# I need help with my brand new rescue donkey! Calling all horse/donkey gurus!!!



## Nigerian dwarf goat

I just got a rescue donkey. I saw her add at TSC and she was free. I decided to go pick her up. I got there and goodness, she is a mess. Her hooves are terrible, but, sadly, I do not know how to clip donkey hooves. I will go pick up horse hoof nippers (is that what you call them?) She is a very sweet girl. Right now, I am getting her used to the spray bottle. She has really bad flies. Every time i spray it, she gets a little handful of alfalfa if she doesn't freak out. She is already somewhat halter trained, and is trained to lift her hoof if i make a clicking sound and i lift her hoof a little. Today, I tried to pick out the mud in her hoof, but goodness, it is packed in there. So I am spraying it with water to soften it up then try to pick it out. I did snip a little hoof off with my goat clippers, but I don't want to use those on her. I can tell her overgrown hooves do hurt her when she tries to walk, and it also doesn't help she is 12 ears old. She also has these big fatty things on the sides. I think it is fat, but i will get a picture tomorrow. Right now i am feeding her a cup of whole oats and a cup of barley (this is what i feed my goats) She is also getting water from my pond, and i have a bucket of fresher water out there for her. She gets hay and alfalfa. She is in with my cows right now, because my smaller pen is being used by one of my bulls that needs to loose weight. 
So i am going to tag everybody that has horses that i know of now

@Damfino @elvis&oliver @Jessica84


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## ksalvagno

Can you get a farrier out to trim the hooves? That was nice that you took her in.


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## Chelsey

If you’re planning on doing her hooves yourself, you’re probably gonna want a rasp. Horse hooves are a LOT harder (like hard vs soft, not difficult) than goat hooves (I don’t actually know about donkeys from personal experience) Its the same basic idea though. Get the hard outer wall as far down as you can without injuring her soft inner pad. Don’t go all the way to pink, thats too far with horses. Go to just before pink. You can lame her if you go too far. Dark hooves are harder to judge than white hooves so it’s better to play it safe. Work them down about every two weeks to give her sole time to adjust. Also, if her hooves are ridiculously rocked back (pastern extremely low and close to the ground) then you should work on her toes before her heels. And make sure her hooves are even on both sides so she doesn’t end up pigeon toed or with hooves splaying out. That’ll hurt worse. Right now work on squaring her up before concentrating on length. If she’s walking around on un squared hooves, you could permanently injure her tendons. I’m coming from my own personal experience, I’m not a farrier at all, but I’ve done several horses hooves for many years. It’s one of my favorite horse chores, right up until you can’t stand cause your back hurts so much!


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

ksalvagno said:


> Can you get a farrier out to trim the hooves? That was nice that you took her in.


I would truly love to get someone out here. None of the farriers out here do donkeys. I have called and called. My place has a little set up for horses so i will do her hooves there, because it has been poured with concrete. People around here think donkeys dont need much care. They think the same thing about goats. They think they are a joke. I am in cattleman country. A bunch of old people set in their ways, and will not change.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

Chelsey said:


> If you're planning on doing her hooves yourself, you're probably gonna want a rasp.


I have a horse rasp that i use for my goats. It is this one
https://www.anvilbrand.com/products...PnfGRb8M-WCTYezVqnMJcsWHHxvHp_-hoC-sEQAvD_BwE



Chelsey said:


> Don't go all the way to pink, thats too far with horses. Go to just before pink.


Ok, sounds just like goats! Thats a good thing!



Chelsey said:


> Dark hooves are harder to judge than white hooves so it's better to play it safe.


Darn it! She has dark hooves. I will be careful. Do I have to pick them out?

She looks like this









That is not her. I will get a pic of her in the morning when I go back out with her again. Does anybody know what that color is called?

Her name is Stella


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

I am also going to treat for hoof rot. I will use koppertox

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail...DO9GkrmN4sU36X0ID-3AlHESZAkbxOrxoC3uEQAvD_BwE


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707

Why hello there, congrats on the donkey! What wonderful care Stella will soon be in store for!

My big baby (24 yr old pony, not a baby nor big) used to be terrified of spray bottles. What you are doing is good to get her used to the spraying, but if you need a quick solution you can drench a brush in fly spray, or make wipes using bounty paper towels soaked in it and wipe it on. If she has lesions or areas where the flies really get to, put some swat on those areas.

Horse hooves are not like goats, they require good strong tools, more careful cuts, and yes a lot of rasping. Now horse hooves are also not just like donkey hooves, there are a few differences, I recommend this video: 



 (and do watch out for the frog, not as forgiving at goat sole's.)

I used to have the job of picking out the feet of a horse who lived outside 24/7. That stuff was packed in there. Wetting it helps, and using the correct hoof picks too. Start right beside either side of the frog and push in and then pull downwards. Sometimes you can get it all off in one if you get the angles right.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

I am guessing the frog is the quick? I actually have watched that video this mornin when i got her! It is a great video!
I am just going to file a little at a time, to set back the quick, because i am sure it has expanded.


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> I am guessing the frog is the quick? I actually have watched that video this mornin when i got her! It is a great video!
> I am just going to file a little at a time, to set back the quick, because i am sure it has expanded.


Sort of, yes. It is also just a sensitive part in general, not just one than can draw blood. You never want to pick out the frog too deeply, as it's softer and sensitive. It is the V shape you see.


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## Chelsey

That rasp looks like it’ll work well. Watch out for your fingers cause they file quickly and deeply!


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## elvis&oliver

Congrats on your new rescue and she's lucky she is with you! That's sad about your neighbors way of thinking  @Chelsey is giving you good advice you can do harm by filing incorrectly and make her lame and a rasp can be pretty sharp! I will get back to you tomorrow with more advice on her hooves I have a close friend who is has years of farrier experience especially in problem horses. I sent him a message to see what he says. I trust his expertise. Send me a pick of her hooves if you can I want to see the fat you said she has? She might have an abscess if her hooves are packed. There could be a stone working its way through or some other issue you can't see. Hoof rot or thrush can make her pretty sore. If she's packed then no air has gotten to her hooves to dry them out. Donkeys have harder hooves then horses and need trimmed differently to keep them all level. I use a mixture of equal part peroxide and white vinegar in a spray bottle for thrush. It's cheaper then thrush medicine and dries out the hoof nicely. But she could have more then thrush and need stronger treatment. If you can send me a picture after it's cleaned out my farrier can help. If she does have some rot in there you actually don't want to be too careful and not dig it out. You want to get out as much as possible. When my horse has thrush which he has had because of our rain I dig right into the crevices of his frog and get it out then spray it good. The middle of the frog which is the central groove is harder to dig out and can be more sensitive but you will want to get any thrush out of it. Use the brush part of your hoof pick if you need too it will probably smell too. Thrush is very stinky! When you trim her make sure the frog is touching the ground, it helps circulate blood flow and is like a cushion when they walk. It's too bad you can't get a farrier it would be easier for you, trimming a healthy horse or donkey is a task let alone one with packed hooves and soreness.
She probably needs some minerals I use Big Sky for our horses and I'm very happy with it. I'd check for parasites before you worm if she has a heavy load you'll want to know what she's got before your worm her, only because if she hasn't been wormed in awhile and you worm with a heavy load it can make her very sick. If you can't get a fecal I'll ask my farrier what wormer he suggests as a safe one. He is also an equine dentist chiropractor and trainer and has seen a lot of bad health issues in horses.

How does her skin look under her coat? Flies are evil!! You can get a water bottle so you're not wasting fly spray to desensitize her. A mister works good too because they don't hiss as much and a mister actually covers more area. Spraying a rag works good too it gets her used to the smell of the spray and the sound.
Equi-spot is fly control that you apply once every 14 days. It comes in a tube you put a drop on the forehead and back of leg I think? You can look it up but it helps if you can't spray. I don't know how well it works.

Be careful with her hooves if she is sensitive you don't want to get kicked or have her lift her leg quickly and catch you in the jaw.

Sounds like she is in need of some tender lovin care and she's going to get it! Good luck Stella!
Please keep me posted


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## Dwarf Dad

I am glad you rescued Stella. It looks like you are going to have an up hill battle, for a little while.
My wife and I were going to buy a miniature donkey before she quit her job, and I started reading up on them. Most of what I read was about feeding and the correct feeds for them. The feed you gave Stella, according to different websites, is way too rich for her. The grains and alfalfa actually have more nutrients than a donkey can use, and will cause the slabs of fat on their neck and sides that you described. 
I think that I got a lot of info here: https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/


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## elvis&oliver

When I say the frog is touching the ground I mean you do want the hoof level enough that the frog is able to be on the ground. You don’t want the hooves so long her frog isn’t doing it’s job and being her cushion.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

elvis&oliver said:


> She might have an abscess if her hooves are packed.


I will check for abcesses in the morning



elvis&oliver said:


> She probably needs some minerals I use Big Sky for our horses and I'm very happy with it. I'd check for parasites before you worm if she has a heavy load you'll want to know what she's got before your worm her,


would this work? I do have cattle minerals out there because she is with the cows, but i am almost positive that she cant eat them
https://www.farmandfleet.com/produc...ieVCvV1vDsBwc_VXm5LhpqX8tB6No0QhoCxu4QAvD_BwE



elvis&oliver said:


> If you can't get a fecal


The guy i got her from, actually did a fecal on her before she came over to my house on my request. She is negative for worms and cocci, and i saw the paper that says so.



Dwarf Dad said:


> and will cause the slabs of fat on their neck and sides that you described.


Ahh! Thank you for that link dwarf dad! I will look into it! she wasn't being fed anything, she was only grazing a lush pasture.


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## Trollmor

What a nice thread, and I learnt a lot, too! Welcome to TGS, Stella, and try to post nice photos of yourself, and let us all know how things advance for you!


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## BethJ

I'm just watching and learning. Would love to see pictures! I'm entertaining the idea of adopting a donkey and need to learn more about their care.


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## elvis&oliver

My equine advisor said Big Sky minerals will be very good for her absolutely NO cattle feed. It can kill her. Feed her soybean meal and alfalfa hay.

if she has something that looks like fat pockets on the bottoms of her hooves or back heel it’s probably old frog that has not shedded yet. It actually needs to be clipped off. You need to dig all the rot or thrush out, hand trip the hooves even with the frog and cut the flares off the outside. The frog is only sensitive if she has thrush badly otherwise get in there and clean it out best you can. Like I said the brush will do if she’s touchy with the pick. Too many people think the frog is sensitive and don’t clean it properly it is the source of blood flow to the leg, every time the frog comes in contact with the ground it helps the blood flow circulate. If you trim them level with the top of the frog underneath it helps you to level them out. If you bring the foot forward out in front and trim straight down from the hair line to remove flares and her long toes. There are tons of barefoot trimming videos on the internet. Type that in and you’ll see visuals of what to do. I’m sorry its hard to explain with out seeing what I’m talking about but I hope all this helps you. Sending you lots of luck!


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## Dwarf Dad

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> Ahh! Thank you for that link dwarf dad! I will look into it! she wasn't being fed anything, she was only grazing a lush pasture.


Yep, the lush pasture did it. What I read, where ever that may have been, said donkeys come from desert regions of the world and eat constantly from genetic disposition. The way to keep them in good shape is to feed them low quality hay or straw.
That is about all of my donkey knowledge, lol. Again, that was great of you to adopt, rescue Stella!
EDIT: I posted at same time as @elvis&oliver , not going against her. Don't know who is right.


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## elvis&oliver

@Dwarf Dad don't worry I never even like to give advice because I don't always believe I'm right! I didn't take offense at all I did some reading last night and I do know that some of mules and donkeys have myths from
Old school thinking and they do need more then people believe. Kind of the philosophy that goats will eat anything and goats can survive on tin cans. But again I don't always like giving advice because what works for one doesn't always for another 
The advice for feed and hooves today is from my trusted experienced equine trainer/farrier/equine dentist and equine chiropractor who has years of practice problematic health horse issues. He has trimmed horses for some Olympic jumpers as well. I've known him for years and traveled with him. He knows more then me for sure. So the credit isn't mine.

This is a good sight

http://horsesinthesouth.com/blog/de...rition-the-high-fat-diet-by-geoff-tucker-dvm/


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

elvis&oliver said:


> My equine advisor said Big Sky minerals will be very good for her absolutely NO cattle feed. It can kill her. Feed her soybean meal and alfalfa hay.


Ok! I dont feed my cows, they just graze, all i have out there is minerals, and she hasnt touched them yet. I dont think she will. I can get soybean meal at my local feed store i believe! I will ask. If not i will ask some more about diet!



elvis&oliver said:


> if she has something that looks like fat pockets on the bottoms of her hooves or back heel it's probably old frog that has not shedded yet.


I havent seen any of that. She just has slabs of fat on the sides of her neck and on her sides. I will check for it though!

I read that link @Dwarf Dad ! Sadly I have no way to limit her grazing . 
Thank you @elvis&oliver ! I will read up on that link you sent me! Off to take pictures of her feet! And of her! I will be back soon!


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## Dwarf Dad

elvis&oliver said:


> @Dwarf Dad don't worry I never even like to give advice because I don't always believe I'm right! I didn't take offense at all I did some reading last night and I do know that some of mules and donkeys have myths from
> Old school thinking and they do need more then people believe. Kind of the philosophy that goats will eat anything and goats can survive on tin cans. But again I don't always like giving advice because what works for one doesn't always for another
> The advice for feed and hooves today is from my trusted experienced equine trainer/farrier/equine dentist and equine chiropractor who has years of practice problematic health horse issues. He has trimmed horses for some Olympic jumpers as well. I've known him for years and traveled with him. He knows more then me for sure. So the credit isn't mine.
> 
> This is a good sight
> 
> http://horsesinthesouth.com/blog/de...rition-the-high-fat-diet-by-geoff-tucker-dvm/


Yep, he puts it right.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

Here is Stella!! The hooves will be in the next post. I did manage to pick a little out of her left hoof, after softening it a little. She got annoyed, blowing her nose, making grunting sounds, and actually trying to bite me, so I pet her for a while and left. I will pick back up on the hooves this evening.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat




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## Trollmor

Hi, Stella! Nice to see you! What a swelling! What can that be?


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707

Beautiful girl! She’ll be healthy in no time!


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## Chelsey

Oh my, that face is adorable! And those hooves don’t look absolutely horrible, you’ll be able to get them perfect in a few months if you keep up on them!


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## Dwarf Dad

She is pretty! Not as much fat as I thought would be there, and hooves are not as bad as I have seen in pictures.


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## goathiker

She's walking on the back of her feet. Her hooves should be much more up right and longer heeled. Someone is trying to cut her like a horse. 
Donkey frogs don't normally touch the ground. 
I rode donkeys for 20 years. They aren't anything like horses. 
@happybleats


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## elvis&oliver

goathiker said:


> She's walking on the back of her feet. Her hooves should be much more up right and longer heeled. Someone is trying to cut her like a horse.
> Donkey frogs don't normally touch the ground.
> I rode donkeys for 20 years. They aren't anything like horses.
> @happybleats


I didn't think they were like horses at all but the frog of a hoof is still a cushion and still circulates blood flow when it comes in contact with the ground. I must've mis understood that the frog on a donkey doesn't have blood flow or act as the cushion or circulate blood flow to the leg.
Which is why I don't like giving advice even from an expert in that particular field who has traveled extensively al over the US. Including out west to learn from other experts. He did not self educate. But again I'm sure it's mis information. I myself have no donkey experience and was repeating an experts advice.
Mules donkeys and horses all have different needs which require different diets and care song with different hoof care. I trust certain people that I know have made it their purpose to educate in certain fields and learn from other experts. And I do know you're not supposed to trim them like a horse. I've never trimmed a horse or been educated on it but this person has for year on all 4 legged animals with hooves. 
But I'm sure I'm wrong.

Good luck Stella


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## elvis&oliver

Donkeys actually have a thicker frog then a horse. My horse is barefoot and isn't trimmed anything like the pictures of this donkey. Here is a good article about donkeys and mules frogs coming in contact with the ground and how if it doesn't they can develop problems. But again I can also be wrong I am not saying I'm absolutely right. I'm definitely not saying the frog is longer then the hoof or the heel. If done properly the frog does come in contact with the ground and absorbs impact which cushions and provides blood flow.
https://www.muleranch.com/skinny-mule-donkey-hoof-care-contracted-heels/


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## Chelsey

Those are too rocked back even for a horse. You’re gonna have tendon problems if you ride a horse with hooves like that!


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## goathiker

Wow snarkiness, 
Donkeys have feet made to live on sand, shale, and rock. In a dry environment. As soon as they are put on wet pasture, kept in dirty stalls, have no hoof care, etc. the frog shrivels up. It takes years to correct it and involves some good corrective trimmings and/or shoes to repair. 
Getting the donkey up on her toes should be the first goal. 

I'm' not actually seeing a donkey in that picture anyway. I'm seeing a burro, does her mane stick up stiffly or does it lay over? Does she have white markings on her neck by chance? 

12 years in donkey/ burro years is nothing. Their life expectancy is 40 to 50 years.


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## elvis&oliver

goathiker said:


> Wow snarkiness,
> Donkeys have feet made to live on sand, shale, and rock. In a dry environment. As soon as they are put on wet pasture, kept in dirty stalls, have no hoof care, etc. the frog shrivels up. It takes years to correct it and involves some good corrective trimmings and/or shoes to repair.
> Getting the donkey up on her toes should be the first goal.
> 
> I'm' not actually seeing a donkey in that picture anyway. I'm seeing a burro, does her mane stick up stiffly or does it lay over? Does she have white markings on her neck by chance?
> 
> 12 years in donkey/ burro years is nothing. Their life expectancy is 40 to 50 years.


My word seriously? no snarkiness at all It was posted that the frog doesn't touch the ground and you rode for 20 years. You are the expert not me for sure. I never give advice on this forum.

Good luck to Stella and her new caregiver.


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## goathiker

Hard to tell with no cues. Sounded like you think, ehh don't matter. I apologize. 

I'm waiting on the white markings thing. That's going to open up a world for this girl.


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## happybleats

We have rescued many donkeys both mini and standard. We have had up to 17 at one time. I love them!! Smarter then horses! (shhh don't tell my girls that) Many of the donkeys come from places of neglect and abuse. We hired a farrier for our Donks because they were in such bad shape and we really were not sure what we were doing at first. We used a barefoot farrier who knows donkey and mules. This is important because, like what Jill said they are not like Horses. We now keep them trim and call the farrier once a year to check and trim as needed. We do pretty good this way but a good farrier can help assess condition, set a correction plan if needed and show you how to keep them up until next visit.
As for her fat rolls, those will never go away. When the crest breaks it will fall to one side and stay that way for ever. Limiting lush greens is best but not always possible. I would not feed any grain or feed...def avoid anything with urea in it (found in many cow feed) Our donkeys are on pasture only and still too fat. We do give them hay in the winter. They do better on brush and briar than lush. Keep a good mineral available. Keep in mind, Donkeys do not need the diet of a horse. But each may have a need, such as a thin donkey will need grain, a mom in milk may need alfalfa...but a healthy donk in good flesh or even in too much flesh can do very well on pasture with brush and briar. treats now again wont hurt : ) We have adopted out most our donkeys and are down to 3 standard and 2 minis which are here for ever. I will say our oldest lady past away at 42 years old! So expect her to be around a long time : ) enjoy. Oh and here is a place we read and learned a lot from when we started bringing Donks in. My daughter has two gelds she does liberty training with..its pretty cool.
http://calkinsart.net/donkeyinfo/vldonkclinic.html


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## happybleats

Oh and when we got our old lady Donkey, I thought she was so skinny and her "fat pouched" were muscle showing due to being so thin (embarrassed) A horse and donkey friend came to assess and told me those saddle bags were fat and Rosalee was indeed too fat LOL we stopped her treats then and there. At the time she was 37 years old and as mentioned she passed away at 42. This gal came to us when her owner lost his lease and didn't want her sent off to sale barn or worse. He had raised her from a foal. She was a cankerous old nag but we loved her so much. She brought many chuckles and joy. Your Girl is beautiful and sounds spirited. Need to win her over, biting is never a good habit to begin. It takes time and patients but you will win her. One of our harder cases was our Kristie. She wouldn't let you near her at all, food was not motivation. She had been mistreated and did not trust any one. After several months she not only loved grooming but would lay her head in my arms while I hummed her to and pet her face. (donkeys love soft humming) And I can pick up her feet now which was a huge trust thing with her. :coolmoves: Best wishes..read that link..its pretty good


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## Trollmor

happybleats said:


> ... avoid anything with urea in it (found *in many cow feed*)


:what:


happybleats said:


> My daughter has two gelds she does liberty training with..its pretty cool.


Have you shared that in a thread? If not, please do!!


happybleats said:


> ... her owner lost his lease and didn't want her sent off to sale barn or worse.


Please tell him we love that!


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## NigerianDwarfOwner707

goathiker said:


> Wow snarkiness,
> Donkeys have feet made to live on sand, shale, and rock. In a dry environment. As soon as they are put on wet pasture, kept in dirty stalls, have no hoof care, etc. the frog shrivels up. It takes years to correct it and involves some good corrective trimmings and/or shoes to repair.
> Getting the donkey up on her toes should be the first goal.
> 
> I'm' not actually seeing a donkey in that picture anyway. I'm seeing a burro, does her mane stick up stiffly or does it lay over? Does she have white markings on her neck by chance?
> 
> 12 years in donkey/ burro years is nothing. Their life expectancy is 40 to 50 years.


I know this has already been resolved, but I'd like to say that @elvis&oliver is the LAST person I would ever assume snarkiness from. Tone is hard to tell over the internet, but if you take the time to read it thoroughly you can clearly see she is saying she isn't sure and that she is probably wrong. Humbly offering information and not stating if it is correct or not. I didn't get a lick of snarkiness, nor should you have.


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## elvis&oliver

NigerianDwarfOwner707 said:


> I know this has already been resolved, but I'd like to say that @elvis&oliver is the LAST person I would ever assume snarkiness from. Tone is hard to tell over the internet, but if you take the time to read it thoroughly you can clearly see she is saying she isn't sure and that she is probably wrong. Humbly offering information and not stating if it is correct or not. I didn't get a lick of snarkiness, nor should you have.


Haha I know it's all good!
I hate giving advice or even repeating a fact about something I always lead with..
"I could be wrong in fact I probably am and I'm sure I'm getting this all wrong but.." because I second guess myself or am usually sure there's better info out there then I'm giving(doh)


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## happybleats

Trollmor...Urea is a "synthetic compound with a high level of nitrogen." This can cause toxicity in donkeys (and goats for that matter) Feed grade Urea is added to many cow feeds to increase protein levels. 

We have not made a post on my daughter doing liberty training. She is shy and would kill me LOL.


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## Trollmor

happybleats said:


> Trollmor...Urea is a "synthetic compound with a high level of nitrogen." This can cause toxicity in donkeys (and goats for that matter) Feed grade Urea is added to many cow feeds to increase protein levels.


So why is it good for cows? I read it is a part in urine, that must be waste products the body gets rid of?


happybleats said:


> We have not made a post on my daughter doing liberty training. She is shy and would kill me LOL.


A great pity!


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## NigerianNewbie

Commercial grade urea is a synthetic ammonia and carbon dioxide. It is also a compound found in fertilizer among other things.


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## Trollmor

I usually do not eat neither dung nor commercial fertilizer (NH4NO3). Why is urea good for cows?


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## happybleats

personally I don't think its good for cows either. We do not buy feed for our cows with it in it. There is concern of toxicity in cows when over used. I have known cattleman feeding chicken poop to their cows!! NO THANK YOU
here is a good read on it
https://dpif.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/233058/796.pdf


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## Trollmor

Reminds me of the Cadaver Debate we had here sometime in the 1970-ies or 1980-ies. A journalist discovered that cows and pigs were fed dead animals. It ended up with stricter laws.


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## Trollmor

goathiker said:


> I'm' not actually seeing a donkey in that picture anyway. I'm seeing a burro.


What is a burro?


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## happybleats

Burro is the Spanish name for Donkey. Not sure if there is another use of the term.


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## Trollmor

happybleats said:


> Burro is the Spanish name for Donkey. Not sure if there is another use of the term.


Thanks. But now I am still more bewildered: Donkey in Swedish is _åsna_, and burro is also _åsna_. At the same time goathiker says "... not a donkey, ... a burro".

Searching on Google I have found a hint that a burro MIGHT be a mini-donkey, but I am not at all sure of how to understand it.

Still Stella seems to be a very nice acquaintance!


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## Goats Rock

I have nothing to offer regarding feed or feet. But, it is great that you decided to take her on and to help her! Good luck!


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## happybleats

Trollmor said:


> At the same time goathiker says "... not a donkey, ... a burro".


As I understand it..Burro is also a term for feral donkeys. As you mention I found it a term for small feral donkey as well. Maybe Jill will pop in and share what she means.


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## goathiker

In this case I mean specifically a BLM burro. A wild desert ass descended from Spanish burros.


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## Trollmor

I look forward to a nice "class" on this topic!


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

goathiker said:


> I'm' not actually seeing a donkey in that picture anyway. I'm seeing a burro, does her mane stick up stiffly or does it lay over?


It lays over to her left side



goathiker said:


> Does she have white markings on her neck by chance?


Yes, she does


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## goathiker

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> It lays over to her left side
> 
> Yes, she does


YES, now I'm kinda excited. Pictures of white markings will seal the deal...


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

Not the best pics, I will get better ones in the morning.




















I am making some progress with her feet, have been filing and picking, filing and picking. I have had trouble with picking her hooves, I can only pick out what is around her frog. I can't get anything else picked out anywhere else. Why?? I have been filing down hoof though.

Also, @goathiker you said her heels need to be longer, how do I fix this so they will grow right?


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## Trollmor

Hi, Stella, you are not exactly photogenic! Do work on it, friend!


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## farmkat55

I haven't read through all the replies so please forgive me if I repeat anything! Is there any way to get an equine vet to look at the feet? Especially if there is a question of the actual health of the feet. We have a donkey and have had a mule too and their feet are very different than a horse's feet. The angles are different and the feet are very hard. I have seen the problem of having farriers say they will not do donkeys or mules! It's mostly due to either fear on the farrier's part as donkeys and mules are not like horses in the way they think or react and the other reason is that people frequently do not teach their donks to have their feet handled and trimmed...which is sometimes the reason for the farrier's founded fears! They also require much less in the way of hay types and amounts. They are very thrifty and utilize hay much more efficiently than horses. If she has fat pads along her neck then she is overweight. They thrive on grass hay, no need for alfalfa and no need for extra grain. We love our donkey, Radar, but he is like having 3 toddlers all at once in his mischief! They also get very attached to owners and other animals. They have an inherent dislike of canines and sometimes other smaller animals are at risk too. Radar cannot be left with our dogs or goats as he will chase them and try to stomp them. So, it will be very helpful for you to research how they think and how to train them as it is NOT like a horse. They are extremely intelligent and have no problem asserting that in many ways! Good luck with her and it's nice that you rescued her!


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## Chelsey

To help her heel grow out more, you can focus mostly on wearing down her toe, unless you have another problem like she isn’t square. She has a pretty bad chip off of that one, you may actually need to let it grow back out. It’s hard to tell without seeing her in person. You’ll also want all of her hooves the same ‘squareness’ or she’ll have trouble walking. It would be like wearing a high heel on one foot and a flip flop on the other. She needs to ideally be wearing high heels (I believe, I don’t have any actual experience doing donkey hooves), to get her tendons into place. I think goathiker is referring to BLM freeze markings on her neck. They would be letters and signs to identify what region she was from and when she was captured.


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## Trollmor

Trollmor said:


> Hi, Stella, you are not exactly photogenic! Do work on it, friend!


How come this entry is now before this one:


Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> Not the best pics, I will get better ones in the morning.
> View attachment 160099
> View attachment 160101
> View attachment 160103


Which was the one I anwered to!

PS 


Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> View attachment 159901
> View attachment 159903
> View attachment 159905
> 
> Here is Stella!! The hooves will be in the next post. I did manage to pick a little out of her left hoof, after softening it a little. She got annoyed, blowing her nose, making grunting sounds, and actually trying to bite me, so I pet her for a while and left. I will pick back up on the hooves this evening.


I take my words back, you ARE photogenic, Stella!


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

Trollmor said:


> How come this entry is now before this one:Which was the one I anwered to!
> 
> PS
> I take my words back, you ARE photogenic, Stella!


:shrug: I dont know, it is weird !


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## Trollmor

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> :shrug: I dont know, it is weird !


It happened in another thread too. Has the goat spot got a bug?


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## rgdlljames

Forgive me if I am repeating what someone has already mentioned but check her for white line disease of the hoof. Donkeys are very likely to get this. Our donks suffered from this and it is painful. We treated our donks with copper sulfate dissolved in vinegar and that worked great! Plus it's cheap. We would use a small long nail to clean out the white line pocket and then spray it into the pocket daily.
Here is a link about it white line. Good luck! https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/what-we-do/knowledge-and-advice/for-owners/white-line-disease


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## Nigerian dwarf goat

Trollmor said:


> It happened in another thread too. Has the goat spot got a bug?


I hope not!


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## Trollmor

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> I hope not!


The order in which the entries show is still bewildering in this thread. For me. Typed this Thursday 25 July, 09.05 in the morning, Swedish time.


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