Morning Bray Farm

The herd is doing extremely well in their new forever home.

They seem genuinely content here, and I think their unobstructed view of the surrounding countryside has a lot to do with it. (We were surrounded by woods in Lexington.) The Boyz and Grace get plenty of exercise walking their hills, and everyone is at a great weight.

One morning a couple of weeks ago though, I went out to find Bernard in terrible pain. His chest was raw, swollen and hot. I immediately called our vet, who came to see him that very day.

Her exam revealed the following:

Skin disease; lameness: severe pyoderma in axillas, moist dermatitis, cellulitis: T: 99.4; fly bite allergy front legs distally and RH distally; donkey lame at walk from irritation in axillas and swelling in manubrium.

Poor Bernard!

While she was here, the vet administered Bernard dexamethasone IV and applied EquiShield ointment to the affected areas on his body. He was such a good boy and I think he felt better almost immediately. You know he loved the attention.

Bernard’s plan:

Give sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim 8 tabs twice daily for 5-7 days. Monitor for diarrhea. Give dexamethasone 2.5 cc orally tomorrow then 2 cc orally once daily for 2 days. Apply EquiShield ointment to affected skin 1-2 times a day. Can shampoo 2-3 times a week to clean affected skin of scabs. Use fan to reduce fly exposure. Start Zyrtec 4-5 tabs twice daily for 2-3 weeks.

We’re happy to report that Bernard is doing fabulously now. He’s a huge fan of Zyrtec these days, especially because it comes hidden in apple slices each morning and evening.

We’ve installed a fan up at the barn, and more than any of the other donkeys, we’re guaranteed to find Bernard standing under it when he wants to seek refuge from the flies. That’s my smart, smart boy.

♥ ♥ ♥