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Newsletter No.4 - Autumn/Winter 1994 As I write, the sun is making a welcome appearance after two days of torrential rain which we feared marked the end of the summer, all too soon. Although we can boast of almost three weeks of dry weather in July/August, we have not enjoyed the heatwave of some areas and regret that it is now getting too late in the year to expect miracles in that direction. Hot days may not be everyone's choice but the donkeys love it. At the slightest sign of warmth they are to be found basking on the hillside, bellies to the sun! We are constantly surprised to realise how few people understand that donkeys are indigenous to HOT countries, and have only been in lreland for around 150-200 years. They do not have waterproof coats so the lrish climate is hard on them. Their hooves are designed to grow quickly to compensate for being worn down on the rocks and sand of their natural terrain, so demand attention every six to ten weeks on the soft, wet, acid land we have in Ireland. Many is the time we hear the comment 'Ah, to be sure, they're walking on soft ground,' when we address the issue of overlong and malformed feet and have to repeat many times that when your feet hurt, they hurt whether you are walking on pillows or rocks. The acidity of the soil here allied to the degree of wetness encourages footrot at a terrifying rate and that, in turn, leads to abcesses, cracks, splits and a host of other difficulties which may or may not include laminitis. Strict control of the protein intake of the food coupled with regular paring by a qualified farrier are the essential ingredients of hoofcare but readers may be interested to explore their local chemists and health stores for some of the best known homoeopathic remedies. Animals in general respond well to homeopathic treatments which have the benefits of having no side effects and are safe to use alongside allopathic medicines as prescribed by your vet as well as independently if required. Some common remedies which are useful to have in stock are; ARNlCA for bruises, sprains, general painkilling and pre/post operative situations; RHUS TOX, given in the evenings for best results, for arthritis and rheumatic complaints; SILICA for abcesses and CALC FLUOR for laminitis. These remedies are most usually available in 6 and 30 potenties with dosages explained clearly on the packaging. On the subject of medicines it is time to remind donkey owners that September/ October are good months for the strong worming routine for which we use EQVALAN paste. Again dosages should be followed carefully, bearing in mind that most donkeys weigh around 150-225kgs. One disadvantage of the warm weather is the problem with pestering flies which can be a real torment to the donkeys, even when they do have a field shed into which they can escape. With the help of our vet, who researched the subject for us, we found that whilst many of the pour-on fly repellants are not suitable for donkeys. RIDECT, BUTOX, and IVERMECTIN can be used to great effect. Ridect was our most readily available at a dosage of 0.2 mg to 1kg weight. There is very little information about the proper care of donkeys documented, so serious owners may be interested to have a copy of THE PROFESSlONAL HANDBOOK OF THE DONKEY, which is compiled for The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, England. tel: 010 353 395 516391. It is not expensive and gives a wealth of help. |
Enquiries to: Sue Paling, Sathya Sai Sanctuary Trust for Nature, Cloghogue Lower, Castlebaldwin, Co Sligo, Ireland. Frontpage | All the donkeys | Spring 1994 | Autumn 1994 | Spring 1995 | Autumn 1995 | Autumn 1996 | Spring 1997 | Autumn 1997 | Spring 1998 | Autumn 1998 | Spring 1999 | Autumn 1999 | Spring 2000 | Autumn 2000 | Spring 2001 | Autumn 2001 | Spring 2002 | Autumn 2002 | Adopt a Donkey | Donkey Links | E mail
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