[QUOTE=katarine;4862937]
The thing is they WANT to be filthy. They are dry little critters, not at all oily coated like a horse. Mine dives into the arena gravel like it’s a pool.
Just let her be, truly, she’s fine.[/QUOTE]
Thank you for this, this is the kind of info I need!
Ive had my mini donk for 16 yrs this yr. He had never started to shed before the end of June.
I don’t know for sure about the patches but sometimes at the end of winter even though they don’t actually start to shed yet , they still become itchy like they were. I have seen mine sometimes itching his shoulder area with his teeth and there is much less hair there. Their hair is so very different from horses and i have found it even more important to throughly brush them.
Mine has a thing about rolling in the shavings and does with each stall change or any time any are added. Even though they are shavings they leave behind stuff that becomes a layer of trapped gritty dust type crap down next to his skin. Even with repeated brushing with all sorts of tools, it is near impossible to get out. If it isn’t for hte most part kept out, when spring time comes he has lost hair in small patches before because of it. Could something like this be going on with yours? I haven’t dealt with it again now that I know what is going on. I keep at him with a shedding blade thing, gently sorta getting down to skin with it along his back and neck where the rubbed shavings come in contact with him.
[QUOTE=WaningMoon;4863225]
they leave behind stuff that becomes a layer of trapped gritty dust type crap down next to his skin. Even with repeated brushing with all sorts of tools, it is near impossible to get out. If it isn’t for hte most part kept out, when spring time comes he has lost hair in small patches before because of it. Could something like this be going on with yours? [/QUOTE]
Yes, she definitely has a layer of gritty dust/sand/dirt next to her skin. And it could be what is going on. The fact that there are two patches (roughly 4" in diameter) on both shoulders – sort of symetric – makes me think it is not fungus, but something else . . .
My donkey rolls in any sand pit he can find. I have him turned out right now in a little grassy paddock that is used mostly as a night paddock for my senior gelding. Since there was no convenient wallow hole for him he proceeded to make one. He pawed at the grass until he loosened up a chunk and then went to town. By the end of the week he’ll have him a good wallering hole. I’ve seen him rolling in the ashes left by burned brush piles too (have to watch him carefully because he doesn’t always wait for all the embers to cool). I have bathed him but that only lasts as long as you have physical control of him. As soon as he is turned loose he rolls, preferably in a deep sandy hole. I’ve spotted him rubbing on trees fence posts and anything else stationary he can find. So I wouldn’t worry too much about those spots. Maybe a dose of MTG and keep an eye on them.
[QUOTE=SMF11;4863269]
Yes, she definitely has a layer of gritty dust/sand/dirt next to her skin. And it could be what is going on. The fact that there are two patches (roughly 4" in diameter) on both shoulders – sort of symetric – makes me think it is not fungus, but something else . . .[/QUOTE]
I bet it is what is going on. 4" is just about the right size that would come of him doing it himself with his teeth. Are these spots in the right area for him to have reached by turning his head back? If so I bet this is the cause.
As I said, I haven’t had to deal with it again. Just those first few yrs when I didn’t know what was going on. I just keep a shedding blade nearby and I go over his back, neck while he is eating. As long as I can keep that layer from forming all is fine.
FWIW, I have never had any issue with my donkey kicking. We can do ANYTHING with ours and he always keeps a very friendly look to his face. He has never raised a foot to anyone for any reason. We even got him to stand perfectly still with his feet in 2 liter soda bottles for the 45 min soak and the 45 min gas part of a Cleantrax treatment. And he was quite cheery about the whole ordeal. HE has a great temperament. The only thing I have ever seen him kick at was a neighbors dog who came into the field. But around humans, absolutely not, not ever.
I would bet if you can keep the crud he rolls in from becoming a solid formed layer next to his skin this will stop. And a pic of my little guy. He is pretty close to my mare. He was there watching as she made her entrance to this world and they have been together since. 15 yrs now.
[QUOTE=WaningMoon;4863398]
FWIW, I have never had any issue with my donkey kicking. We can do ANYTHING with ours and he always keeps a very friendly look to his face. He has never raised a foot to anyone for any reason. [/QUOTE]
Yeah, I was interested to hear of others’ more aggressive donkeys. Mine is unbelievably gentle (taking treats, having her hoof treated every day for white line disease etc) but she is also unbelievably skittish. It took me a month before I could give her a treat in the paddock, and even now you cannot walk up to her and brush her. I close her in a stall w/her horse buddy to eat and if she is confined, I can work on her (groom, treat hoof etc).
I’m guessing it is because she is a wild animal, really, and she never had anyone really working with her. But she is very sweet and is the love of the 29 year old TB’s life.
I don’t think mine would remotely think of kicking me, either. He loves grooming, ground ties for the farrier (who loves him, btw, good donks about their feet are rare), leads and loads up great, ponies, packs, etc). He had a spell of tendon swelling/sorta founder that meant he stood in ice water buckets and had bags of frozen peas vetrapped round his cannons- he was stoic and cooperative as could be. And has been mentioned if they are chewing, all’s good. WHen they stop, they are thinking.
But bathing him? He’d just get upset and mad and IMO there’s just no point in it. I see no reason to stress him like that when maybe some MTG, or Microtek, or benign neglect, is all he needs. That and a carrot.
I clipped my mini last year. She is oppinionated but a real lovebug so wouldn’t hurt anyone.
She was funny she just kept backing down the barn isle and I couldn’t get her to go foward so I plugged in the extension cord. By the time we got to the end of the barn/cord all but her face was clipped so we left it alone.
It was the most entertaining clip job I have ever done. Her old owner used to drive her so I figured clipping should be no big deal.:yes:
We have had our “Patty” for 24 years. By trial and error we found that we could almost do brain surgery on her if she had a bit of alfalfa hay to eat while you dealt with her.
She is just starting to shed. When she does we are able to get her shed out quickly. Not that she doesnt grow the coat right back. Seems she is prepared for any type weather. Too bad she doesn’t realize we live in Florida!!
We love our Patty and never have had a problem with her being mean with us. Opinionated, yes. Mean, NO. Life on the farm will never be the same without our little Patty. And, BTW, she is like a little watch dog. Nothing gets past her eyes.
I believe that I read somewhere (I think it was in a Donkey magazine) that unlike horses, donkeys grow one coat a year. They shed that coat in the summer and start growing next years coat. My donkey is starting to shed. Once he starts his har will come out in clumps and he’ll look moth eatten for a while. He’s another one that does not kick.
I’m reviving this thread because my donkey’s doing it again!
This time, I did a google search, and came up with this:
Every spring on various donkey lists, newbies “panic” because their
recently-acquired donkeys suddenly have developed large bald patches.
We’ve taken to calling it the Donkey Depilatory Disorder—it seems
that stress, or maybe excess rolling (which donkeys do to “claim” new
territory) will remove the old hair before the new has fully come in.
It usually takes 2 or 3 weeks for the condition to resolve itself, as
the summer hair finally emerges from the skin.
It’s from this address: http://www.mail-archive.com/fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com/msg03733.html
I just thought I’d include it in case anyone else didn’t realize this was, I guess, normal.
This year, I’ve been pulling out her hair, kind of like you can do to dogs when they are shedding – some dogs have clumps of fur you can just pull out. So does my donkey. She must really like it because she stands still in the field while I do it, with no halter or anything so she is perfectly free to walk away. But she doesn’t, she stands there very contentedly. This year, her bald patch is HUGE, from the withers to where the cantle of a saddle would be, if she ever had one on.
Last year her patches regrew fur quickly.
So I guess this is just an FYI for those with patchy molting donkeys.
Mini Donkey Shedding
[QUOTE=SMF11;4861766]
We took in our donkey less than a year ago, so this is the first shedding season I’ve been through with her. All my horses are shed out, but she’s still very wooly. Today, I was scratching/rubbing her withers and saw she was starting to shed. So I groomed her with my hands (like my fingers were a curry comb). Anyway, there were two patches on her shoulders where all – all – the fur came off. They are 4" circles. It doesn’t look like a fungus to me. Any idea what this is? Surely this isn’t normal?
Thanks![/QUOTE]
Hi smf 11, I have a mini Donkey that had the same problem with the hair falling out in early winter. She is 1 year 6 months old. Had her skin scraped and tested and it turned out to be Mange. Vets gave ton’s of shots, I gave Fung - A - Way Spray, Mange went away. Donkey still Itched in her body, had her scraped again, this time vet said Lice, gave all Kinds of Meds and Donkey still has Lice. Washed her with lice treatments Solution many times, can’t get rid of it until I can Clip her hair. Hair too long in winter to get wash to her skin. Then she was going crazy running, jumping biting my Horse Checked her ears, loaded with thick black grease like gooo. Asked the Donkey Assoc. what it was, They said Ear Mites. Been treating that for 2 months now, all kinds of Meds, no results. Donkeys long hair support all of these bad guys. Can’t wait till spring when I can Clip her and get her better. I have a Formula that will kill the ear mites from the Donkey Long ears vet I talked to. Can’t post it now…Feeding Time…Later Jeremiah
Howdy, I have noticed that some donkeys are very soft to the touch and mine have the texture of Brillo pads. Is there something I can do, besides brushing them regularly, which is what I already do or that I can give them, e.g. supplements, that will help soften their coats?
My donkey sheds copious amounts the July 4th weekend every year.
My donkey always gets two bald spots on the top of his rump, one on either side. Every summer. Same spots.
Perfect description!!! I have five in assorted ages and they are all like wooly, Brillo pads for most of the year. And happy!! Guess it keeps the bugs off!!
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