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.
♥ ♥ ♥
Morning Bray Farm 
July 15, 2015 at 6:40 am
So glad to hear sweet Bernard is doing better. You are such good parents to all your fur kids!
Your new home area is beautiful! 🙂
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July 15, 2015 at 6:51 am
Poor Barnyard! I see some bony haunches on that first picture. It’s in stark contrast to the very curvy 7MSN. Your herd should send pictures and say: “See? WE don’t need grazing muzzles!”. (I’m writing to Carson immediately. Non-hilly grazing grounds is donkey abuse.) Your view is really awesome btw.
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July 15, 2015 at 9:27 am
That poor boy. I’m glad his problems are being resolved. He looks perky on his walk. Your views are stunning!
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July 15, 2015 at 10:35 am
Our kitchen counters are looking eerily similar these days. Who knew fly allergies could be so serious? Sounds like you’ve got a great vet.
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July 15, 2015 at 10:42 am
Nice to see everyone in their new home. Just an FYI…I have found that that type of rash (that ends up as a staph infection) can be one of the primary symptoms of Lyme disease in donkeys. It may just be the flies, but you might want to keep that in mind and be aware that very few vets even know that donkeys can and do get Lyme. An expert I spoke with at Cornell even suggested that donkeys may be at higher risk than other animals. The idexx test is relatively cheap and very easy.
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July 15, 2015 at 12:01 pm
You are blessed with a good vet. I’ve got about 4 or 5 with skin problems every year, not all the same type, which makes it particularly “fun” to deal with.
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July 15, 2015 at 12:25 pm
Oddly, I’m glad to hear it is allergies. When I first read his symptoms, I thought Pigeon Fever. We had a terribly outbreak of it in Texas last year and it lingered for months.
Your crew looks positively svelte! My Ted looks like he’s about to drop a foal at the end of every day. He blows up with “Hay belly” every day. He has always been round, but luckily he digests most of that belly overnight and looks fine in the mornings.
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July 20, 2015 at 2:45 pm
Oh, poor Bernard. Just like your Auntie Cathy – I’m terribly allergic to fly bites. If I get a fly bite and don’t have benadryl, the resulting swelling is cantaloupe sized. Feel better very soon and hugs to you and your band of fellow fourfoots.
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