Tuesday, July 30 2024
A couple of days ago, my donkey Pimmy refused to eat. One thing about equines is the minute one doesn’t eat, it’s a worry. I watched closely and saw her eating again the next day, not vigorously but reasonably enough. Now, Pimmy has an appointment, for an exam by her equine veterinarian on my next day off.
Yesterday, Kate Beardsley, the knower of all things related to horses, came and took Pimmy’s vitals. Pimmy’s temperature and gut sounds were good; her heart rate was a bit quick, and Kate blamed that on some anxiety while being examined by a stranger. Kate also thought Pimmy’s front feet, while she walked, looked a little tender. That suggests oncoming laminitis, a worry, because Pimmy has a metabolic disorder called Cushing’s Disease.
We’ll know more later this week, and it likely will mean medicating Pimmy. That medicine is unpleasant. She has to accept a syringe along with bad-tasting liquid. After a single dose, Pimmy will start avoiding me. (A donkey tends to look sleepy but is keenly aware of everything, including what’s coming toward it.)
We’ve started down this road before, and each time I’ve quit that unpleasant medicating. Meanwhile, her disease progresses. This time, I must be on board and do what’s needed to stave off the Cushing’s.
Dear Friends: Experience with a donkey teaches that knowing one is a treasure. Diana
Diana's Morning Blog 
Hey Diana, I have a horse with Cushings and I have to give him Prascend, it’s in the pill form. I don’t know if donkey’s can take that but it’s easier than a liquid, I think. It took a lot of experiments to get him to take it such as cutting a hole out of a slice of apple or carrot or trying the horse pill treats. Now I put it in a handful od senior feed and hand feed it to him. I don’t know if that would work for Pimmy. Hope you are able to figure it out. It made Boscoe grumpy for a while, too.
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Thanks, Jules. I am hoping hope for a pill, or shots, and understand that routine injections may be possible. The problem is, donkeys are different, and I see Pimmy objecting more to medications than my horses do. Starting now, and yet again, I must do whatever is necessary to keep this special equine on her feet.
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Good luck with Pimmy. I lost my donkey, Daisy, to laminitis two years ago after trying everything. I hope that isn’t the case with Pimmy.
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Me, too, Cathy. Laminitis is the pits, and seeing a donkey in pain and limping is awful. Medicating Pimmy has been the pits, and quickly, she becomes uncatchable. Going forward, here’s hoping!
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