Rocket Man has been in our lives for the last seventeen years. He is precious and deserves only the best in life, like all donkeys, mules, and horses. Each spring, our veterinarian comes to the farm to give the five-way shots and fecal samples, and to work on the donkeys’ and horses’ teeth that need dental care; in the fall, the vet returns to finish dental care for the equines and check our fecal count. Overworming creates parasites resistant to wormers, and they are impossible to kill. Do not overworm your equine.
Donkeys in their mid-teens to early twenties need blood work for cushings. Once the donkey has cushings or becomes obese, its immune system cannot handle cold weather. A blanket, shelter, and warm, clean water are needed.
The photographs are of Melody Johnson with Rocket Man, a miniature donkey, age 30, who had his five teeth extracted by our vet a few days ago. Our vet lightly sedated Rocket Man and gave him several shots of Novocaine in the gums for each tooth extraction. He was given one dose of Banamine for pain and antibiotics, as he has Cushing’s. Cushing’s directly attacks the immune system. Rocket Man wears a blanket three seasons a year now. Due to the cushions, he can not regulate his body temperature. He eats standlee timothy hay pellets, made into a mash with hot water, with no grass or hay.
Why is it essential to have a veterinarian look at our donkeys’ teeth yearly? Donkeys evolved from the desert; their teeth were created to eat sticks, brush, and roots. Donkeys can develop high points in their mouths that cause pain if not ground down. Donkeys can develop gingivitis between the teeth, develop rounded teeth with age that do not chew properly, and have a tooth hanging on and needing to be extracted. Donkeys are stoic, meaning they hide pain. If we do not do primary preventative care with our donkeys, we risk colic and death. Treating colic in a donkey is difficult, as the donkey has been sick for some time and has let us know they are suffering.
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