How To Prevent Heat Colic in Donkeys Mules Horses

July 8, 2022July 8, 2022 / Donkey Whisperer Farm ® / Leave a comment

How To Prevent Heat Stress Colic?

• Provide shade with fans located up high in the shelter.

• Lose salt and clean cool water (change out the water several times a day) to prevent heat stress colic.

• Use the Hay Pillow to slow down hay consumption.

• Never work any equine in extreme heat. Avoid surgeries or sedation during extreme heat.

Clip a donkey, horse or mule if medically needed.

Signs of heat stress in a donkey, horse or mule:

• Lethargic

Hot skin to the touch

• Rapid breathing with flared nostrils

• Laying down wont get up

• “Glassy” eyes

• Staggering or weak gait

• High core body temperature. The rectal temperature is the last to increase so internal temperatures of the muscles will be even higher.

For more mild cases:

Call the vet

• Bathe the donkey, horse or mule in cool water and repeat as necessary. Allow to air dry. Do not scrape keep in shade under the fan.

*Check the body temperature using a rectal thermometer.

•For more severe cases:

Call the vet.

• Hose the donkey, mule or horse using cold water for at least 5 minutes. If using a bucket, apply cold water every minute (a person on each side) for at least 5 minutes. After this time the rectal temperature should be near normal but check to make sure. Allow to air dry do not scrape. Put back into a shaded space.

Veterinarian may need to sedate add intravenous fluids to save a life.

For both situations:

• Once your equine is acting more comfortable can walk again, move to a shaded area.

Check the body temperature using a rectal thermometer.

• Give cool clean water. Equine that refuse to drink may require intravenous fluid therapy. Discuss with your veterinarian.

• Bathing may need to be repeated as core temperatures can sometimes increase again as heat stored in muscle is released.

• Monitor your donkey, mule or horse carefully do not leave their side until the vet says you can to ensure they are eating and drinking normally, look for normal urine and manure in both appearance and amount during the next 24 hours. Please talk to your vet for guidance as heat colic can be a life threatening issue for all equine.

Melody Johnson,

Donkey Whisperer Farm ®

Donkeys Evolved From The Desert – COLIC IS LIFE THREATING

September 8, 2019November 9, 2019 / Donkey Whisperer Farm ® / 1 Comment

DONKEYS EVOLVED FROM THE DESERT – LEARN HOW TO FEED YOUR DONKEY AND KEEP YOUR DONKEY HEALTHY

Donkeys are stoic meaning “Donkeys will not show pain until it is too late.” You must call the vet asap when a donkey is sick. Death comes quickly as the donkey has not shown how sick her or she is. Pick up the poop every day and compost. This way you know how much your donkey is pooping. It is vital to the health and life of your donkey to be alert to your donkeys personality, behavior and life patterns of eating and pooping.

Make sure your neighbors are not feeding your donkey. DONKEYS DIE FROM BEING FED THE WRONG FOODS OR TOO MUCH FOOD OR WOOD, BARK ETC.,

Move the fence and pasture away from people throwing food. Grass clippings, apples, bread etc., can kill your donkey quick.

What are the signs of Colic in a donkey?

Donkeys eyes looked glazed over, head may be low and your donkey looks sick. Or head is moving constantly.

Donkey is refusing to eat and is not acting like his normal behavior off all alone. Not interacting with the rest of the herd or you!

Donkey is pawing, rolling and not stopping this behavior. Some donkeys will roll and paw when bored but this stops quickly. If you see this happening over and over it is time to call the vet. Donkeys die from colic quickly.

Donkey can be shaking

Sweating. A donkey that is sweating is sick and needs a vet asap

Has not pooped. Donkeys should be pooping and urinating often

Donkey refuses to drink or eat. Donkeys love to eat. We must not let a donkey over eat.

Donkey is breathing really fast, check the heart rate

Gums are bright red

What is colic?

Colic is a symptom rather than a disease, and defined as abdominal pain. Colic can be the direct cause of the following issues:

Change of diet – Can not poop. Or blockages meaning food is not being digested, gas

Donkeys can be cramping and spasming.

Parasites

Pancreatitis

The gut has twisted

Ulcers in the stomach

God bless you and your family two and four-legged!

www.donkeywhisperer.com

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TWO AND FOUR-LEGGED!

WWW.DONKEYWHISPERER.COM

Thinking About Colic for Donkeys, Horses and Mules

November 12, 2016March 16, 2019 / Donkey Whisperer Farm ® / Leave a comment

Do you know the signs of colic for your donkey?

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Thinking About Colic for Donkeys, Horses and Mules

March 20, 2016November 12, 2016 / Donkey Whisperer Farm ® / 11 Comments

Select Signs Donkey Colic

Select Slow feeder

Clean water is a must! Donkeys love clean water and warm water in the winter. Please understand water is the key to keeping the digestive tract moving. The more water your donkey drinks the better.

PLEASE CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY! Colic is a symptom rather than a disease, and defined as abdominal pain. Donkeys are stoic will not show pain until it is too late. This means your donkey can die and sadly many donkey do die from the owner not calling the vet. Colic is very painful!

Donkeys are stoic meaning they will never show pain until it is too late! Have your vet out for a physical at least once a year and make sure your vet understands donkeys. Donkeys are not horses with long ears. Everything about a donkey is unique to treat in the vet world. Donkeys digest drugs differently and even need a special coctail to stop sweating, sneezing.

Please make sure your vet makes emergency calls and if he/she does not find a trauma hospital near you that specializes in donkeys to haul in your donkey. Remember your donkey will need his/her buddy to come with him/her to the hospital as donkeys are very sensitive. Their recovery will be much faster if you follow these guidelines.

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody Johnson, Donkey Whisperer Farm, LLC

http://wwwyouversion.com/mobile

http://www.donkeywhisperer.com

https://www.facebook.com/Donkeywhisperer

Help My Donkey Has Not Pooped In Two Days

May 8, 2013January 24, 2022 / Donkey Whisperer Farm ® / 5 Comments

This is serious business NO POOP can mean colic and colic can mean death. Call the vet immediately!!!

Donkeys should poop a bunch each and every day our three equine (one horse, one mammoth donkey and one mini donkey poop a full wheel barrow full of poop in 24 hours.

Diet for the Donkey Whisperer Farm Donkeys

Orchard 7% Low Sugar/Protiene Hay

Loose salt

Exercise as much as possible

Fresh Water each day when dirty and at least every other day – Donkeys will not drink dirty water and can colic

You may also enjoy Thinking About Poop for more information on fecal samples and not over worming your horse, donkey or mule.

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody

http://www.donkeywhisperer.com

https://www.facebook.com/Donkeywhisperer

Plastic Slow Feeder, Diet, Test our Hay, Exercise To Help In The Prevention Of Colic and More

April 1, 2013March 31, 2017 / Donkey Whisperer Farm ® / 8 Comments

Welcome,

Here on the Donkey Whisperer Farm we have one Mammoth donkey, two standard donkeys, three mini donkeys and two horses. Donkeys are wood eaters and well horses who live in a dry paddock can become wood eaters from boredom eating our wood stalls, barns it’s called cribbing.

Here on the Donkey Whisperer Farm I have paddock paradises installed for my equine. This helps with green grass and boredom. Some equine require a dry paddock 23 hours a day to keep the equine healthy. Discuss this with your vet.

I found the Valley Vet Plastic Slow feeder Slow Feeder I purchased one and then a week later the second one. Now I use the Hay Pillow inside of the plastic slow feeder as the grates are too wide and they chip my new horses teeth.

Why Do I Love This Slow Feeder?

Horses, Donkeys and mules were built by GOD in Jesus Christ name to graze all day a little never starving for hours at a time and then gorging their tummy is just not big enough to hold all that hay at once. The slow feeder prevents colic, keeps our equine calm and has stopped cribbing 100%. I give them the same amount of hay I was breaking into three and four small meals now I only have to feed twice a day and they are very relaxed. The plastic box from Valley vet is heavy and strong our Mammoth donkey can pick it up and move it about 3 feet but not destroy it. The wooden hay box will be eaten.