There is always something happening on the smallholding, and this time it is Jasper’s turn to worry me. A few weeks ago, I noticed Jasper was having a bit of difficulty with his left back leg. He could still walk, but he was slower than usual and kept stopping to lift his leg. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is whether something is stuck in his hoof or whether he has a foot infection. After checking his hooves and finding nothing, I decided to contact my farrier. The ponies and donkeys had an appointment booked for the following week anyway, but I brought it forward to see if routine trimming made any difference. Jasper’s back hooves grow quickly, and despite the farrier coming every six weeks, he is always the one most in need of trimming.

Jasper was surprisingly good for the farrier and stood for most of the time without a fuss; however, it was obvious that he didn’t like having his back feet lifted. A few days after the farrier had been, I still wasn’t entirely convinced that Jasper was back to his usual self. I watched him carefully. Occasionally he walked normally, but at other times he walked slowly and steadily, and his gait seemed stiff. He also appeared to be lying down more often than usual.

Donkeys are renowned for being stoic and for masking pain very well, so it was a major concern for me. I decided to call the vet. I discussed my worries, and the vet came out that day. Although nothing was entirely ruled out, the vet shared my farrier's view that we were not looking at laminitis. This was mainly because Jasper’s pain seemed to be in his hind leg, and while laminitis can affect all four legs, it usually affects the front legs more. Additionally, since Jasper appeared worse in the morning when he first got up and seemed to ‘loosen up' over the course of the day, this also appeared to rule out laminitis, which is a constantly painful condition that does not lessen during the day.

We discussed Jasper’s daily routine. The vet was pleased with his overall condition and noted that he was not overweight. The possibility of a muscle or ligament strain sustained while playing was considered. Because he was stressed and in obvious pain, the vet couldn’t perform a full examination. She advised giving him Phenylbutazone (Bute), an anti-inflammatory and painkiller, limiting his exercise, and, if he showed no improvement within a week, contacting her again. She also left me with a sedative to give before her next visit if he did not improve, to help reduce his stress.

Over the next few days, there seemed to be no improvement, and I was ready to call the vet out again; however, I decided to give him one more day. On the third day, I noticed a slight improvement. He appeared to be walking with a bit more fluidity, and I was absolutely delighted. However, that night, I watched him on the camera in the stable and saw him struggle to get up. The very next morning, I contacted the vet again.

I administered the sedation the vet had given me an hour before she arrived, and this time Jasper was relaxed enough to be examined. Once again, there were no obvious signs of laminitis, no throbbing pulse, and no pain when she tested his hooves, although this might have been slightly masked by the sedation. However, she noted that the hoof wall on one of his front feet felt warm, which can be a sign of laminitis. She checked his back, neck, and spine for swelling and found nothing. Finally, she took some blood to test for high insulin levels and for Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS).

I was advised to limit his diet to 2 kg of soaked hay daily, provide unlimited straw, and offer a very small amount of low-sugar chaff to mask his medication, which now consisted of paracetamol and Phenylbutazone (Bute). He was also prescribed complete box rest with deep bedding.

As I have three donkeys who are exceptionally well bonded, all three must be kept stabled together. This isn’t ideal now that the weather is beginning to improve, and I knew it would be challenging to keep the two active donkeys adequately entertained whilst Jasper is allowed to rest. Needs must, and everyone must pull together.

I anxiously waited for the blood test results to see what the next steps would be, and I didn’t have to wait long. The very next day, the results were in, but unfortunately, we were no nearer a diagnosis, as the test results showed no abnormalities. Whilst this was a huge relief, it also left many unanswered questions.

The vet advised me to keep Jasper in his stable with deep bedding and medication for another week. However, it was increasingly difficult to administer the medication, as Jasper was now wise to the tablets hidden in his food. He was also becoming restless, as were his stable companions, George and Flynn.

After five days, I decided to let the donkeys into the sand arena for a short time to see whether a little exercise would help. Jasper was slow and cautious, but he managed to enter the sand, where he began to move a little more easily. Over the next three days, I gave him limited exercise, and as each day passed, I could see slight improvements in his gait. On the seventh day, when I was supposed to call the vet to discuss taking Jasper to the veterinary hospital if there was no improvement, he seemed much perkier. He was the first out of the stable for breakfast, and for the first time in more than a month, I watched him jog around the sand. I was absolutely ecstatic to see my little donkey improving.

I will be keeping a close eye on him over the coming weeks. If I feel he is struggling again, he will be box rested. For now, we are both enjoying his new lease of life, thankful there is no lasting damage.



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