Stringhalt on donkey... help!

[Cat the smoosh’s mommy]

Who made the diagnosis of stringhalt? It has nothing to do with a vitamin E deficiency. Most common causes are plant toxicity or injury. With dormant pastures, horses are more apt to eat plants that they would otherwise pass on as that is probably all that is left. Walk your pastures and take any suspect weeds to your extension office if you can not identify them. It could also be in your hay so look in there too. Dry lot the donkey to control what he eats. It can spontaneously correct itself over time or if it progresses surgery is the only option.
Some believe thiamine (B1)promotes healing but all equids produce all the B vitamins they need through hindgut fermentation.

A vet has looked at him and it is not due to poison, we live in the north and there are no plants for him to eat except for hay

 

[Cat the smoosh’s mommy]

Where do you live at? Different parts of the country can have more grass, which can leave to colic. @casportpony

There is about one and a half feet of snow, it is kinda hard for him to eat grass right now

 

[Bunnylady]

A few years ago, I dealt with a severely underfed horse that, while not specifically diagnosed with stringhalt, was a bit wobbly and uncoordinated in the hind end. The vet recommended a supplement containing vitamin E and selenium (sorry, I don't remember the brand, but the local hardware/feed store carried it). Progress was slow, of course, but within a couple of months, there was significant improvement.

Good luck with your little guy!

 

[Percheron chick]

A vet has looked at him and it is not due to poison, we live in the north and there are no plants for him to eat except for hay

. Coming from a vet is troubling Even if the recommendation was for supportive care instead of cause and effect they didn't do their job and have given you false hope. If supplemental Vit E was the fix, it could of been administered on the spot. End of story. If your vet deals with cattle or goats it's a fairly common supplement during calving season. I'm sure you have familiarized yourself with the condition since the vet was out and no where does any of the information list Vit deficiency as a cause. Could it help? Absolutely for his overall health but it won't make him walk normally. Fat soluble vitamins A and E that are naturally abundant in green grass have reached the end of their stores. You are providing some so he is never at a critical level.
Donkeys have naturally post leg conformation that puts more stress on the joints. You could be dealing with a degree of upward fixation of the patella. You could be dealing with a slip, nerve damage from a fall, a sore back (was his back palpated ?).. If you aren't already, you should join a donkey FB group and learn what you can about the differences between horses and donkeys and the unique care challenges they have. When I got my first draft, my vet had worked on a grand total of 2 in almost 20 years of practice. Most large animal vets practice on one type of horse and it's not donkeys and it's not drafts.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

There is about one and a half feet of snow, it is kinda hard for him to eat grass right now

Do you have a mineral block for your donkey? Mine eat only grass hay all winter and have a mineral block.

 

[Percheron chick]

Do you have a mineral block for your donkey? Mine eat only grass hay all winter and have a mineral block.

.Mineral blocks are a waste of time if you are trying to add minerals to the diet. They are typically 99% salt and only have trace minerals. Zero macro minerals and zero vitamins. You are much better off with a quality loose mineral with plain salt on the side .

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

.Mineral blocks are a waste of time if you are trying to add minerals to the diet. They are typically 99% salt and only have trace minerals. Zero macro minerals and zero vitamins. You are much better off with a quality loose mineral with plain salt on the side .

Well I've used them for 30 years with my donkeys, and they have worked fine for me.

 

[Peaches Lee]

My donkey has stringhalt, which is when they are deficient of vitamin e, from not eating grass all winter. I do feed him hay and grain and the grain has vitamin e supplements in it, but that is obviously not helping as much as it should. What do y’all use to help with this condition? Please note where you buy it too, I usually go to fleet farm or out local ag partners to get things but I can also order it. Please help, I don’t want jj to suffer

I've never dealt with stringhalt, but, from what I'm reading, unless you plan on doing upper level Dressage, your donkey should be okay. Looks like feeding a quality, nutritious diet should help.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/musculoskeletal-system/lameness-in-horses/stringhalt