Big Checkup

Saturday, November 23, 2024

Yesterday, my donkey Pimmy had a physical exam at Bend Equine. While we await test results, it’s heartening that her veterinarian likes Pimmy’s improved appearance.

She weighs forty pounds less, has a winter-thick coat that is shiny and serviceable, and stands comfortably on now-unpained hooves. Her weight loss, good coat, and unpainful hooves are successful outcomes of combating Cushing’s Disease.

Pimmy will continue receiving medications twice daily and needs to lose about thirty pounds more. If test results indicate we have controlled her insulin levels, we may start tapering one medication. The other medication, to combat ongoing Cushing’s Disease, is required once daily for the rest of her life.

I will continue giving her small feed allocations, and her extra weight will disappear in four to six weeks. If yesterday’s test results show we’re successfully controlling insulin levels, I will explore ways of medicating for Cushing’s without a syringe. It’s a tough call, for a Cushing’s med tastes terrible; equines will smell and resist it. Pimmy clearly finds it a no-like.

Dear Friends: Pimmy’s journey toward healthier living continues. Diana