Karma? I give!

Uncle!  That is what I feel like yelling lately.  Things are going pretty well in most regards but I seem utterly inept at keeping animals sound.  The TWH went from having lameness in his hock to having lameness in his front leg.  His hock appears better, still short strided but better, but he now has a pretty significant gimp in his front leg on semi hard ground.  He has been on bute for 2 weeks now and is still lame.  I am now not sure if the vet will be able to see if he is lame in his hocks thanks to his front leg. 

So I brought everyone in last night and everyone was okay.  Or at least as much as I expected everyone to be.  Everyone also appeared okay at night check, though I admit I don't specifically remember seeing the hind end of everyone.  I went to feed this morning and the donkey was resting her hind leg.  Odd, I thought, she doesn't normally cock her hind leg like the horses.  I dumped grain (donkey gets one pathetic third of a cup of oats and a hoof supplement) and it was pretty obvious, the donkey is non weight bearing on her left hind.  I palpated her all over and can't find an obvious source of pain though her heel is slightly warm.  She was a little kicky (more snatching it away than a kick) when I kept picking her foot up, something she hasn't done in a while, but other than that she didn't react to anything.  I tried to put her out and she just couldn't do it.  She won't put weight on her leg so I threw her a flake of 2nd cutting (spoiling the donkey!  She only gets first cutting when in her stall), gave her a gram of bute, put some poultice on her heel and left the radio on for her. 

Poor gal, I've heard her bray a couple of times wanting to go out so I checked on her at lunch.  She was laying down and got up when I came in, she took her time and it was obvious she still didn't want to use her leg.  She wasn't as kicky and she let me completely inspect her leg but she is still very sore.  Leave it to me to have 4 equines and have 2 of them be dead lame.  And neither of them are the "old fart" you would expect to be lame due to age. 

The vet will be out to Sat morning at 11a to check everyone out and give yearly shots.  He is bringing the xray machine so we should have plenty of options in terms of diagnostics.  I will share what happens and hopefully post some of the xrays.  Happy St Patty's Day Eve!