Overweight donkey?

[Abbey]

I "inherited" a miniature donkey who has front hoof problems that our farrier is slowly correcting, and she is over weight and lumpy. She is 18 years old. The vet thought it might be a thyroid issue and gave her some medication but after 4 months of feeding her them medication AND reducing her grain intake by quite a lot she is still overweight and lumpy looking. Any suggestions? I didn't realize donkeys require so little in calories and protein, so she was definately over fed before. Now she gets literally a handful of grain (just so I can put the thyroxine) on it, and the rest is pasture (now with the addition of hay). The farrier suggested a grazing muzzle? He thinks she might be getting too much grass?

Any suggestions are helpful, thank you!

 

[Alice Acres]

Yes, donkeys are very thrifty little animals. They evolved to survive on just skimpy grass ...so most pastures are just like a never ending buffet for them. A potentially deadly buffet.

We have a pony with the same issues (and post founder too - we adopted him from a rescue, came to us that way). He lives on drylot, or penned in our barn, with plain grass hay only, strictly rationed. When we do let him graze, it's supervised and only an hour or so.

 

[secuono]

Yes, tie on a grazing muzzle now. Even with nearly no grass, it's still enough to fatten "air fern" equines.
If you don't have a dry lot already, make one. A small paddock, mow it down real low and put her in there full time. No more pasture freedom, I would even stop feeding the grain and just give her hay with her meds if possible.
You also need to exercise her, long line her, ride her, make her pull or just walk around with her a lot and often.

 

[Abbey]

Thank you for replying. I was afraid of this, I will get to work! Find her a muzzle, cut out her grain (I may just stop giving her the thyroxine, as it doesn't seem to be doing anything and the diet appears to be more key) and start walking the donkey? I've been saying this whole time she needs to be trained on the plow for our vegetable garden....

 

[ArthurStewart]

Yeah you are absolutely right.I wonder how could you managed this?

 

[secuono]

Yup, walk em if you can't do anything else with them. I walk my pony like a dog. A giant, well behaved dog.

 

[Bunnylady]

Donkeys are really, really weird when it comes to weight issues. They develop those "pones" of fat on their backsides and crests, and it seems that nothing you do will shift them. I know a guy on another forum who got an overweight donkey, and tried to get the extra weight off. He had slimmed the animal down to the point that its ribs were showing, and yet, there were those fat deposits. He was really perplexed - was it possible for an animal to be skinny and fat at the same time? In the case of a donkey, the answer is, yes. You can get this girl's weight back down where it should be, but she most likely will always be a bit lumpy looking.

 

[Abbey]

Well, I have been using a grazing muzzle during the day with her, I think she is only getting hay now, the grass is near gone. I have been walking her in the morning and she actually seems to be less bulbous looking. Could be wishful thinking but I swear it! She still has those weird fatty deposits, interesting to hear they may not go away. Love handles. She was pretty bumbed about the walking at first but learned quickly with little effort and I am happy to say that this morning she was TROTTING! Happily! With her ears forward! I have never seen her run (I am embarrassed to say this but she isn't my donkey, she is in my charge). She was listening to my commands and picking up her feet when told. She was excersizing me this time. I should probably see about long lining her, although I kind of enjoy jogging with her.
She hates the muzzle and politely walks up to me whenever I am near her and stands in front of me asking for it to be taken off. But thankfully she seems to forgive me for it. I don't think she will work on a plow, I don't think miniature donkeys are strong enough to pull the size plow we would need. Anyone here use their donkeys for plowing?

I want to use her for packing tho! I love hiking and she is so good natured she seems perfect for it. Anyone have experience with mini donkeys on the trail? She is 18 years old, is that too old to teach new tricks to?

 

[Oakroot]

I have known a few other donkeys that had the same and never lost the lumps.