Does my donkey need a special diet? ๐ด๐ฅ๐ฑ
Donkeys are very prone to becoming overweight so their nutrition and grazing is really important to get right so to prevent problems such as obesity and laminitis.
Donkeys cannot be fed like horses or ponies and require less calories for their size compared to small ponies. Donkeys also prefer to trickle feed meaning they like to browse and pick at highly fibrous forage at their own will.
An average sized adult, healthy donkey of around 180kg needs 2-3kg of fibre a day in the form of mostly straw but also some hay/haylage or restricted grazing
Top tips for donkey nutrition:
๐ฝ Donkeys need free access to good quality STRAW (barley and wheat are best) with only small quantities of hay, haylage or grazing. This is very different feeding compared to horses and ponies
๐ฝ Feed a vitamin and mineral supplement or low calorie forage balancer to support the feeding of straw as the main component of the diet
๐ฝ Constant access to fresh clean water
๐ฝ Feed according to your donkeys weight and seek advice if your donkey needs to lose or gain weight
๐ฝ Avoid cereal grain-based feeds, donkeys can easily be managed on a fibre based diet and do not require cereals for feeding
๐ฝ Avoid sugary treats and licks, use natural treats for training or handling
๐ฝ Never fully restrict your donkeys food intake due to the risk of Hyperlipaemia, use low calorie alternatives and increase exercise to promote weight loss
๐ฝ Make any feed changes slowly and gradually to decrease the risk of colic
๐ฝ Donkeys love browsing so provide safe branches and logs to allow your donkey to exhibit normal behaviours
Did you know that often donkeys will have an order they go out to the field?
๐ฑ
Donkeys all have personalities the same as us, some will be more excitable whilst others are more laid back. This is often reflected in their relationships within herd structures. It is not uncommon to see the same donkey leading the herd out to grass with the same stragglers refusing to come in from pasture!
Knowing what their 'normal' behaviour is can be really useful to spot any problems or concerns!
Donkeys and the noises they make!
Donkeys are renowned for being noisy and they often are very very noisy!
Donkeys do not make the same noises that horses and ponies do; they have a very loud and characteristic noise โ the bray! They will make this noise for many reasons, sometimes for attention and excitement but also used as a warning to others of danger. Donkeys are fiercely loyal to not just other donkeys but will also guard other animals against danger and use their bray as a warning signal of danger.
Donkeys will also make other noises occasionally such as low rumbles or growls which are usually heard in territorial disputes between individuals over objects or even if other donkeys approach their best friend!
Be aware that if you do take on donkey ownership, yours and your neighbours peace may well be shattered!
This is our last post in our safety fortnight but one of the most important ๐ฃ๐
As discussed last week, as equine vets we often put ourselves in vulnerable positions where we can get injured. Being safe is so very important. This is equally important for our clients also and we encourage you to wear your safety helmets as much as possible.
We as vets are often very bad at keeping ourselves safe and we all make mistakes by putting ourselves in dangerous situations when we should take that step back and think. But learning from mistakes or near misses is important.
So lets all try to be safer and that means we can all enjoy our equine friends for a bit longer ๐๐ฆบโ
#equinevets #safety #safetyfirst
Does clicker training actually work in real life though? ๐ด
Short answer - YES!
This pony in the video is owned by one of our clients and he had developed a massive phobia of vets and needles to the point he was becoing difficult to give injections to. His lovely owner started using clicker training and now he stands perfectly still for injections ๐ This video was taken in the summer at his vaccine visit and perfectly demonstrates how owners can do clicker training with their horses, ponies and donkeys.
Does clicker training just have to be used for animals that have behavioural issues?
No, not at all. Any animal can be trained using clicker training methods. It is a great way to keep their brains active in the winter when the weather is not nice outside or when they are on box rest! For horses that may be anxious about things too it can be a way of distracting their attention or helping develop further the bond between owner and horse.
#equinevets #behaviour #clickertraining #positivereinforcement
๐ฆ ๐ This month is Antibiotic Amnesty 2022 ๐๐ฆ
The aim of this cause is to highlight the real issue of antibiotic resistance and how we can all help in this ๐ด
Antibiotic resistance is something that we have been aware of for a number of years but this doesn't mean we should ignore the problem. If the level of resistance continues then we are at real risk of not having antibiotics that work in treating common bacterial infections - this will mean that common infections we can manage and treat now may easily become life threatening. And that is not just our animals but humans too.
But what can we do to help?
Partly this comes down to us as medical practitioners by being responsible with our antibiotic use, only prescribing antibiotics when needed and choosing the appropriate antibiotic for the condition that we are wanting to treat.
But you as clients and horse/animal owners can also help and this is where the 2022 Antibiotic Amnesty comes in.
By encouraging responsible disposal of antibiotics that either haven't been used or have been damaged or may be out of date then we can help prevent bacteria becoming resistant to these antibioticis.
We provide this service free of charge to our clients so if you have any medications which are unused, damaged or out of date please let us know and we will safely dispose them for you.
#antibiotics #responsiblemedicine #equinevets #antibioticamnesty2022
๐ด Colic Awareness Week ๐ด
โAre you ready to REACTโ
If your horse had a twisted gut and needed surgery to save their life โ would you opt for surgery or
euthanasia?
Dealing with a potentially life-threatening emergency is something no horse owner wants to be faced with. But, by planning ahead and having a care and emergency plan in place, you can make an informed decision now, rather than a panicked emotional decision later.
This pre-planning is useful for any emergency, not just colic. Understanding your finances and what you can afford or understanding what your insurance covers can really help with decision making.
With any emergency, time is so important and this is even more important with surgical colics. Acting quickly when you notice your horse or donkey is 'not right' can really be the difference between life and death.
Review your care and emergency plan annually so you know your details and wishes are all up to date.
This #ColicAwarenessWeek request your FREE CAW Pack and create a plan for how you would deal
with an emergency before the situation arises.
To learn more and request your FREE CAW pack visit: bhs.org.uk/colic
#HereToHelp #CAW22 #ColicAwarenessWeek
๐ด Colic Awareness Week ๐ด
What are the ways we can prevent colic?
Feeding your horse a diet that is largely made up of forage (for example, hay, haylage or grass), is
key to reducing the risk of colic. But why is this?
Professor Sarah Freeman from the University of Nottingham explains all and takes us on a
tour of the horse's digestive system using a life size model!
To learn more and watch the video in full visit: https://www.bhs.org.uk/support-us/our-campaigns/react-now-to-beat-colic/
#HereToHelp #CAW22 #ColicAwarenessWeek #WelfareWednesday #equinevets
๐ด Colic Awareness Week ๐ด
Has your horse ever had colicโ
What were the first signs you recognisedโ
Spotting colic early is key to receiving prompt treatment from your vet and therefore increasing the chances of recovery.
Craig Osborne from Rainbow Equine Hospital (one of The British Horse Society Vet REACT Colic
Champions) explains in the video below, if you notice any change in your horseโs behaviour or your horse is showing signs of distress, think REACT and contact us!
To learn more visit: https://www.bhs.org.uk/support-us/our-campaigns/react-now-to-beat-colic/
#HereToHelp #CAW22 #ColicAwarenessWeek #equinevets
Now that weโre heading into Autumn, itโs time to start thinking about testing your horse for tapeworm as part of their targeted worming programme.
A tapeworm saliva test kit and an appropriate autumn wormer are included with the Horse Health Programme benefits.
Give us a call or email us to request your test kit. Once we have the results back from the lab, weโll recommend which wormer your horse needs.
Saliva test kits and wormers are also available to purchase from us if your horse is not on the Horse Health Programme.
Perfect summer evening for racing at Newton Abbot Racecourse ๐คฉ๐
It is a lot of effort going out into the field on a Monday morning! ๐๐ฑโ๏ธ
These mischief makers are one of the The Donkey Sanctuary herds that we cover the veterinary care for. They often keep our vets on their toes with the cheeky personalities and desire to 'help' on visits!
Every month they have a routine visit where we do preventative care such as dental examinations, vaccinations and general health checks. Donkeys require all the same preventative care that horses do but they are very different in ways and can be challenging at times.
Donkeys require dental examinations at a minimum of every 12 months, it is not uncommon for donkeys to have dental issues so it is really important to keep on top of dental visits especially as they get older.
Donkeys are very stoic animals and therefore can be very skilled at hiding problems. They also have very complex behaviours which can be very variable, so what is normal for one donkey may be very abnormal for another!
#donkeyawareness #equinevets #donkeywelfare
๐ด Foot and Farrier Fortnight ๐ด
How can we use x-ray to help find the cause of foot lameness? ๐ด๐ฃ
This horse was presented with a mild lameness on the turn that was not really resolving after a few weeks, we had a suspicion there was something going on in the foot and decided to use x-ray to help us make a plan going forward.
Having x-rayed the foot, it confirmed the suspicion something was going on inside the foot โ a foot abscess with multiple pockets of pus and gas within the foot. After some paring of the horn, a pocket was released - as seen in the video where the gas bubbling out can be seen!
Alfie Sedated
Do you remember our sedation post from yesterday?
Here's a sneaky video Charlotte got from Alfie of him snoring after his dental whilst he was still snoozy from his sedation! ๐คซ๐คญ it's a hard life being owned by a vet....
X-ray demo
We often have clients asking us to do x-rays and concerned that they do not have electricity at the yard. Fear not!
Our x-ray kit is all portable with no wires and battery operated. Have a look at the attached video which was taken a few years ago for a demonstration of how our x-ray kit works - as modelled by our wonderful head vet Tony!
Yard Manager Information for Strangles
Are you a Yard Owner or Manager?
Have a look at the attached podcast regarding what to consider as a yard owner or manager in a strangles outbreak!
#SAW2021 #Strangles #Equine
Strangles Awareness Week - Podcast for Owners
Are you a horse owner?
Have a listen to the attached podcast made for owners about different topics to consider in a Strangles outbreak!
#SAW2021 #BeStranglesAware #TeamPhoenix
Reproductive Ultrasound - a 'Heartbeat Scan'
