Help with a Mini Mule and Coggins

[StormyDay]

So this is not my mini mule, but she is under my care.
She is a very sassy, but friendly mule who is awesome for 99.9% of things. She clips, ties, can be trimmed without too much fuss, etc. But she HATES getting any needles poked into her.

She tolerates me giving her the 5 way vaccine. By tolerate I mean she tries to run away but allows it to happen. But last week we had to have the vet out for coggins, and I really didn’t think we would get it done. It took me and the vet a good 20-30 minutes, and the whole time she was kicking, rearing, lashing out, and even trying to bite the vet. I actually had to muzzle her.

I’m just not really sure what to do for next year. It’s not my mule, so I can’t really do much training with her. She fights through any oral meds, and IMO it actually makes the whole situation more dangerous because then she is rearing and lashing out but also doesn’t have full body control.
She doesn’t leave the property, but it would make me really nervous to have a horse around mine that doesn’t have a coggins.

I wonder if maybe it has to do with that the vet is there and it’s someone she doesn’t know or trust, since I can stick her with needles. But it’s not exactly like I can do a coggins blood draw and then just drop it off for testing

Anyone have a trade secret here? How do I do this next year without risking my vets life?

[moonlitoaksranch]

We had a wonderful donkey that hated shots. We built a simple stock for him. It worked great. Kept him safe and kept us safe. He got better about shots, too. Without all the drama, he could cope with getting over his fear.

[clanter]

have you attempted to use a tranquilizer such as Acepromazine, it does come in powder form?

[Feathered_Feet]

I was gonna say, a little oral sedative before the vet arrives can help take the edge off. Then spend some time every day desensitizing as much as possible.

[volvo_240]

OP said the little critter fights through oral sedatives.

Dormeseden. Only have to wrestle her for one quick poke and reversible.

[exvet]

I have a stallion who will not let two people approach him for a blood draw. He doesn’t strike or get violent but he will dance and try to run over you in a rather bullish but calm way if that makes any sense. He will allow me to walk up and insert the needle into his jugular one handed and hold his halter with the other hand. For this he is perfectly quiet (not happy but does stand still) I then hand the tube to whomever needs the blood (ie, vet). I am able to do this with a syringe and needle or a vacutainer. Do you think you could draw blood one-handed? I find that some horses feel ‘ganged up on’ and get ready for a fight if approached by two or more people especially those that smell of veterinarian Full disclosure, I am also a vet.

[Feathered_Feet]

Ah did miss that part. But I agree - one poke for a systemic sedative should then do the trick. Or MORE oral sedatives, then a quick poke (kind of like how the dentist rubs a topical analgesic before giving the injection).

I used to live overseas and it was very common to sedate animals, lay them down and sit on them until treatment was done. Can’t say this is a good training method, but if you NEED to get it done, this might be an option if you don’t have stocks available.

Otherwise, sounds like lots of training is in this mule’s future!

[Djones]

I would not do this to a horse, but donks and mules aren’t horses. Blindfold her and truss her up like a turkey.

[2DogsFarm]

I don’t own a donkey or mule, but have several friends who do.
From what they have told me, you might be able to do this ONCE.
After that you will not get near this mini-mule with anything resembling a blindfold.

[Djones]

It works with my standard donkey. I burned his mouth once with zimectrin gold and deworming him became a fight until he learned it wouldn’t hurt again. Together we skied all over the barnyard. SO, I would catch him, tie him up short against a solid wall, give him lots of treats then blindfold him. That would make him freeze up. I then gave him lots of treats and such and manipulated his mouth and gained his trust. Donkeys and mules will not hurt themselves. My donkey trusts me but had reason to be anxious. By securing him safely, he learned and now I can deworm him loose in the field. This same dude was a little shit to trim as a baby and when he sulled up and laid down, we hobbled him and my farrier sat on his fuzzy tummy and trimmed him. 20 years later he’s still perfect to trim and stands like a stuffed toy.

They will hurt you to protect themselves. So, secure her, teach her she’s safe and needs to get along with this process, and move on.

[StormyDay]

Unless we are literally putting her under she fights through it. Last year we did IM sleepy drugs and she just fought right through. IMO it was worse than when she wasn’t sedated. I think we would literally have to knock her out.

[StormyDay]

I’ll talk with the owners about this. That might be an option for her.

[StormyDay]

I might be able to do this, I am pretty good a blood draws. I’ll have to see if my vet would allow it.

[OfCourseItsAnAlter]

Mules often have a much higher tolerance for sedative drugs, thus the mini’s ability to “fight through” sedation. When my vet first started working on my mules, she was shocked at how much it took to keep them sedated for, e.g. floating teeth. I think the first time she did my big mule’s teeth she had to stop twice and inject additional sedative before she could finish the job. Instead of just giving up on oral or IM sedatives because she “fights through,” you might try upping the dose.

Fortunately for me, my most vet-resistant mule was also susceptible to the humane twitch, although you had to put it on and let him alone for a while to marinate before he settled - and it was a visible relaxation. He still wasn’t what I would call cooperative, but we could do injections, draw blood for a Coffins, and do a cursory physical exam without major drama.

I’ve had other horses and mules for whom that twitch seemed to have no effect, so you never know until you try it.

[sherian]

the biting flies that transmit EIA don’t travel that far - to be honest if you have no close neighbours, the horses on property are tested regularly and she never goes anywhere I would question if it’s worth the fight. Not a hill I would choose to die on, but in all fairness positive EIA cases are very rare in my province

[StormyDay]

@sherian

the biting flies that transmit EIA don’t travel that far - to be honest if you have no close neighbours, the horses on property are tested regularly and she never goes anywhere I would question if it’s worth the fight. Not a hill I would choose to die on, but in all fairness positive EIA cases are very rare in my province

Where I grew up coggins weren’t even required unless you were leaving the state. My show horse, going to rated shows, probably didn’t get one for 5 years.
But around here it’s a little more common. There was an outbreak about a year ago a few counties over. And while my horses are regularly tested, I can’t speak to the horses in other properties around me.

[Ghazzu]

Clicker training.

[StormyDay]

She’s not my mule so while ideally I would spend time doing desensitization training, I really don’t have the time or feel I have the right to do so.

[Ghazzu]

Of you don’t feel that you are entitled to work with an animal under your care sufficiently to render it safe to handle, what exactly are you hoping people will suggest?

[trubandloki]

@StormyDay

She’s not my mule so while ideally I would spend time doing desensitization training, I really don’t have the time or feel I have the right to do so.

This seems like one of those situations where you either do it yourself or tell the owner it has to be done or the animal leaves. Because it does not seem safe to have an animal there that the vet can not treat safely.

Look at it from this side.
You have an animal that will not let a basic vet procedure and you asked for advice.
Then you say no to tranquilizers and then no to training.