# Wondering about jenny...



## Irisshiller (Apr 30, 2017)

Hi all, new user with new donkey here 

I adopted a jenny who literally showed up at my door about 3 months ago. She is a delight and we are very happy she arrived! I'm just wondering if her growing belly is due to me feeding her too much or could she possibly be pregnant..? The vet is coming out soon to vaccinate our other animals so we will have her checked then, but I am very curious as to what other people might think! 

I have past experience with horses but none with donkeys so no idea what is normal for them really, even after exhausting Google  I understand they gain weight quickly, so she is on a strict hay/straw diet. It's just that she is absolutely desperate to get to the rabbit food (alfalfa pellets), she will follow us around, try to open the doors and bray whenever we feed the rabbits. I'm wondering now if she really is pregnant, am I depriving her of vital nutrients?? She does have a salt lick but never touches it.

Her belly sticks out on the sides now (not when she first got here) but she has no fat deposits on her back/bum. In fact, is seems as if the weight as melted off her back/bum an gone to her stomach  She does have a bit if a neck roll but no idea how much is normal. 

She has not come into heat since she has been with us, although maybe this could be because she is by herself? Her udder looks flat but her teats have white spots on the ends that come and go. People around me are of the opinion that she is very young but could it possibly be that she has had a foal before? All I can tell from the teeth is that she isn't old  I got some really good behaviour advice on another forum but thought there were possibly more donkey-knowledgeable people here!

Of course I know that diagnosing anything on the internet isn't possible, just am very curious for your educated opinions while I wait for the vet, anything is better than staring at her belly for hours wondering what's going on in there, LOL! I sometimes think I see/feel movement but I don't trust myself in this. 

Trying to attach some pictures... First 2 of when she just got here. Then 2 of what she looks like now. And of her teats with the white spots and her backside (sorry)!


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

Hi Iris!

My boy George's sides bulge like what is shown in foto #4; pretty sure he isn't pregnant ;-) Some have said it's a "hay-belly"; maybe, George doesn't miss many meals, but he's been like that since I've had him; almost 9 years, now. If your Jenny is getting noticeably wider over three months time, she might very well be pregnant.

That said, hay/straw doesn't supply a complete diet for equines. Mine all get a "Ration Balancing" feed supplement, but I don't know about availability in Israel; probably if you could get it, it would be expensive.

I wouldn't hesitate to give your Jenny a little bit of Alfalfa, but not more than maybe 1lb (500g) per day. You can also give her small amounts of oats or corn. Small amounts of apple or carrot will also be appreciated. By small, I mean not more than a small handful (total) per day; 1/2 of a medium carrot, or 1/4 of an apple. Cut the fresh fruit into pieces sized as tho you were going to put it in a salad, and hand them out as treats. This will go a long way toward filling any gaps in her nutrient intake.

Watch her body condition carefully, and if she seems to be gaining a lot of weight on this diet, cut back, but otherwise it won't hurt a thing, and she will surely appreciate it. Fat will first appear as padding over her ribs, in the crest of her neck, and as "pads" on either side of the base of her tail.

Steve


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Subbing, she's cute!


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Who knows?? Can't tell from pics. Except her... ahem... is rather large - I'd say she's likely had a foal before.

She is looking very well fed. Yes, glad you realise that donkeys are even more prone to obesity & related problems than horses on rich diets. But while people commonly think of straw as a kind of 'empty filler', it is actually quite high in sugar(being from cereal crops), although it is quite 'empty' in the nutrient department. And hay/grass is not necessarily low calorie either, particularly if it's 'good horse hay' - aka optimally grown & cut, cattle fattening, high sugar 'improved' pasture, which is often too rich for horses, let alone donks. So you will still have to look at types of forage & amounts you're feeding, along with considering nutritional support.


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## Irisshiller (Apr 30, 2017)

Hi, thank you all for your replies!! 

The vet has been last thursday and said more or less the same as you  she didn't look obviously pregnant but who knows - he didn't have any equipment with him to do an ultrasound or something. He said she looked good, continue with the straw/hay, no rabbit food, veggies are ok. So I suppose we will go with that! The straw we are feeding was grown for cattle feed so it might be very rich for her. I think the grain hasn't been harvested first so we might be feeding her the grain heads too :/ I will check and get different stuff if that's the case. 

He said she was very young so I thought chances were slim that she's had a foal before, but again, who knows! It might explain the white milk spots on her teats? 

The minute the vet left she went lame in her right hind leg!! I was afraid it was the hoof but it was the joint just above the hoof, it was swollen and warm to the touch. Vet said to cool it and restrict movement, so I did and fortunately it's a lot better today. Phew  

So we will just wait and see, after she's been here for a year we can probably say for sure she's not pregnant! LOL. I was holding off getting a companion for her because I'm not sure we can afford 3 donkeys! I'm wondering if she would like having a few goats as companions? She's surprisingly friendly to all other animals and has obviously been raised with dogs. My husband would be very against getting another donkey - we were never planning on getting one  Horses are not on the cards at all sadly, I would love one!! I tried once to ride Layla but she went berserk, she's obviously not used to it  I have been able to get her to carry stuff on her back! Everyone thinks it's hysterically funny when I'm walking around with her on a leash with feed bags on her back 

Will keep you up to date, thanks again!


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

Irisshiller said:


> Hi, thank you all for your replies!!
> 
> 
> So we will just wait and see, after she's been here for a year we can probably say for sure she's not pregnant! LOL. I was holding off getting a companion for her because I'm not sure we can afford 3 donkeys! I'm wondering if she would like having a few goats as companions? She's surprisingly friendly to all other animals and has obviously been raised with dogs. My husband would be very against getting another donkey - we were never planning on getting one  Horses are not on the cards at all sadly, I would love one!! I tried once to ride Layla but she went berserk, she's obviously not used to it  I have been able to get her to carry stuff on her back! Everyone thinks it's hysterically funny when I'm walking around with her on a leash with feed bags on her back
> ...


Hi Iris!

Donkeys aren't as much of a "herd" animal as horses, and will do fine with goats, bovines, barnyard fowl, and house-pets as companions. She looks small to be ridden, but she will happily carry things around for you; that's what Donkeys _do_ in much of the world. You can also train her to pull a small cart, and with that, she will have no trouble pulling you around. Let 'em laugh; equines bond with people, and this is particularly true for Donkeys. If you spend time with her, she will assuredly become your "Best Friend Forever". Probably underneath their laughter, they are jealous 

Steve


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