In this week’s Pet Talk, Maneka tells how to take care of baby squirrels, explains about respiratory illnesses in horses, behaviour of rabbits and more

By Maneka Bandhi

A man down the road has several donkeys that he uses for carrying bricks. One donkey limps. He also has some pus in his hooves. What should I do? He won’t let me take them to a vet.

See if you can bring a vet to the donkeys. Abscesses in the hoof are a common cause of lameness. In donkeys they are most often caused by small stones or other matter penetrating the weakest part of the foot, the junction between the wall and the sole (the “white line”). Bacteria and other micro-organisms are also introduced. The white blood cells, trying to eliminate this infection, accumulate as a build-up of “pus” between the hoof wall and the internal sensitive tissue. The pain is often intense and gets worse, unless the pressure from the build-up of pus is released. Such donkeys will often prefer to lie down, and walk only slowly trying to bear the least possible weight on the affected foot. Treatment of foot abscesses includes:

Foot dressings should be kept clean and changed regularly, probably daily. (Waterproof adhesive tape and “silage bag patches” are useful outer coverings to protect from wet and dirty underfoot conditions.) Be warned. Some very lame donkeys will seem to improve if infection breaks out at the coronary band (the top of the hoof). Prompt veterinary attention is still needed. Regular tetanus vaccination relieves the worry of this potential complication. Wet muddy fields, small sharp stones on tracks and stable floors and bouts of laminitis, all increase the risk of foot abscesses.

I found a pair of baby squirrels in my backyard. They were quite noisy and restless so I gave them some milk. (Dipped some cotton in a bowl of milk) How do I go about their care now?

Squirrels are not domesticated and do not make good pets. Always wear gloves when handling wild babies. Try to reunite the baby or babies with their mom. If you think the mother squirrel may still be in the area, and you have a good idea where the nest is that the babies came from, you can give the mother the opportunity to retrieve the babies. If the baby is sick, injured or cold the chances are that the mom will not come back to retrieve it. Place the babies in a box. You can place this box near the tree or area they came from. Make sure that the babies can’t get out of the box but the mother will be able to get in and get the babies. If the babies still have their eyes closed, they will need a heat source to help them keep warm. Even on hot summer days baby squirrels can get chilled quickly. A bottle filled with hot water and covered with a sock can be placed near the babies. Test to be sure the temperature isn’t too hot, and place a tee-shirt around it to be sure it doesn’t roll onto the babies. Never feed the babies any kind of cow’s milk, goat milk, or soymilk.

The squirrel should be kept hydrated and be fed puppy replacement milk or kitten replacement milk using a syringe without the needle (mix one part of milk with three parts of water). If they won’t take the fluids, put a drop on their lips or poke a drop in their mouth so they can taste some of it first. Before and after each feeding of fluids you will need to gently wipe the genital and anal area with a warm, moist cotton ball or Q-tip until they urinate or defecate. Otherwise their stomach will bloat and may result in death.

My cow has a moist circular patch on the muzzle and tips of her ears. Should I be concerned?

Rain scald is a skin disease seen in all ages of cattle, but particularly young animals. It is caused by a bacteria and is commonly associated with wet weather.

It begins as a moist circular patch, often with matted hairs which give a characteristic paint brush appearance. It is typically seen on muzzle, tips of ears, withers, but rapidly spreads – can involve up to half the skin area in severe cases.

There is no completely effective treatment, particularly for severe cases. Many antibiotics are effective, particularly penicillin. Keeping the skin dry (i.e. bringing the cattle indoors) is often more effective than any treatment. Anti-inflammatory injections significantly improve cow well-being and help to restore the cow to normal production. Local disinfection and treatment are necessary in more severe cases.

Is it true that only male cows have horns?

It is commonly believed that bulls have horns and cows do not. It is not true. The presence of horns depends on the breed.

During summers what step can I take to help street animals with food and water?

During summers, you can install a tub of water (concrete or plastic) outside your house and keep refilling it. You should give food to animals in your colony at a fixed time. In a few days they ill all appear at that time and then disperse.

My horse hasn’t been eating well since a couple of days and has perpetual yellow nasal discharge. What should I do?

Strangles is one of the most common respiratory illnesses in horses. Strangles is caused by an easily transmissible bacterium called Streptococcus equi. The bacteria can easily be carried from horse to horse, by human hands and clothing, brushes, buckets and persist on stable surfaces for weeks. Young horses are more susceptible to strangles than mature horses over five years of age, although horses can contract strangles at any age, especially if their immune system is already weakened.

 Because the bacteria are so easily transmissible, one horse can quickly infect a whole stable, or one horse at a horse show can spread the illness more widely.

Strangles can be easily diagnosed by testing the nasal mucous. If caught in its very early stages, penicillin can be administered with good results. However, as the illness progresses, antibiotics are less effective and may even cause complications. With or without antibiotics, good care, that includes scrupulous hygiene, is essential. Any burst lymph nodes should be allowed to drain, and cleaned with the antiseptic recommended by your veterinarian.

If a horse is suspected to have strangles, quarantine is necessary and any new horse to a stable should be kept separate to make sure it has no diseases to pass along. Anything that comes in contact with the horse, equipment, including feed and water buckets, brushes, blankets, human hands, should be well cleaned. Vaccinations are available, but so far, their life span is very short. If a stable is infected with strangles it should be closed to new horses, and people should be advised to take precautions. Horses should not travel anywhere where they might spread the disease, even if they appear to be recovered.

Why is my rabbit shivering?

A rabbit shaking, or trembling is one of the most common behaviour that owners come across and leaves many nervous, because it seems unusual. Rabbits may shiver when in pain. Unwell rabbits will also struggle to maintain their body temperature ,and hypothermia can set in quickly, even when the ambient temperature is not that cold.

Rabbits do not take heat very well; they can endure cold, but heat really gets to them. A temperature of 26º C (80º F) or more will cause them distress. High temperatures will make rabbits shake. Bring down the heat in the room and leave a frozen water bag, or a damp sheet or pillow, near them. If heat is the cause, the rabbit will meet the cold surface and start feeling better.

When scared, it is quite normal for rabbits to start shaking. You will notice that they are frightened from their body language; their nose will vibrate in such situations.

There are many different reasons why a rabbit could get frightened. It could be due to trauma or a change of surroundings. When you bring a new rabbit home, they might miss their earlier environment at the pet store or the farm. They might even miss their mother or siblings. Sometimes, a rabbit that’s used to being alone may not respond well to another in close confines and may get frightened with new company. All these situations make the rabbit shake and even spray urine too.

With long-haired rabbits it can be difficult to decipher if the rabbit is really shaking its whole body or if it is just having a hiccup episode. Touch the rabbit all over on its stomach, nose, ears and back to diagnose the problem. They breathe fast, so you must be able to recognize their normal breathing pattern.