Old mule

Oh dear lol look at all my spelling mistakes in the recent one... I hope you can undertand it , I type way to fasat

I WAS WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG

I am sorry I was wrong I got it wrong. Neddy did not pull his shoulder nor did he strain it!!! In september he pinched it and we gave him flunixin ( a pain killer) and it worked great he walked the pinch out.Now what im dealing with is just plain damage, its just old age prabley bone on bone.

We talked to the vet and he said giving him Adaqin ( I spelt that wrong) will not work because he has nothing to inject to, the ropped off of him so bad its sad

But the vet also said that he isnt in bad pain and we have been giving him this pill for a few years now and he said until his shoulder starts to feel better we can give him 2 pills.
He also said that walking him over poles ith help because it will loosen his shoulder muscels, stall rest is the worst to do in this sidualtion!!!

The reason he might be walking in circles is because since his pen is full of lumpy snow he was making a little race track so he can walk, he was walking because he knew it would make him feel better but when he is eating he often shifts his weight but ever since we switched to a more breathable blanket that hasnt been happening nearly as much so witht hink he may have lice again..... sigh

So I guess I should change my question!! Now my question is how to help old horses with rusty old shoulders :)

It takes some weight off my shoulders knowing that what im dealing with is old age and not a slipped shoulder or anything, but I want to prevent that from happening by asking for some help!!

I will put up some videos and pics if I can but I don't know how

Alright, I'm sorry but I'm utterly confused.

First you tell me that he's in extreme pain, you don't even know what to do anymore he's hurting so much, and you need suppliments that are going to help him walk. He's getting 2 grams of bute when he's really hurting (by the way, that's as much as I was giving our TB gelding when he tore a ligament a few months ago, and he was in SEVERE pain)and a very strong pill every day that isn't really working much but you can't really tell- but then you turn around and say, 'oh just kidding, he's acting like a spring chicken and isn't on any pills at all. Then I hear that he's on two pills that he's been on for years.

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding you, since your posts run together- but I really don't see how this mule is not in pain. What do you mean by 'pinched?' Did he pinch a nerve? Just his skin? (if its just his skin then there is DEFINITELY something bigger going on. Horses don't limp from little scratches.) What did he pinch it on?

Is his artheritis really bad enough to be causing bone on bone friction? If so, he need something more than adequin, most likely. We injected Legacy every 3 months into our old QH mare's hocks back when she was alive and artheritic with the same problems, and she always felt great afterwards. You might want to try using that. It goes directly into the muscles so it doesnt mess with the digestive tract. It is expensive though.

How do you suddenly know that he did not slip, if that is what you have believed happened for many months? I'm not trying to call your bluff, I'm just trying to understand. If indeed he is only artheritic and has NO injury then sure, let him exercise as much as he wants. I still wouldnt be force exercising him though. I'd just give him as much pasture time as possible and let him do what he feels like is necessary to feel good. If he has ANY sort of injury (you mentioned that he has one that is old and didnt heal, won't heal, and is just sort of there- but not causing a whole lot of pain?) though, you need to be careful. Watch him for signs of pain and take them seriously. Like PunksTanks said, mules are very hardy animals and won't complain until they're hurting terribly. We once had a donkey (related to a mule! Lol) who gashed his shoulder completely open, muscle showing and everything- but he came trotting up every morning with no hitch in his stride for breakfast. We ended up having to stall him because he wasn't letting it heal.

As our animals advocates we have to be very in tune to how they are feeling, and try not to let our own ideas and feelings get in the way.

Hoping he feels better!
Endiku

Treat him for the lice. Spray him down with a good fly spray with permethrin in it. Give him some ivermectin and follow up again on it a week later to kill any eggs that have hatched. The ivermectin in the bloodstream will kill the lice when they feed. Spray his blankets and barn real good too. Along with any other furry friends he comes in contact with. Keep him sprayed down just like it's the height of mosquito season. The adult lice kill fairly easily. The eggs don't die, hatch a few days later and you are infested once again. You have to keep after it and follow up.

No, I could not read your posts for all the spelling and other errors in them.

Did this mule plow or pull a big wagon in his younger years?

Arthritis...

I've got a lot in my neck and shoulders from beating my body up when younger. It bothers me a lot more in winter. It is a great weather forecaster. I know when a winter storm is close. Staying moving helps. I can usually work the kinks and pain out doing light chores or taking small loads. If I over do it and attack something like I did when I was 20 I will aggravate and inflame the arthritis so that it really burns. It will take several days for the aching to stop and many doses of motrin. Actually it never quite stops, just some days it hurts more than others. Most of the time I can ignore it. Sometimes I can't.
Damp cold plays havoc with it.

Your mule is going to feel much the same as I do with winter and arthritis. If he was a working boy all his life he might benefit from having a bit of a job to do. If the vet says it's OK, a little light riding or maybe teach the old boy a few tricks. Get his mind off the aches and pains.

Long Ears are good company. You could have him carry a small pack of tools while you check the fence. Carry a picnic lunch for both of you and take a hike. Little things so he still feels useful. And talk to him. Old equines understand a whole lot more than they let on. That wonderful long ear mind needs to be kept busy, it will take his mind off the aches.

Glitch1

My internet stuttered bad. Sorry about that. I had to reboot my whole system to stop it from posting over and over.

Ok can you copy and paste this and answer each question 1 by 1?

1) How old is the mule (ish)
2) How long has he been injured?
3) What caused the injury - a fall or hitting something?
4) how and when did you realize the injury (how did he act)?
5) How is he acting now? How is he displaying the pain? Flinching or favoring?
6) is the injury causing him pain or arthritis?
7) what exact medicine and supplement was he on, for how long?
8) What exactly is he on now?
9) What is his current exercise schedule?
10) what was his previous exercise level?
11) how old are you - are you the one in charge of his medical situation or your family?

I think we need some clarification before we can actually assist you and your previous posts have been very confusing - so if you can lay it out with answers to those we may be of some use. But honestly - a vet is more useful as they can actually see the animal.

As for photos - go to google and look up "photo hosting" it will allow you to upload photos to the web, then copy the url of the photo, then click the button with the mountains and the moon on this forum and paste the url into the pop-up box.

First I will answer Endiku

Haha I think you miss understood. When he hurt himself the first few days he was on bute. He's not on bute any more unless he slips and it huts a bit more then usual.
He is on two strong pills now because before he started showing the damage we took him off so he wouldnt get an ulser ( he was not in pain then)

I am sorry my sentences run together I will try not to do that.
He pinched an nerve but he isnt showing that injery anymore really, it is now the damge in his shoulder that is starting to show, he does not have a pinched nerve now, he did not tear anything, he did not pull or strain anything either.He also isnt limping he is just really stiff.

I will try to use legand, I use that one my young mule and I love it.

I made the mistake about him slipping because my mum told me that she THOUGHT he slipped when she saw his oinch nerve
I will send you a message about that because I will not write it int he public forum.

No I will defadently not forve exercise him as we will do little bits at a time so he can take a break.

About the old injery.....i thought that he slipped and hurt himself but he pinched a nerve.
I am buying him herbs so that if he is in more paint hen he's showing that should help.

I also let him out int he pasture every 2nd day with my young mule and another 27 year old horse.

SueNH :

I will defadently do what you said about the lice better safe then sorry.

Sorry about my bad spelling I will send you some mail telling you why like that.

He didnt plaow or pull a wagon but he was roped off of and the people who roped off of him never gave him a break.

I have an idea of what to do for a job haha but I deffadently can't ride him anymore :( ever since he inched that nerve he is unridable :(

Thanks
Megan

Can you copy and paste this and answer each question 1 by 1?

1) How old is the mule (ish)

27



2) How long has he been injured?

Well he's had shouldr damage ever since those cowboys ro[ed off of him but he pintched the nerve in september

3) What caused the injury - a fall or hitting something?

The damage was from getting roped hard but the nerve pinched might have been froma slip or somthing

4) how and when did you realize the injury (how did he act)?
We knew he had shoulder damage since we bought him ( 2006 )
But he pinched his nerve in september and we realized it in september
He wouldnt really bend his right leg but he does now alot and easily

5) How is he acting now? How is he displaying the pain? Flinching or favoring?

He walks slowly in his pen but once he's loose he walks quite well. He acts happy and he eat and drinks . He only flinched when we put his blanket on because it is heavy on is shoulders

6) is the injury causing him pain or arthritis?

Well it causes pain but he has always had arthritis

7) what exact medicine and supplement was he on, for how long?

It is an anti inflamitory, I will get back to you will the name, he has been on it for 2 years
8) What exactly is he on now?
Anti inflamitory

9) What is his current exercise schedule?
Loose in the allley way everyday and out in the field every 2nd day

10) what was his previous exercise level?

Out in the field every 2nd day

11) how old are you - are you the one in charge of his medical situation or your family? I will message you with this info

I think we need some clarification before we can actually assist you and your previous posts have been very confusing - so if you can lay it out with answers to those we may be of some use. But honestly - a vet is more useful as they can actually see the animal.

As for photos - go to google and look up "photo hosting" it will allow you to upload photos to the web, then copy the url of the photo, then click the button with the mountains and the moon on this forum and paste the url into the pop-up box.


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