The Old Folks Home

[Bunnylady]

We tried both sides, many, many times. We tried just the needle, we tried a regular syringe. Frequently, the vet would get the needle in, and Betsy would throw herself against whatever structure or person was within range and try to knock the needle out. It's very hard to just wander over and do anything to an animal that rears and swings it butt at you as you approach it. Betsy has the world's worst case of 'white coat syndrome' - she knows why the vet's there, and wants no part of it. Betsy's little freak out only ends when the needle comes out. She won't be distracted, she won't be bought off; a twitch really only works as another "handle." I hate putting her through this, but she can't travel without a current Coggins, and we have the fair coming up. Betsy has been to the fair for the last 10 years, and a lot of folks would really miss her if I didn't take her. And too, The Mule's sense of adventure makes the fair a fun experience for her, too - at least some of the time.

 

[microchick]

@Bunnylady, could Betsy have hyper-sensitive skin? Would it possibly work to try a topical anesthetic on her skin before trying to get a needle into her?

Don't know, just read over your above post and it sounds like the trigger for her behavior is that the needle hurts. You stated that she is trying to dislodge the needle.

Also, would a blindfold help the situation any?

I was very lucky in that when I had horses around they LOVED the vet. One would raid his bag when his back was turned and trot around the corral with his stethoscope in her mouth. He said he looked forward to coming out to do vaccinations on my horses because they never tried to kick his brains in.

So I guess your problems with your mule are not so unusual.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
LOL... apparently she was the "CAT Lady" in the neighbor hood.... "Here kitty kitty...."

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

We tried both sides, many, many times. We tried just the needle, we tried a regular syringe. Frequently, the vet would get the needle in, and Betsy would throw herself against whatever structure or person was within range and try to knock the needle out. It's very hard to just wander over and do anything to an animal that rears and swings it butt at you as you approach it. Betsy has the world's worst case of 'white coat syndrome' - she knows why the vet's there, and wants no part of it. Betsy's little freak out only ends when the needle comes out. She won't be distracted, she won't be bought off; a twitch really only works as another "handle." I hate putting her through this, but she can't travel without a current Coggins, and we have the fair coming up. Betsy has been to the fair for the last 10 years, and a lot of folks would really miss her if I didn't take her. And too, The Mule's sense of adventure makes the fair a fun experience for her, too - at least some of the time.

Mules are extremely intelligent and dont un lear past experiences easily. I know propbably others have suggested... but I have a Draft horse friend with Percherons she got them as a team of four year olds. Her FIRST horses.... I know this would be when the horror stories would be told. BUt she found a good mentor and within a year she was handling them like a pro.

One of her boys was prone to abscesses and had an extreme fear and hatred for both vets and Farriers. Believe me you dont fight 2000 pounds of horse.... But she is a Pharmacist and worked with her Vet for ways to calm him. At first she used a granule in his feed which pretty much zonked him out. for Treatments and Farrier work. Then she worked with him daily on the objects that he objected to sooo much.... tube wormer tubes .... picking his feet out....

Now she just has to use something called Rescue Remedy ... but its been a long haul almost four years.

It gets tricky medicating Draft horses. They have a different physiology than light horses. Much like Greyhounds are different than regular dogs... Anesthesia can be dangerous for both.

Though I have seen a mule eat a bucket of Bute laced Alfalfa and Molassis and leave every crumb of it in the bottom of the bucket...

For those who don't know Bute is the short term for butazolidin which is like asparine for horses... it too is very bitter.

deb

 

[pennyJo1960]

There are several breeds not tolerant of anesthesia lies more to body
build also in cat's... that is the fun part

 

[ronott1]

As promised, more of the Turkey visit at UC Davis, Voorhies Hall.

The Turkey wanted to come in and visit. Sadly, one of our Staff is terrified of Turkeys!

....He looks so scary!



I had to go out to move him along. and he was very excited!



He even did a little dance--too bad I did not have any chicken feed.



One or our lecturers was having trouble getting a dvd to play and He followed us to the stair well!



He followed one of our Grad students after that to a field nearby.

I hope he finds his flock!

 

[pennyJo1960]

@ronott1 oh how scary a turkey

 

[Bunnylady]

Ron, that's one gorgeous bird. Don't you just need a pet turkey?

 

[ronott1]

@ronott1 oh how scary a turkey

I know!

I wanted to give him a hug he was so friendly.

 

[Kusanar]

Quote:
I would work with her daily, heck, get a syringe, keep the cap on the needle and get her used to you waving it around (not sneaking) and poking her with it, also, if she's REALLY that bad and you can't get her to stand still, I would try breeding hobbles to stabilize the back end, can't rear or kick, and then tie up one front leg and blindfold her so she can't see what's coming and can't really move anyway. Also, try a supliment called Vita-Calm, you can buy it through horse.com or my local tractor supply carries it. I have a VERY high strung walking horse who is constantly jumpy and on edge when you work with him, can't even have a lunge whip in your hand when you lunge him or you're flying a 1,000 pound kite... I was trying to work with him regularly for a while, so I started out for about 3 days double dosing him (as the label says to do when doing something stressful), then cut him back to the normal dose, and the difference was night and day, within about 30 minutes, his head would come down, he would stop freaking out about everything, and you even sometimes had to flick him with the lunge whip to make him go faster! Now, this isn't a tranqulizer really, it just calms them down and slows the reaction speed down a little, my walker can still buck me off and do some really dumb stuff without getting off balance, but the drug helps him have a second or 2 to think about it before doing something stupid.