We have been aggressively treating their white line disease in their hooves daily and will continue to do so. They seem to be walking more comfortably and we were finally able to put them in the larger field with other donkeys. They had only ever met one other donkey before so they were confused when they realized there was a whole herd! It was so fun to see them run up and down the field with the others! Getting more exercise is also good for their weight loss and health issues-which has been going very well! Their fat pads and turning necks have gotten much smaller-they have still a little ways to go but wearing grazing muzzles during the day has really helped to make sure they don’t overindulge on sugary green grass and impend their progress. Millie is also starting to grow hair back on her nose where she was so badly sunburned-even though it is still quite sensitive. We love that they are learning what it’s like to be part of a herd, as donkeys are very social and enjoy seeking interaction with others. 

They are doing great!

Marley reached his ideal weight a couple of weeks ago-he will always have the loose neck appearance from being overweight in the past (almost like loose skin) but is at a great weight for his health!

Millie just recently reached a great weight overall, she may likely always have some misshapen fat pads on her rear, which is completely normal. Sometimes after loosing lots of weight, donkeys just weirdly hold on to fat pads in certain places-no matter how much weight they lose (similar to humans)! The vet did inform us that she does have some spots on her rear that will always need to be monitored. Unfortunately, when donkeys become extremely overweight they can lose blood supply to certain parts of their hide (creating hard areas of skin). If that area were to ever develop a cut (because of the lack of blood supply) it is likely it will never heal- creating a painful, life altering wound. There are currently not many treatments for this that are successful. ***HOWEVER, she can continue to live a full happy life with many, many more years to come and that’s what we will do our best to ensure happens!***

We will continue to make sure they maintain their weight well, which will also be beneficial to their hoof health. If they start to gain more weight than wise, the amount of hay they eat would be need to be adjusted.

The process in healing hooves is never a quick one, but they are on the right path and continue to improve daily. Marley needs a little more intensive care and treatment with his feet since his white line was a little worse than Millie’s, but he is doing wonderful!

Millie and Marley are such a fun pair and have such a great personality!! Millie never lets her son Marley get too far before she goes to check on him. Sometimes it seems like she is saying “alright that’s enough playing with the other boys Marley”! Their bond is truly adorable. Millie loves to snuggle and is first in line to get human attention. Marley is also great at giving those kinds of donkey hugs that just melt your heart!