# A donkey with Laminitis



## geordief (27 April 2007)

One of my 6 donkeys -a mare -has developed laminitis (the vet says it is acute as she has had it chronically but unknown to me till now) in her left front foot.The grass here is not too lush but I have over the last 20 years allowed all the donkeys grass clippings from the extensive lawn over the years and hay in the winter as well as a bit of oats to supplement the hay at the moment.
She is being kept in the stable until there is an improvement.
A problem is that the vet wants the hooves done as soon as possible  and the farrier can't get out until next week.Idid suggest the the vet that I might trim them myself but she said there was a special way when dealing with laminitis.So she has given it  an injection of anti inflammatory and told me to hose her legs down every few hours .And the farrier said to use Bute in the meantime.
Does anyone think I could attempt the hooves myself  (they are not too bad) or could I make it worse?

PS does anyone know if straw is as good as the hay as I have been told by a farrier that it is better for them although the donkeys prefer the hay?


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## Tia (27 April 2007)

To be perfectly blunt; if you are feeding grass-cuttings to your donkeys....then no I would hazard a guess that you are possibly not the person to trim their feet.


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## Thistle (27 April 2007)

I'm hoping this post is a hoax! Do you really feed grass clippings and want to try DIY remedial farriery?

Yes oat straw is a suitable feed for laminitics, feed it mixed half and half with hay.

Keep donkey in with a very deep shavings bed that will support the feet. Give bute and treat as the vet suggests. Oh yes and wait for the farrier.

if donkey is stabled and not walking around it probably won't hurt to wait for a few days.


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## geordief (27 April 2007)

[ QUOTE ]
I'm hoping this post is a hoax! Do you really feed grass clippings and want to try DIY remedial farriery?
. 

[/ QUOTE ]
Well the farrier has been happy for me to trim the hooves in the past.But I readily admit he is far better at it than me.As for the clippings I know it is advised against but I have done it for about 20 years and have always been told how healthy they are.A previous post concerning that subject  told me that as long as they were finishing what I gave them so that they were eating it fresh then no harm would come of it- especilly since none was apparent.Of course this laminitis has caused me to rethink.


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## Tia (27 April 2007)

They have to finish cut grass within half an hour of it being cut - otherwise the grass ferments and then you are looking at trouble.  Lawn grass is significantly different to pasture grass though.....far far richer and really not what you want to be feeding.


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## geordief (27 April 2007)

I have noticed the pastures around here are far richer than my lawn which I have never fed.The actual field is even poorer.

Yes they do finish it in that space of time and don't bother to return if there is a bit left.
But my worry now is that it may be causing laminitis as it would be  their richest feed.


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## Fairynuff (27 April 2007)

Donkeys should only see oats on a postcard! They do NOT need hard feed of any type and will be happy and healthy on a fibre diet eg hay and a handful of unmolassed sugar beet daily. My donkey lives on hay only at the moment and has 3 hours grubbing round the starvation paddock eating dock leaves and she is still fat! The hay is the equivent of one slice daily. Fat donkeys are unhealthy donkeys and Im ashamed to admit that Doody is fat 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 Hope you jenny pulls through. M.


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## pottamus (27 April 2007)

I would suggest that you leave the trimming to the farrier as you could make matters a lot worse...for your donkeys sake.


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## tashyisaudrey (28 April 2007)

I wouldn't be feeding a donkey oats or grass clippings... . No one less than a qualified expert should be in charge of your donkeys feet.


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## Wooleysmum (29 April 2007)

get a farrier to do the feet. its a serious business, laminitis, leave any care to the professionals.


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## kymw90 (29 March 2012)

I feed straw from frb til November when they can get anything extra on out in the field ( my pasture consists of docks, brambles nettles, those spikey plants that hurt like hell when you stand on them and very uneven crappy grass) I find they graze at leisure quite happily and not worry too much about grass intake. In winter when everything is nearly mud I feed hay which also keeps a bit of fat ob them warm for 
winter.. I don't rug.. Basically I suggest feeding wise give them barley straw only and monitor grass intake to two / three times a week out.. And during the cold give them hay as it is richer and can easily add fat to your long ears during summer when there's so much lushness around.. Hope your Jenny gets better and lay off the grass cuttings


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## CalamityJaneMule (30 March 2012)

Please don't try DIY farriery and follow your vet's advice.  To prevent problems again sorting out the donkey's diet will really help.  As the previous posters have said straw should be the main diet with very restricted grazing or hay.  There is never a reason to feed cereals to donkeys they do very well on fibre alone.  If they need more then high fibre nuts or donkey chaff will do the job.

Loads of info here about feeding:

http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/donkeycare


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## amandap (30 March 2012)

geordief said:



			Does anyone think I could attempt the hooves myself  (they are not too bad) or could I make it worse?

PS does anyone know if straw is as good as the hay as I have been told by a farrier that it is better for them although the donkeys prefer the hay?
		
Click to expand...

No, definitely not I'm afraid. If there has been rotation or sinking you could do an awful lot of harm. The donkey needs expert trimming for laminitis. 
A deep bed of shavngs may well help with her comfort until the farrier can get there. Tbh, the trim is an important part of pain relief so it's disappointing the donkey has to wait so long for the trim. I consider hoof care in laminitis an emergency myself. x

Feed soaked hay. Soak 12 hours and rinse. 

Here's some info. http://www.ecirhorse.com/index.php/laminitis


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## flintfootfilly (30 March 2012)

Trimming the donkey will reduce the risk of sinking, as it will remove the xs hoof wall, and therefore reduce the gap between sole and ground that the pedal bone could sink into.

Once you've got sinking, the prognosis worsens.

If your farrier has gone through the basics of trimming with you, then personally I WOULD trim, as long as the donkey is comfortable enough for you to do that.  I would just bear in mind that all you are doing is reducing xs hoof wall as your absolute priority, and if you know how to bevel/roll the wall to reduce any leverage forces so much the better.  But don't be tempted to do anything more radical than you have done previously or been shown, in case you interpret it incorrectly.

Ideally have a word with your farrier over the phone and check what he/she reckons you are capable of doing.

If trimming isn't an option for you, then pack the feet with styrofoam like this:  http://www.equipodiatry.com/hoofsupt.htm .  You can buy "spaceboard" from DIY stores, which are foam boards about 2ft by 4 or 5ft, and about 2 inches thick.  Spaceboard is meant for insulating roofspaces or walls.  It's usually a pink/fleshy type colour.  It works just as well as styrofoam at a fraction of the price.

I would be very very wary of changing the diet drastically at the moment.  Whilst some people get away with feeding oat or barley straw to horses/ponies/donkeys, it CAN cause problems.  I started feeding oat straw to my gang of 7 just over a year ago.  They lost weight really well.  However, it became the year from hell.  One pony had a surgical displacement colic.  Another had colitis following upping the straw in his diet.  And then the original colic pony had an impaction colic when she snaffled the colitis pony's straw whilst I was dealing with him.  I would not feed straw again after this.  The price was too high emotionally and physically on the ponies' health.  I do not know quite how different donkeys' guts are to ponies' guts, but I would tread very carefully and make any changes very very very gradually if you feel that's the way to go.

Hope your donk makes good progress.

Sarah


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## flintfootfilly (30 March 2012)

I forgot to ask.  Whereabouts are you based?  Just in case you are near to any trimmers/farriers who have excellent reputations for rehabbing laminitics.


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## Amymay (30 March 2012)

You also need to change your farrier.  I don't know of one that wouldn't come out in an emergency within a day or two.


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## rhino (30 March 2012)

5 year old thread folks!


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## Amymay (30 March 2012)

rhino said:



5 year old thread folks!



Click to expand...

Thank you


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## rhino (30 March 2012)

amymay said:



			Thank you 
	
	
		
		
	


	




Click to expand...

   Hopefully the donk has had its feet seen to by now...


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## amandap (30 March 2012)

rhino said:



5 year old thread folks!



Click to expand...








Doh! Who's guilty of bringing it up? 

Hope the donkey made a good recovery.


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## ILuvCowparsely (31 March 2012)

kymw90 said:



			I feed straw from frb til November when they can get anything extra on out in the field ( my pasture consists of docks, brambles nettles, those spikey plants that hurt like hell when you stand on them and very uneven crappy grass) I find they graze at leisure quite happily and not worry too much about grass intake. In winter when everything is nearly mud I feed hay which also keeps a bit of fat ob them warm for 
winter.. I don't rug.. Basically I suggest feeding wise give them barley straw only and monitor grass intake to two / three times a week out.. And during the cold give them hay as it is richer and can easily add fat to your long ears during summer when there's so much lushness around.. Hope your Jenny gets better and lay off the grass cuttings 

Click to expand...

Kymw90

 Did you knot see this is an old thread?? as you were the one that resurrected it !!


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