horses) will accept this without sedation.
Since he is having trouble standing and walks abnormally, a neurologic examination should be included. Spinal injuries, parasites, viruses, and vitamin deficiencies call all cause damage to the central nervous system. This will involve you veterinarian watching the donkey go through a series of movements to determine things like his ability to know where his legs are (proprioception), the existence of muscle weakness, the functioning of various nerve tracks, his ability to see, his level of skin sensation, and a variety of other things. If your veterinarian does not feel qualified as a neurologist, I would suggest they look at presentations and articles by my friend Dr. Monica Aleman, who did an excellent video of the neurologic examination of the donkey for our Donkey Welfare Symposium a few years ago. You could also video the donkey walking in a straight line, up and down a small hill, and turning in a figure 8 to me at ewdavis@ucdavis.edu and we can give you suggestions on possible neurologic problems.
Do a manure analysis for parasites. If the donkey was poorly cared for prior to the auction it could have a very heavy worm load. Because some of these worms form cysts in the wall of the intestine, a single worming will not kill all the parasites. It is really important to follow up worming with a “fecal egg count” to get an idea of the level of ongoing parasitism. These little invaders have been around for many millions of years and they are sneaky. Do not take them for granted.
A CBC (complete blood count), with a test called ‘plasma fibrinogen’ should be done on a blood sample. This will identify things like chronic inflammation or an internal abscess. While the blood is taken, include a serum sample on which a basic metabolic panel should be run. This will look at the possibility of liver disease, kidney problems, and other internal abnormalities that are hard to see from “the outside” . Other tests such as trace mineral levels or heavy metal toxicities may be necessary, but a CBC and Chemistry Panel are good places to start. The values for donkeys are not always the same as for horses and many laboratories don’t give normals for donkeys. However, The Donkey Sanctuary web site has a library of normal donkey blood and chemistry data. It is also published in other places.
There are few other things that might be done to investigate your donkey’s problem, such as abdominal ultrasound, biopsy, or centisis (removal of abnormal fluids). However, these would be “down the line” from the above.
This is going to require some effort and, likely, also some expense. However, it is an axiom that “your treatment will only be as good as your diagnosis”. So investigating the cause of your donkey’s weakness/weight loss is critical

If the problem is a hoof that is bearing weight on the dorsal wall, there are a number of treatments that range from hoof trimming to a fairly simple surgery to release the deep flexor tendon contracture. I think photographs, video(s), and even radiographs would be helpful, as well as a visit with their veterinarian to assist with making the best decision for this donkey.

Flunixin (Banamine) is probably about as good as anything and is safer than Phenylbutazone (“Bute”). It does metabolize faster, but as a practical matter, most use the horse dose and dosing interval. As you know the main issue is addressing the cause of the laminitis with diet and hoof care. Short-term flunixin will give some relief, as will cold water soaks (in the most acute phase).,

Before assuming that the coffin bone is involved, you should definitely get radiographs (x-rays). Even if it IS involved, as long as the coffin joint or navicular bursa is not involved, this is likely treatable. To get abscesses to heal, you need to:

1. Remove any hoof wall or sole covering the abscess material, as the bacteria that cause the infections are sensitive to oxygen, AND you have to get any dirt or sand out of the area that is trying to heal.
2. Get rid of the bacterial infection without using caustic agents, which retard healing by injuring the hoof tissue. Antibiotics used locally (NOT by injection or feed into the donkey), such as metronidazole or tetracycline, work well for this.
3. Keep the hooves scrupulously dry (again: no caustics, just a dry environment). It does take months for the hoof wall that separated at the coronary band to grow all the way out and be replaced by a normal wall. However, once the infection and dirt is removed from the abscess track, the tissue should start to granulate and heal, and the pain should resolve. The fact that you still have exudate (pus) suggests that there is still infection lurking under the wall or sole.

Radiographs can help identify these and also tell the farrier where they can trim more, without contacting bone. Sometimes removing the wall/sole can be done more exactly with a Dremel tool. Also, there are times when so much wall needs to be removed that you lose more than 2/3’s of the circumference of the normal weight-bearing wall of the hoof. If this happens, you may need to put a padded boot or other protective device on the hoof. This will need to be removed, cleaned, and the tissues treated daily. It is hard to recommend the exact location of trimming or of boot placement without seeing the hoof and x-rays. So these are general recommendations.

One thing to consider when grazing your donkey is the time of day when you are allowing her to graze. You can reduce the amount of nonstructural carbohydrates (also referred to as water-soluble carbohydrates) if you allow her to graze early in the morning until roughly 11 am. During the night, plants are dormant and use their energy stores (sugars and starches). An overload of sugar or starch (NSC or water-soluble carbohydrates), we believe, can lead to inflammation in the laminae of the hoof. So, consider grazing time as one way to reduce her pasture intake. Any changes you make in her diet should ideally be done slowly over a period of time. You can also consider offering her a slow feeder for hay if you are supplementing her diet with hay when she’s not on pasture. Another way to reduce NSC intake is by soaking your hay for at least 30 mins or up to 1 hour if using cold water; if hot, you can go with 30 mins, then remove the hay from the water and offer it to your donkey. There are a lot of wonderful enrichment feeders available as well. I know PVDR uses them for some of the mules. This will limit intake and also provide engagement for your donkey. Again, consider her diet and then make changes slowly to reduce sugar intake and allow for time for adjustments. Another option is fencing off part of your pasture and making smaller lots for her to graze for a limited time. You can easily do this with a hot wire fence. I hope this helps, but also consider working with your veterinarian on developing a diet, weighing her, and taking before and after photos of each side to monitor body condition scores.

I would definitely have a neonatal exam done on your donkey foal. While newborn donkeys can have ears that are slightly ‘floppy’, there are a lot of bad things that could result in swollen legs. I am assuming that the foal nursed well, is not lame, and seems alert, but even with this, a good principle to follow is: “a foal will always look its best right after birth”. So if there are abnormalities this is one place where waiting to see what develops is not a good idea.

Sudden severe lameness in a newborn should always be treated as an emergency. The main concern is that he may have picked up a bacterial infection at birth or even in utero. When bacteria get into the bloodstream, they tend to localize in joints or the cartilage at the end of the long bones. If untreated, this can result in permanent crippling of the foal or a fatal body infection. While there may be other causes, it is extremely rare for a jennet to ‘step on’ or otherwise injure her foal. In fact, I doubt that I have ever seen that happen. Delaying diagnosis and treatment could be catastrophic for the foal. A veterinarian needs to see the foal as soon as possible, and a physical exam and possibly some lab work will be necessary. Please do not wait. If you are lucky and this is something less serious, you have not lost anything. If it is an infection, this will be the only chance to fix the problem.

You have a real tragedy on your hands because it sounds like your young donkey cut off the blood supply to his rear hooves when he got tangled in the rope. There is no doubt that this donkey is suffering and will suffer more, especially because it sounds like the hooves have completely sloughed off, and so the underlying tissues are dead. Also, two hooves are involved, giving him no way to stand without standing on wounds. Without being able to see the stumps at the end of his legs where his hooves should be, it is difficult for me to give you optimal advice. If there is any possibility that you could take a picture of his lower rear legs and send it to me, that would be ideal. However, to avoid further suffering, putting him to sleep now would be a reasonable thing to do. I am only suggesting looking at the pictures because there might be a tiny chance of healing. Also, phenybutazone (“Bute”) can have serious side effects on a young donkey. It is hard to recommend a dose without knowing what your donkey weighs, but if he weighs 125 lbs or less, he should not get more than a total of ¼ of a Bute tablet (1 gm tablet) a day. There are other analgesics like gabapentin and acetaminophen (Tylenol), which would be safer.

A knot in the “knee” joint of a front leg (more properly called the “carpus”) could be a bone chip in the joint or a calcification due to an injury of the joint capsule. I am not sure what test your veterinarian is doing, but an X-ray of the joint or an ultrasound scan would be able to tell them where the hard lump is exactly and if it is in a place that might cause lameness. Before trying any kind of therapy, getting this diagnosis is essential for a positive outcome.

I am sorry to hear that your donkey is not doing better after having healed a shoulder fracture. The first thing that I would do is to be very sure that after all this time, his current lameness, especially if he is lying down a lot, is not something different, like a sole abscess or laminitis. It seems that you are going to have your veterinarian out to get an updated diagnosis, and that’s good. As far as other analgesics to try, you might consider Acetaminophen (Tylenol), which is being used increasingly for pain in the USA and England in horses and donkeys. As usual, there is not much research on efficacy and safety in donkeys, but I have been told by practitioners that it is safe and works in many cases. The dose is 30 mg/kg orally twice a day. For a 400 lb. Donkey that works out to be 15 pills of regular strength Tylenol (325 mg/pill) twice a day to be on the safe side. To administer it, I would grind the pills and mix the powder with 15 mls of applesauce and 15 mls of molasses, and give it as a paste with a catheter-tipped syringe, which any veterinarian would have. I know molasses is not ideal for donkeys, but this amount should not be a problem, and once your donkey gets used to the mixture, you could start putting less molasses in it. Hopefully, this will only be for a few weeks anyway. You could also use Gabapentin, which you would have to get from your veterinarian. The dosage is 20 mg/kg twice a day, but some will go as high as three times that, as Gabapentin is very safe and will only cause mild sedation at really high doses. I hope this helps.

I am really impressed with your efforts to take care of Abigail. You are doing just exactly the right things to keep her comfortable. However, there might be other things that could help her. To determine that, I wonder if you could answer a couple of questions: What diagnostics have been done to establish that this is a suspensory ligament problem? X-rays? Nerve blocks? ultrasound? AND Is there any possibility that you could send me a video of Abigail getting up and the way you describe her standing with her hind legs? While this could be suspensory desmitis (inflammation or degeneration of the suspensory ligaments in her hind legs), there are a number of other possibilities. I don’t want to just answer your question with questions, but more information would really help me, and hopefully help Abigail.

Sorry about the laminitis problems as that can be a frustrating disease to treat. I do not know where you are located, but the development of laminitis in the winter suggests a dietary cause, with too much easily digestible sugar in the rough, or, more like, the pasture. Also, is you donkey overweight? If so, that is a big problem because excess fat is “pro-inflammatory” and tend to produce laminitis episodes because of its effects on the endocrine system. A serious consideration of diet would, again, be called for. Most of her diet should be a grass hay (teff, orchard grass, pasture grass, but definitely NOT a grain hay like oat or Tritical, OR alfalfa. While Phenylbutazone (Bute) may be okay for acute flareups it is not actually treating the main problem. One might also consider an anti inflammatory like Flunixin (Banamine) or an analgesic like Gabapentin. Either way, diet and weight control are critical, AND you need a skilled farrier who will work on donkeys to get those hooves properly trimmed. The excess heel growth is tilting the coffin bone and will eventually damage it. Another thing that can help a lot are Cavalo boots, https://cavallo-inc.com/this-is-to-say-thank-you-from-cavallo/daisy-foundered-donkey/ . We have found these to be very useful.

That is really awful! I am so sorry for your donkey. For an actual fracture, splints do not give adequate stability for healing without the development of a “fibrous non-union”, which means that the bone ends get attached with fibrous connective tissue and not actual bone. This leads to motion at the fracture sight and a lot of pain. There are several better options: Probably the best is internal fixation with a plate and screws to stabilize the fracture. This would require a skilled veterinary surgeon at a referral center and would be the most expensive. Second would be an fiberglass cast with transfixation pins. This is a less complicated procedure, but for a hind limb they can work quite well and more veterinarians are able to do this. A fiberglass caste, by itself, would also work. Finally, we have used a device called a Schroeder-Thomas splint, which is the least expensive, though it would require a veterinarian with some engineering skills to make one. Donkeys have healed fractures in the wild without any help at all. I have one of these right here on our ranch. I would NOT recommend this, because, while old Rosie did heal her fractured radius, she probably spent a couple of years in real agony while it healed, and she was lucky. This usually doesn’t work. The best thing is often to invest the money “on the front end” and get the problem solved, rather than trying less promising measures and ending up with a lot of pain, more expense, and a failure. Good luck !

That is awfully young for a donkey to develop arthritis (joint inflammation). Before experimenting with treatments, what you need is to identify the root cause. Is the swelling in the joint cavity itself, or in the external tissues over the joints? Allergy can cause swelling in the legs, and, if that is the case, the treatment will be way different than if it is actual arthritis. This donkey should be examined by a veterinarian who can determine what is causing the swelling. This may require lab work, ultrasound examination, or x-ray depending on what is found on the physical exam. If you can give me some more details on this donkey (amount of work, diet, vaccinations, stabling) and maybe a picture of the legs or a video.

Without seeing a video of exactly what your young mini is doing when it stands up, it is a little hard to make a definitive diagnosis of the problem. If you want to send one to ewdavis@ucdavis.edu we would be glad to look at it. By far the most likely cause of hm dragging his hind legs and then “walking out of it”, is that he is locking his stifles. The stifle is the large joint in the hind leg, that is right next to the abdomen, and it corresponds to the human knee. The stifle was a couple of additional ligaments that can become “hooked” over the thigh bone or femur. This prevents the stifle from flexing and makes them “drag” their leg. Usually after moving around for a while the stifle comes loose and they can walk normally again. The condition is common in minis, especially young ones. Often, they will “outgrow’ the problem, especially if they get some exercise. Muscle tone seems to help and can be developed by walking up and down hills. If the lameness persists, there are a number of treatment options ranging from hoof trimming to direct treatment of the offending ligament.

Without seeing a video of exactly what your young mini is doing when it stands up, it is a little hard to make a definitive diagnosis of the problem. If you want to send one to ewdavis@ucdavis.edu we would be glad to look at it. By far the most likely cause of hm dragging his hind legs and then “walking out of it”, is that he is locking his stifles. The stifle is the large joint in the hind leg, that is right next to the abdomen, and it corresponds to the human knee. The stifle was a couple of additional ligaments that can become “hooked” over the thigh bone or femur. This prevents the stifle from flexing and makes them “drag” their leg. Usually after moving around for a while the stifle comes loose and they can walk normally again. The condition is common in minis, especially young ones. Often, they will “outgrow’ the problem, especially if they get some exercise. Muscle tone seems to help and can be developed by walking up and down hills. If the lameness persists, there are a number of treatment options ranging from hoof trimming to direct treatment of the offending ligament.

Your mini is locking her stifle joints. That is the joint at the top of their leg, just below their flank. In all equids (horses, mules, and donkeys….including minis) the hind legs have a system called the “reciprocal apparatus”. This allows them to rest without having to expend muscle energy keeping their hind legs straight so that they can stand. It is an evolutionary adaption in a “prey animal” , which might have to run away from a stalking predator very suddenly. The way it works is that there is a system of ligaments that makes the hock (second more angled joint in the middle of the hind leg) and the stifle work together. If one is stiff the other is too. If one bends, the same thing happens in the other joint. The anchor in this system is at the end of the “thigh bone” (the femur) where there is a bony hook that the patella (part of the stifle joint) catches on to lock the hind leg straight during the donkey’s nap time. Unfortunately, over the period of time that donkeys have been domesticated a slight abnormality in this system causes the stifle to “lock” improperly and not release until the leg snaps into normal function. Mini’s seem to have this trait especially bad, probably as a result of the inbreeding required to develop their small size. This is treatable as follows (try them in this order):
With increased exercise many animals will simply overcome the problem by using their ligaments and improving muscle tone. Running or hiking with your donkey, especially up and down hills would help.
Hoof trimming in which the farrier leaves the lateral heel a little longer than normal also helps. Often this is all that is required.
There are two ways of directly treating the medial patellar ligament (MPL), which is the structure that actually causes the problem. These are simple and can be done with light sedation and a local anesthesia. They basically make the ligament rounder and thicker, so that it doesn’t get stuck on that hook.
Finally, the MPL can be surgically cut, which will always solve the problem. This is a simple surgery that only requires 2-3 mls of lidocaine for anesthesia and is done standing. Very rarely there can be complications, as with any surgery. So, it is recommended that patients are rested for 2 months afterward and only exercised on a lead.
You should start the process of treating this condition, because if allowed to go on too long , soft tissues of the stifle can be damaged, leading to arthritis.

What you are describing sounds like your young donkey is locking its patella. This corresponds to our kneecap and is part of the “stifle” joint (the first joint below the flank in the hind leg). Horses, donkeys, and mules have a mechanism that allows them to “hook” their patella and its ligaments over a bony process on the end of their femur (the “thigh bone”). This allows them to rest while standing because they don’t have to expend muscle energy to keep their hind leg straight, allowing them to stand up and doze at the same time. Since donkeys and other equids are “prey animals,” this is important because it is way easier to escape a stalking predator when one does not have to go from a lying position to fully standing and running. Since donkeys have an anatomically straighter stifle than horses do (less angulation), they seem to be more prone to accidentally “catching” their patella over that hook on the femur, when they didn’t really want to. This keeps the stifle from flexing, which has to happen if the donkey is going to move. As the muscles tighten the “stuck” patella usually slips off the femur with a “pop” that makes the leg over-flex. That is why you are seeing her drag the leg (the stifle won’t flex) and then lift it abruptly (it comes loose). As far as treatment goes, a young donkey is highly likely to grow out of this problem, particularly if it is getting adequate exercise. Walking up and down hills has been recommended as physical therapy for this condition. Trimming the hooves, leaving the lateral heel slightly longer than the medial, also helps. There are a variety of surgical approaches for animals who persist with this problem. They range from injecting or just sticking the medial patellar ligament to “fatten ” it and decrease the space that catches on the femur, to actually cutting the ligament. All of these procedures are done under local anesthesia with the patient standing and have very low complication rates. The exception is that if the ligament is actually cut, there is a small chance of the patella fracturing. I would emphasize that this is a very small chance, and i have not had to cut a medial patellar ligament in 40 years. This procedure is reserved for those where the patella gets stuck and will not release at all. This is not a huge problem, but if it continues for years, it will result in degenerative arthritis of the stifle joint, which you definitely do not want. Social media is full of a bunch of claims about trace minerals curing locked patellas. These have no basis in fact and should not be relied upon. Again, exercise and time cures the vast majority.

It sounds like your jack is “locking his stifle”. This is an abnormal process where the ligaments that normally allow a donkey or horse to rest standing up by fixing its stifle in place, fail to allow the stifle to unlock when they want to walk. The stifle is the same joint anatomically as the human knee, with a “kneecap” or patella that rides over the junction between the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). Two of the three ligaments that attach the patella to the tibia catch on the end of the femur so that the stifle can’t bend. This allows a prey animal to rest standing without having to use muscles to keep itself upright. In some individuals, these ligaments don’t release as they should, and you get the effect of the stifle catching or popping when they try to walk. This can be serious to the extent that they have great difficulty flexing their leg and walking, but most of the time it is just intermittent popping as with your jack. However, over a long period of time, this can lead to the development of stifle arthritis. So, it is worthwhile treating. There are a variety of approaches. The best place to start is to trim the hind feet, leaving the outside heel slightly longer than normal and increasing the amount of exercise that the donkey gets. If you have hills locally, going up and down them is said to be helpful. In my experience, this solves the majority of these problems. If it is more frequent or severe, some simple procedures, such as injecting a mild irritant into the medial patellar ligament or just putting a large needle into this structure, will cause enough “tightening” of the ligament to prevent locking. In extreme cases, the medial patellar ligament can be cut. However, there are more complications associated with this procedure vs. the injection approach. I have not had to cut a medial patellar ligament in 30 years in a horse or a donkey. Again, just increasing exercise and trimming will most likely have a positive result. I have read on social media sites comments stating that this is a vitamin or mineral deficiency. There is absolutely no evidence to support this opinion. So don’t waste your time with it.

Sorry to hear this about your donkey. Some questions that I would have are: how old is the donkey? What is its body condition? What is she normally eating, and does she have any signs of laminitis? It would be helpful to see what she does when you help her get up, and you can send a Video to this site or to ewdavis@ucdavis.edu. If there is a small healing wound on the leg, it is pretty unlikely that it is causing enough pain to explain these symptoms. Does she walk as if one leg hurts after she stands up? I am most worried about laminitis, which is an inflammation of the attachment of the hoof wall to the inner part of the donkey’s foot. Donkeys, particularly if they are overweight or on certain diets, are prone to this. Another possibility is that if she is old, she may have arthritis in one or more joints. Watching her move would allow us to see that. Finally, when she is eating and gets up, does she actually swallow the food after chewing? Donkeys can “sham eat” where they just chew or nose their hay but aren’t actually eating it. If this is the case, she could have a metabolic disease.

While hoof trimming is unlikely to cause laminitis, if the hooves were trimmed too short or at an improper angle it could certainly cause lameness. If bruising of the sole causes an abscess to develop the hooves would definitely be warm and develop a stronger pulse. I cannot rule out the possibility of laminitis from some other cause, depending on the donkey’s body condition, diet, and history. This could have happened at the same time as the trim, by coincidence, if the donkey is overweight, on a high carbohydrate diet, or has a metabolic disease. The problem could be solved by something as simple as putting some rubber boots on him. Cavalo makes the best ones, and they fit donkeys. If the trim was too short, protecting his hooves for a week or so will allow them to grow out and he will get better. Ideally a veterinarian should look at the hooves just to be sure.

This time of year it is really common for donkey’s hooves, which do not take moisture well, to become infected with anaerobic bacteria. These organisms require a lack of oxygen and moisture to survive. They produce enzymes that digest the proteins of the donkey’s hooves and produce a foul odor. It is common for these to “eat away” at the frog, and donkeys often loss much of their cornified frog in wet environments. Unlike horses, this causes actual lameness even though the sensitive frog (the part that contains blood and nerves ) is not exposed. Alternatively, these bacteria can find weak spots in the junction between the sole of the hoof and the hoof wall (called “the white line”) and get between the sensitive (living) sole and the cornified (dead but protective) sole. This results in a “sole abscess” and causes pain by putting pressure on the nerves in the sensitive tissues. This can be quite severe, but it is very treatable. The cornified covering of the sole can be removed with a rasp or hoof knife to allow the smelly fluid which is causing the pressure to escape. This is what a physician might do for you if you had an infection under one of your fingernails. It does not require a large hole, but just enough for the abscess to drain and the pressure to go away. The foot can then be bandaged or put in a boot to protect it until the abscess heals. If you use a boot, it is important to take it off and clean it every day. This care may require the help of a veterinarian or farrier. To prevent these problems , make sure that the donkeys have a dry, clean place to stand in wet weather. Mud is worse for donkey’s hooves than for horses. So, they actually require a clean dry area. Picking their hooves out every day to avoid packing wet mud into the grooves around the frog (the “lateral sulci” or “commissures” ) will also help. Trimming away excess dead from will too. There are a variety of agents that are sold to treat “thrush” in horses, and they have some efficacy. They generally contain some combination of copper sulfate, formaldehyde, or Iodine. We have had very good success with using a powder made of metronidazole, an antibiotic that is very effective against anaerobic material. Systemic antibiotics are not useful for these hoof conditions and should not be used. There is a little research that mineral supplements containing zinc, manganese, and copper can make hoof problems less likely. However, relying on medications and supplements by themselves is not going to be successful unless the hooves are trimmed, cleaned, and in dry conditions.

Donkey’s hooves are much more sensitive to moisture than are horses’. So the first thing that I would do is look at possible issues of mud, stall moisture, bathing, creeks, or waterers that may be sources of moisture. We are in a low lying area and bed the areas in and around our donkey houses with dry wood chips, which help keep the hooves dry. Regular cleaning with a hoof pick will also remove damp manure and trampled grass from the lateral sulci, next to the frog, which can keep the feet moist. We have also found that ensuring that the diet includes supplementation with trace minerals (Zinc, Copper, Manganese, etc) helps the donkey’s own hoof growth mechanisms produce a tougher, healthier hoof. California Trace, is a good supplement. Most hoof ointments made for horses are designed to increase elasticity of the hoof wall, which can make them softer rather than harder. Astringents, like turpentine and formaldehyde, have been used to harden hooves, but they are toxic, can burn the coronary band, and may promote hoof cracking. I would stick to : ground moisture control, hoof cleaning, and trace mineral supplementation.

I am glad you have taken on the task of trying to make a good home for a donkey who evidently did not have good experiences previously. There are several options for sedation which can be done either orally or by injection. These include Detomidine oral paste (Dormosodan is the proprietary name), and other alpha 2 agonist sedatives. If the donkey is that scarred you will likely have to try to hide the drug in some highly desirable food, or you will need to place the donkey in a chute restraint of some kind to have your veterinarian administer an injection. If your veterinarian knows how to use a blow dart or a dart gun, medications and vaccinations can also be given in this way. HOWEVER, while these approaches are okay for an emergency situation, in an animal that may live 30 more years, it is not a long term solution. Also, even though the person administering the sedative may be skilled and understand donkey behavior, there is some trauma involved in the process. Putting your donkey in this situation will not make future training easier, especially since donkeys and mules seem to resent being “tricked”. (That is a personal reading of their behavior, based on a lot of interactions, not an objectively proven fact.) So there are a couple of things that you can do before considering sedation, which you are going to need to work on anyway. First, it would really help if you had more than one donkey. While these animals are often solitary in the wild, they do like social interaction with other donkeys and can become quite bonded to an individual. I know you may not want or have room for another animal, but two donkeys are not that hard to care for, nor particularly expensive. You don’t need to “go off the deep end” like Cindy and I did: starting with 2 and ending up with 12. However, a second jennet, especially if it truly trained (you can catch it, lead it with a halter, tie to hitch rack, groom it, and pick up its hooves) would make your donkey happier and more relaxed. Second of all, make some “donkey contact time” a priority every day. Initially, this should be you or your husband standing in a pen with the donkey. Eventually, it will get curious and come closer, at which point you should have a highly desirable treat (we prefer carrot slices) to offer. It may take a couple of weeks in a really scarred donkey to get it to come up to you, but investing an hour a day will eventually win them over. Then gradually start making contact. We often begin with “air petting”, in which you make a slow, non-threatening, hand motion as if to touch but not actually touching. Don’t get impatient, and forgive yourself if you get too far ahead and the donkey gets scarred. Just back off and try again. Depending on a lot of things: your body language, your personality, your donkey experience, and the donkey’s history this may take a longer or shorter period of time. Cindy, my wife, has spent over a year making friends with a mini mule that was considered to be terrified and dangerous, but is quite gentle now. A good resource for training plans can be found at Ben Hart’s website: hartshorsemanship.com. Ben works for the British Donkey Sanctuary, and is a consummate expert in dealing with difficult and frightened donkeys. I think that if you put the time in, you and your donkey will be much happier, and you both will enjoy the journey.

This is clearly a very serious situation. However, I am not sure that your mini is suffering from a bacterial infection. Did it have a fever? I assume that your veterinarian took the temperature, which would have been more than 102 if there was an infection. There are many other things that could cause this condition. I agree that Tetanus could be causing the problem. If it is tetanus, the “third eyelid”, a flesh colored membrane that covers the eye from the medial side (the side closest to the nose) should be in spasm across the eye. Another common problem in miniature donkeys is liver disease, which would cause these “neurologic” symptoms because when the liver doesn’t work toxins that are absorbed from the intestines are not metabolized. The laboratory tests for liver function are “serum enzymes”, Tryglycerides, and bile acids. I hope that your veterinarian has done these tests with the other laboratory work. A third possibility is a viral encephalitis, West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine encephalitis, or equine herpes virus can cause this. Has your donkey been vaccinated for any of these? They could also be identified by a blood test.

In a rear leg in a miniature donkey, I would definitely consider the possibility that he is “locking his stifle”. In this condition the medial and middle patellar ligaments become temporarily stuck over the end of his thigh bone (the femur). This makes it impossible for him to flex his stifle and hock joints. Donkeys will hold the leg up in an attempt to get the leg to become free again. The episodes will also cause some degree of inflammation in the stifle joint, which will lead to pain and lameness. I can be treated several ways: more exercise (especially going up and down hills), hoof trimming (leave the lateral heel on the affected leg just slightly longer, or sclerosing of the medial patellar ligament (there are several ways that your veterinarian could do this). In really severe cases the medial patellar ligament can be cut, which is done with light sedation and local anesthetic, in the field. It is a simple procedure, but generally regarded as a last resort.

That sounds really tough. I am in California, so I haven’t dealt with – 40C since my days in Ames, Iowa. We had draft horses, but they would also get huge ice balls in their hooves. I agree that it is hard to deal with, but here are some things to try:
Rubbing alcohol will help melt the ice balls, so that you can break them out with a hoof pick or nippers. This will not hurt them and use the highest concentration of alcohol you can get. 90% if possible.
Do everything that you can to keep their feet from picking up moist poop. If they are going in a stable, the stuff will stick in their hooves and freeze when they go outside. This starts a ball which just gets bigger and bigger. Cleaning the area multiple times a day (yes, that sucks when it is that cold…) and giving them deep bedding with wood chips or shavings will help keep stuff out of their feet.
Keep their hooves trimmed short, so that there is not redundant hoof wall to trap moisture and ice. This includes keeping the sulci (the grooves next to the frog) open, as moisture will otherwise get trapped there and start ice forming.
Tell me if any of this helps, as this is a real problem, which is even worse in donkeys than horses, because of their narrow hooves.