Our last chore this morning before heading out — there is always another chore on a farm – was to get Lulu’s bandage on (the first one came off) so her abscess would stay clean and dry. We had to scrape her hoof first. The sheep were a problem, they thought we were giving them food, and we missed Red, who would have ensured everything stayed focused and organized.
We work well together, and I was happy to be recovered enough to help.
Lulu was great and patient; donkeys know who is helping them and who isn’t. It’s cold and windy but better every day.
The animals were out in the back pasture nibbling at bushes; they saw us and came marching up on the donkey path.
I held the bride on Lulu while Maria cleaned the wound and put a new bandage on. Lulu feels better and is back to herself, Fanny, as always, in tow. I scratched Fanny’s butt. We are off.
magical maria, fanny, lulu thank you
Having owned horses for years, I’ve had to deal with a few hoof abscesses. Here’s an idea for caring for Lulu’s abscessed hoof that worked all right for me: once you’ve got the bandage on the hoof, pull on two to three of those knee-high nylon stockings, then tape or vet-wrap them in place. Those nylon stockings are reasonably tough and help protect the hoof and keep the bandages in place. You’ll still have to change them daily as they do wear through. But using them helped me get through a few horses’ hoof abscesses. It’s a troublesome problem and a bit of a pain in the butt (and back!) to manage. I wish you success. You’re doing a great job so far! Lulu is a lucky donkey to have you as her caregivers! Thank you for all you do for people and animals. ~ Mary