Saturday, October 07, 2023
Around midnight, after giving the dogs a few minutes of outside time, I could not return to sleep. I laid awake and tried everything; I counted sheep, made lists, and planned ahead. Nothing worked. Finally, I just got up and went to read the morning papers. Now, as this day dawns, I am sleepy.
My easy-to-feed donkey, Pimmy, has never refused any treats until now. She recently was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease and now must take two medications. She hates both, and I hate them, too. Trying to give something to a donkey that the animal doesn’t want is miserable. She has always adored offered apples, but after accepting a slice with a pill buried in it, now refuses to touch another apple.
One of her meds is a powder, and I must learn how to administer it. My starting technique has been to dissolve the powder and a bit of warm water in a syringe, to which I add some yogurt and drops of pancake syrup and shake the mixture. As with the pill, she’s caught on and turns away. When I hold her head and just squirt the mixture into her mouth, much of the liquid (and powder!) winds up on the ground.
In a month or so, after a bloodwork recheck, medicating the twice-daily powder will cease. But, for the rest of Pimmy’s life, the evil-tasting daily pill must continue. Oy very.
I will add that Pimmy is about twenty years old. Healthy donks can last into their forties.
Dear Friends: Now, I’m off to mix her morning brew; wishing I could hop into bed. Diana
Diana's Morning Blog 