# Rescued Donkey--Pic heavy...



## DoxieMom (Feb 2, 2007)

For better or worse, I picked this poor girl up at the sale barn Saturday. I needed a buddy for Faith, my other standard jenny. I named her Hope as I hope I can give her some...I wormed her when we brought her home. She's also starting to grow some hair back on the bare spots. 




























The farrier was out today and here is what he accomplished, although it's going to be a long process.

Left hoof:









Right hoof:









Tell me how crazy I am, but be nice... :ashamed:


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

OMG are there not laws against that kind of cruelty?
Even a cow doesn't deserve that kind of neglect!
No animal does.


I dont think your nuts, just very kind with a very big heart!
Hope She blossoms and blooms for you. She has the best chance because it sounds like your providing it!
Wow, glad you saved her.


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## DoxieMom (Feb 2, 2007)

She's very sweet too. She leads and comes right up to me for attention. I hope I can help her. I just felt so sorry for her...


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Thank goodness you took her in, she looks like such a sweetie. I would love to have a few words with the #### who let her get like that.

Her feet look much, much better, but her heels are still very run forward, they need to be brought back, or her whole hoof will continue to rock under putting painful strain on her tendons.

Kind of like this, though my marking up skills are not up to much 










I'd also put money on there being some white line disease in that horizontal crack on her front left, I like to open them up with my knife or a dremmel and then have the owner keep the cavity medicated with Thrushbuster

I'd love to see some pics when she is all filled out with a lovely coat


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## DoxieMom (Feb 2, 2007)

The farrier said he'd like to make her some special shoes and try some rehabilitation. At this point, he said it's 50/50 that he can help her. He also said he would have bet money that her hooves had been much longer and curled up, and that someone had probably taken a hack-saw to them. 

We were there when she was dropped off. The lady who brought her led her off the trailer and she had horses in there as well. They were saddled up. She just dropped her off and left. To be fair, it might not have even been her donkey, though. She might have brought her for someone. I have no idea?? 

I am anxious to see how she is doing in a few months. She's only 12 according to her coggins.


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## Stonybrook (Sep 22, 2007)

Too bad she didn't bury one of those long hooves in someone's behind. It would have been well deserved. An idiot could have figured out something was wrong with her feet. Of course, that probably means she never saw a vet either.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Awww, I am SOOOO glad she found you. She looks so sweet, and to still crave human attention after all that? Speaks for her wonderful personality. Crazy? You're MY kind of crazy .


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I don't know how somebody could let any animal come to be in that condition.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

I am just glad you were able to bring her home and help her! Its a wonderful thing to do.


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## HorseGirl31 (Apr 7, 2010)

You go DoxieMom! That is so sweet of you! Poor thing....a HACKSAW for hooves?!!!! I wanna see pics when she has a nice coat again!


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

wr said:


> I don't know how somebody could let any animal come to be in that condition.


No kidding! Even someone who isn't trained as a farrier could gently rasp off a little hoof growth every few months. I really hate people who mistreat animals :flame:


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## DoxieMom (Feb 2, 2007)

The lady who brought her literally pulled up, led her off the trailer, and left. She had three other horses in the trailer who were saddled up. The farrier said she had probably been left out in a pasture with cows. She has some rain rot he thought. Not sure what to do for that. I go out every day a couple of times and brush her. She and Faith are SHEDDING a lot. She stands quite still for grooming and seems to enjoy it.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Bless you! Way to go!!


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## SunsetSonata (Nov 23, 2006)

Don't know you at all but I like you already for committing yourself to this poor creature. We are all going to enjoy the AFTER pictures when she blossoms into a healthy, happy girl!


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

And bless your heart! She's gonna be a sweetheart for you. No wonder she stands still for grooming. I bet that feels sooooooo good to her. Dang, why do folks do that to these animals.

I don't post often in this forum, but I just had to thank you for helping this one. I love these little donkeys.


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## Tiempo (May 22, 2008)

Doxie, I'm confident that she does not need shoes. A horse in the same condition would, but a donk, no.

Sadly I work on many, many of these cases, most of the farriers around here won't touch them and I seem to have become the go-to girl for crippled donkeys, most of my cases are vet referrals.

If her heels are put back in the correct position and kept there consistantly.. and the walls dressed back hard from toe quarter to toe quarter, she will come out just fine.

From the pics, believe it or not she actually looks to have an excellent prognosis imo.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Oh, wow. Just wow. (I say "wow" to keep from cussing!) That donkey NEEDED you. Bless you for your kind heart. I feel so sure that Hope will thrive in your care.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

This thread is making me want to run to the local auction barns to make sure there are no donks in such retched condition...though I'm sure there are. If I came across one, I wouldn't be able to keep from bringing the poor creature home either. Bless you for taking her in.


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## DoxieMom (Feb 2, 2007)

Well, thank you all for the kind words and I will accept the blessings gladly.  I am a softy for those brown eyes and long, sad faces. I love all animals actually. It's probably a good thing I don't go the auction every week. I would have a yard full of "rejects!" LOL After all the fees at the auction, the lady probably only got about $5-10 from the sale. 

Tiempo, I wish you were closer to me!! This farrier is very nice. He has worked on special cases like this before, I'm told. He specializes in rehab cases apparently.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

DoxieMom said:


> The lady who brought her literally pulled up, led her off the trailer, and left. She had three other horses in the trailer who were saddled up. The farrier said she had probably been left out in a pasture with cows. She has some rain rot he thought. Not sure what to do for that. I go out every day a couple of times and brush her. She and Faith are SHEDDING a lot. She stands quite still for grooming and seems to enjoy it.


Wonderful of you to save this donkey! I would suggest you get some of this...
http://www.valleyvet.biz/ct_detail.html?pgguid=2fd984b6-f5ac-4323-a639-1d059477370f
It will help with the rain rot and help new hair grow faster...the stuff is awesome!


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## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

MTG - mane and tail grower is an AMAZING product for helping coat issues like this, be it rain rot or otherwise. I really recommend picking some up.
Her condition was beyond words  
Thank God you found her.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

Good for you for rescuing her! 

I agree with Tiempo, she doesn't need shoes, and her prognosis is very good if she gets regular trims. It's hard to tell from the pics, but it does look like she needs her heels trimmed, which in my opinion is more important than rasping the toe, at this point. If the heels aren't trimmed back to where they should be, she is going to have a very hard time walking because the heels are still curled. She needs a flat surface.

I've worked on many, many donks and minis like this and they seem to recover far better than horses.

I've also used a hacksaw to cut off a curled up hoof (because it becomes hard as a rock), but then trim it normally once the majority of excess hoof is off.


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## DoxieMom (Feb 2, 2007)

Minelson said:


> Wonderful of you to save this donkey! I would suggest you get some of this...
> http://www.valleyvet.biz/ct_detail.html?pgguid=2fd984b6-f5ac-4323-a639-1d059477370f
> It will help with the rain rot and help new hair grow faster...the stuff is awesome!


Thank for letting me know about this. I looked at my farm store and Atwood's for it. No luck. I'll just have to order it.


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## DoxieMom (Feb 2, 2007)

After being disappointed with the first guy, we hired a new farrier:


Back hooves









Front hooves


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

Wow! She looks so much better!


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

That is not a donkey halter is it? If not, the halter will wear the lower jaw raw.


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## DoxieMom (Feb 2, 2007)

agmantoo said:


> That is not a donkey halter is it? If not, the halter will wear the lower jaw raw.


Uh...No, it's not a donkey halter. It also is _not_ kept on her 24/7. I purchased it today for the farrier visit, and it was removed after he finished. After everything I have done for this girl, please give me more credit than that...


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Wow does she stand nice now!!! 
I was wondering if she would ever stand well again.
And my, does she look better!
She even looks happy!! Her eyes look good. They looked sunken in in the first pic.

Will all of her hair grow back do you know?

What a difference people who are can make.


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## DoxieMom (Feb 2, 2007)

RiverPines said:


> Wow does she stand nice now!!!
> I was wondering if she would ever stand well again.
> And my, does she look better!
> She even looks happy!! Her eyes look good. They looked sunken in in the first pic.
> ...


Her hair has grown back in. I will get some good pictures of her tomorrow. She is really quite spoiled now. She meets me at the gate every morning for some treats and a little feed.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

DoxieMom said:


> Her hair has grown back in. I will get some good pictures of her tomorrow. She is really quite spoiled now. She meets me at the gate every morning for some treats and a little feed.


On the new pics it looks like she still has bald areas on her neck and spots on her legs. I dont have the best eyes so it may be just color differences. 
But I can see how much better she looks, like night and day in comparison!!!
She doesnt look sad and sickly anymore!!!!!
The first pics she just makes you want to cry.

I am so glad for her and so impressed at how much you's have helped her. Amazing!!!!


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## Momto5 (Mar 10, 2010)

We have 4 mini donk boys...bless your heart for taking this girl in and SAVING her!!!!Our boys are the sweetest and have such personalities!!!!Looking forward to seeing her progress!


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Lord have mercy! So THAT'S what can happen when hooves aren't trimmed?

Forgive my ignorance here, but the last time I was around anything with hooves was when I was very young, so I've never seen this condition before...and I'm stunned! It must have been agony for the poor thing to even stand, much less walk!

I've also never been to any sort of sale barn/auction...isn't there anyone there who would report an owner for such abuse?


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## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

Wonderful update!


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Oh, wow. Yes, I see how the hair is growing in as a SUMMER coat; darker, and shorter. I knew a donk that did it like that. She's adorable, and I'm sure utterly devoted to you; they are SMART, and she KNOWS you are responsible for everything good that has been coming her way!


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## missysid (Feb 21, 2006)

Wow the difference is amazing. You are doing a fantastic job with her. She looks so much better in the updated photos. Keep up the great work and please continue to post photos as she gets better.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Thanks for the update. She's looking SO much better. I just know she LOVES YOU.


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## SDjulieinSC (Aug 8, 2005)

keep up the good work!


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

WOW! She looks SOOOO much better!!


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Although it's far too late to avert it if it was contagious, when you get a new critter in with some kind of a skin "thing" going on, it's best to make sure to use grooming tools that you can bleach or otherwise sanitize. Skin conditions that cause the hair to fall out are often contagious to one degree or another. You wouldn't want to use the same brush on your new donk as on your old donk, just as a precaution.

Congratulations on your new friend!


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## PrincessFerf (Apr 25, 2008)

Bless you for taking her in. No doubt she appreciates all you have done. Good work and may you have many happy years with her!


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