You are my Sunshine

I was throwing hay over the fence when I noticed Sunshine hadn't come forward. She was hanging back. I continued feeding hay and kept an eye on her.
She was one of those mules that just barged in making sure that everyone around got out of her way when it was feeding time.
She isn't aggressive, she just pushes her sister or others with her neck and shoulder to move her or any other mule.
Sometimes Sunshine tries to push little ol' Fred around and Fred won't have it. He lays his ears back and squeals at her. She backs off.

She avoids 15 as she tends to bite and kick.

Sunshine turned her back on the hay and laid down.
Uh oh...
In a moment she got up and walked into the group. She put her muzzle down into the hay but didn't take a bite. She was damp on her sides from laying in the melting snow. I walked around and did a quick check up on her. She didn't seem to be in distress.

I went in the house to set up a computer for Rich so he could do his Speech/Memory Therapy with the VA therapist. We sat down and had coffee and watched Sunshine out the window.
I waited until I connected Rich to his therapist and then explained that I was headed out because we had a 'sick' mule. Sunshine had gotten down and wasn't getting up. I decided to catch her and walk her.
I grabbed my stethoscope and headed out the door.

I got Sunshine out of the pasture and she seemed slightly interested in the grass for a nanosecond. Then she just lifted her head and looked off into the distance.
She wasn't bright eyed and her ears were slightly cool to the touch.
We began to walk.

Down she went.

Have you ever tried to move a mule that simply has decided NOT to move?  Her ears were cold, that worried me.

I finally got her up and took her inside the shed to the large round pen. At least she'd dry off and I could hopefully get her to keep moving.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and asked Google to find Veterinarians in my area. I wanted to call Apple Valley as they knew my mules and had treated Sunshine's mother years ago as well as Siera and Mica.

What came next was what was to become my worst nightmare. They would call me back.
When they did, I was told that the doctors were unavailable, one was on vacation and the other was out with a herd of cattle. They were very sorry could I call around?

I asked Rich to start making phone calls.
And he did.
One Vet said he could come out on Monday.
Another said they were not able to come out until after 5 pm. Rich kept calling...

Sunshine walked a bit and then as if she had turned to rubber, dropped to the floor of the shed.

You can see how she covered herself in dirt and just stayed there. I checked her gut sounds...and

at one point I heard nothing...
and then I heard some faint gurgling.

I kept trying to get her up when she laid flat out. Her heart beat was elevated slightly but she didn't seem to be breathing exceptionally hard. I felt her ears and they were warm again.

I took my fingers and tried a trick I'd done with puppies to make them go poop. I massaged around her rectum. I had no idea if it would work. Either by chance or design, she struggled and stretched and a huge gaseous fart erupted.

Okay. I stood up and cheered.
Sunshine groaned and stretched out again on her side. She shook her legs and I finally got her up.

Rich came out to tell me that a vet was coming from Muscoda and would be here in an hour or so.
Sunshine flopped down again and moaned. I asked Rich to get me some warm soapy water. He prepared that while I prepped a makeshift enema. Epsom salts and warm water. I dabbed a plastic syringe into petroleum jelly and headed back out the door. I soaped up her bum then inserted the plastic syringe and pushed the warm Epsom salt solution into her rectum.
Sunshine didn't even pay attention to me. There was no glow in her eyes. And for a while I thought it was a futile effort.
I couldn't get her up, so I soaped up my hand and reached in. I found dry poop her rectum and carefully pulled it out. Behind that was a nicely formed stool. When I pulled out my messy hand more poop came out. I cleaned my hand and then her bum.
She turned and looked at me.

I got her up again and she walked a bit longer. Then down she went.
A bunch of curse words went through my mind as I knelt by her head.

She closed her eyes and slowly seemed to fall into a deep slumber. I decided to let her rest and not disturb her. After all she may have been up struggling with a belly ache all night and perhaps, just perhaps she was exhausted.

Smart phone. Huh. I typed out a search *How long can a horse sleep on its side safely?* I read through the posts and decided to just let her sleep, if that is what she was doing. Sunshine was not struggling, nor was she breathing hard. She was dry and her ears were warm. I sat next to her head and watched as her eyes closed and her breathing got slower and slower.

I held my breath.
Oh please let this not be her last moments. And then: If it is her last moments, I will be with her.

After about 15 minutes which felt like eternity, Sunshine snorted and rolled up
onto her sternum. Her ears twitched and with her eyes wide open she lunged to her feet and shook.
I was on my feet next to her.
I listened to her sides and heard gut noises.

Sunshine laid down again. I left the round pen discouraged. I needed a quick drink of water and I wanted to see if Rich heard from the vet.

When I came back out to the shed not 5 minutes later, Sunshine was up, ears perked forward and she nickered at me. Be still my little boney heart!

She pawed at the gate. Wow, I thought, what a sudden turn around.

I heard a vehicle coming down the driveway. I figured it was the veterinarian. I greeted her with a huge smile saying, "I think our patient just had a break through! She is standing and alert!"

Doc examined Sunshine and pronounced her out of danger. She got a shot of banamine for the stomach pains and Doc suggested I get some from her to keep on hand. Swift weather changes like we'd been having or food changes were generally suspicious for causing colic in equine.

While we were talking, Sunshine walked over to the bucket I'd brought in to sit on and knocked it over. She was behaving like her normal mule self.

Sunshine...Sunshine...my little red molly mule.

You are more special to me than you know!
[The photo is of me about 19 years ago holding Sunshine in my arms moments after she was born. Cheyanne was my mare.]

I paid the vet and she instructed me on how to use the banamine I'd purchased. Doc gave me some helpful tips on colic which included the very things I'd done.

Doc said she'd rather come to a farm and see her patient recovering than to see something more hopeless. She was all smiles as was I.

I am happy to report that Sunshine is feeling just fine. She became Miss Cranky Pants when she realized that she'd been separated from her friends and suddenly she was starving..and Cranky.

All kidding aside.
I feel very lucky to have Sunshine in my life.

Thank you Dr. Mary from Riverdale Vet Clinic.

Know your Equine Vitals.

If you own a mule, donkey, horse, ...
know your vitals.
Know how to spot a problem.



A week before Easter we lost Opal.  After much discussion with the vet, it was thought that simply it was her 'time' and not any disease.
She had no signs of any issues other than not eating and being tired.
Within 24 hrs of a vet's visit she had passed.

Last night I went out to brush the mules in the lot near the front of the house.
I noticed that Fred was laying down 'enjoying' the sun.
Well that is what it seemed to be.

Curious I decided to just watch him for a moment.
Next thing I did was run for my new stethoscope and a lead rope.  His sides were heaving and his breathing was rapid.

I knew Fred was not well when he allowed me to walk right up to him.
I took his vitals.
Temp:  Normal
Respiration: 60/minute  [absolutely alarming and not normal]
Heart rate: 60  [high]
Gums pink with rapid refill.

Gut noises:  very hard to hear because of the rapid breathing.

Immediately I did a rectal exam and found him full of manure.  We did an enema while we waited for the veterinarian.  His respiration dropped fairly drastically to about 40 a minute which is still very high.

When the vet came I was able to tell him exactly what had transpired since we'd called.

The vet concurred that heart rate and respiration were a bit high but we had no temp in Fred.
He was treated with some Rompum which sedates the mule enough to insert a nasal tube into the stomach and insert a gallon of mineral oil.
And then we waited.
His gut had better sounds after about an hour.  
We finally felt he was stable enough at midnight to put back in the paddock.

This morning at 6am, I woke up and saw Fred laying on the ground and though, Oh Crap, here we go again.
I went out armed with a lead rope ... but Fred was having nothing to do with that.
He kept trotting away from me and finally he got on the dirt mound where he stomped his back feet and began to grunt.

I stood and watched in no uncertain amazement as a huge ball of manure that resembled a monster egg was ejected from Fred.
Okay.
Gross.
But yes, the mule pooped out the biggest 'thing' I'd ever seen.

I grabbed it and stuck it in a plastic bag, then went back and took Fred's vitals again.
He had good gut sounds, his heart rate was normal at 40/minute, his respiration was at 24.
I called the Vet's office and the doctor wants to see the 'item' Fred removed from his bowels.

Hubby will be taking said item into the Vet's office after lunch.
Meanwhile I am on Fred watch.  
He has eaten.
He has passed all the mineral oil.
He has peed.
He finally took a huge long drink and is now standing quietly in the sunlight.

I am hoping to see a BM soon but imagine after what he passed earlier that may be a bit of an issue as in ... it may cause him some pain.

After eating all of his vitals are still within the normal range.
However I think he has some leftover pain by the occasional stomp and tail crank.

Causes?  We don't know.
But we hope to find out some clue from the 'item' he passed.
And yes, I took a photo of it because it was so unbelievable.

Not sure people on my blog would want to see a photo of such an item.

After we get some sort of feedback from the Vet, I may do that, but for now, I am on Fred watch.

PS~ You can actually learn so much just watching an animal for a whole day!

Update 1:40 PM.
Fred has done the BM thing and all systems seem normal.  Still some discomfort.  Sample is on its way to the Vet's office.