It Never Rains But it Pours

Actually, we haven't had much rain yet.  It has been windy, dreary, rainy, but nothing severe so far.  Basically, just typical miserable NY weather.  The wind is picking up dramatically though and the worst is expected through the night.  I didn't go into work tonight which is just as well as the county has issued a state of emergency and non essential parts of the lab are closed.  I am where I should be.

I feel for the folks on the coast right now, things look bad down there.

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There was one thing I forgot to mention yesterday about hoof abscesses.  When I said that the best way to treat them is to not treat them...well, there is one major exception to that rule.   It is the rare instance when the infection becomes systemic and moves into the whole body, which is exactly what happened to Ramsey this morning.  I was expecting to get up this morning and see him almost completely better.  Instead, he was even more lame and sporting a 105 degree fever.  

I have to pause here for a brief PSA:  if any of you own a donkey or plan to, make sure you have a good thermometer and take your donkey's temp on a regular basis.  Donkeys DO NOT SHOW SIGNS OF FEVER THE WAY OTHER ANIMALS DO.  Aside from being very lame, Ramsey did not show any signs of illness this morning.  He was bright-eyed, perky and looking for hugs and breakfast.  I took his temp mainly because I am rather obsessive about my animal's healthcare and I was rather shocked at the results.  By the time a donkey actually looks and acts sick, it may be too late to save him.   

Donkey's core temperatures fluctuate more than most animals and regular checks will help you know what is normal.  It is also helpful, if you live in a cold climate, in determining whether your donkey needs a blanket or not.  For example, Emma's normal temperature usually varies (depending on the weather) between 99.5 and 101.8.  last year when it dropped to 96.8, I knew she was too cold.  Once Ramsey was born, her temperature stabilized a lot and generally stays between 100 and 101 now and she handles drastic changes in temperature better now.

Anyway, Ramsey is now on antibiotics as well as a slightly higher dose of Banamine.  The vet called in a script for him to the local pharmacy and I picked it up this afternoon.  I just knew there would be trouble as soon as I saw that darned hole in the bottom of his foot.  If you ever have to deal with an abscess, don't ever let a vet or farrier cut a drainage hole in the foot, it's nothing but trouble. 

Hopefully, Ramsey will respond to the medication and I won't have to have the vet come out.  Especillay since he is doing such a wonderful job of honoring the timeless tradition of needing vet care at the worst possible time.

Speaking of vet care, there is a veterinary Disaster Response Team for bloggers being put together over at Pawcurious.  If you are a blogger and would like to participate, click here.  It is super easy, free and you can participate or not as you choose.  It seems like a good idea to me.

Hopefully, I will be back with another update tomorrow, it sure is getting windy.  Be safe.