Limping along...

On Thanksgiving day I noticed that Sarah appeared to be limping a little. I looked at her, hard, and couldn't quite decide if she was limping or just walking slowly because of the snow. I filed the information in my busy head.  By yesterday it was clear. She WAS limping, favoring her left rear leg. I messaged my wonderful veterinarian, and she suggested I soak the foot in warm water with Epsom salts. That didn't go so well.  She also said she could come out today.

She was wearing multiple layers of warm clothes, as she went from farm to farm in today's storm.  We found Sarah, Abraham, the goats and sheep in the shed.  She walked Sarah outside a little and said, "She's lame, but not too bad." Then she squatted down and began to cut away at the donkey's little hoof.  Sarah was very good about it.  At first she and Abraham were head to head.

When he realized the vet (see the pink hat above) was doing something to his beloved, he spun around, in close quarters.

He watched very, very closely as she worked.

The veterinarian suspects there is an abscess in Sarah's hoof. "They hurt like the dickens," she told me. She tried to find it, but could not. She brought in a heavy plastic bag, and filled it with warm water and Epsom salts. She put Sarah's hoof in there and taped it up.  We hung out for a while, and she fashioned special bandage while we waited.  Sarah stood quietly.

Meanwhile, Bliss checked out the doctors bag with great interest.

Next my wonderful veterinarian removed the bag, smeared some medicated goo on the area she'd been cutting, then placed a moistened poultice on the bottom of the hoof. Then she layered on an entire roll of vet wrap (elasticized bandage material.) After that, she placed the specially made pad fashioned from duct tape over the bottom of the hoof. It extended up and around the outside hoof wall, as well. She wrapped the whole thing in more duct tape and the job was done.

 Sarah tolerated the entire process with grace. SUCH a good little donkey.

I am supposed to re-bandage the hoof Thursday. THAT will be a rodeo. Any volunteers to help? Hopefully Sarah will be dancing a jig in no time, pain free and on the mend. My animals are a constant adventure.