See, I started following you because of an infamous cat you adopted way back when (may he rest easy now) and here I am, years later, almost in tears about a donkey I've never met.
I'm a born and bred city girl, have only seen horses and never ridden one, but am now in love with Molly-Max and his little brother.
Seeing his x-rays and the comments from his vet make me very happy for you all.
Ania thank you for sharing this!!! Ohhh Mr. B, how we miss that big kitty. I'll always be so grateful at the way he brought so many of us together and made SO many people so happy through the years. Molly-Max sure does a good job of that now--you truly can't help but love him. I remember way back when I first met Molly-Max, I looked into his big brown beady eyes and told him I'd do anything I possibly could to make things better for him--whatever that looked like. It started out as visits and snacks and has since morphed into so many daily little tasks to hopefully ease his pain and keep him comfortable and care free. Sometimes I think we were meant for THIS farm and meant to be here for MM and Dom. We feel really lucky we get to be the ones to care for them. ❤️
I'm with Ania - teary eyed over this. I have always loved donkey's even as a city girl. Got to ride one on a trip to my mom's farm in Malta (dry conditions). then saw them around the racetracks I'd visit with my dad. I'd love a donkey but thanks to you I feel like Miracle Max is ours. That right hoof (and my bout of plantar facisits) has me wondering if there's a cast or boot to help adjust the bones? It really was jarring to see and looks so painful. Thank you for giving them both the absolute best care. Share an Amazon wish list if you need treats, or supplies, or treats.
Liz - sounds like you have such wonderful memories of donkeys!! And you're right--Maxy is our Every Donkey - I think of him like he's yours, too...so know that you do have a dear old donkey up in Upstate NY. Good thing you mentioned the boot - there are boots called Soft Rides that we're going to be custom ordering for Molly-Max. They have an orthotic insert and then a boot that goes around it that should ease his footing. He'll wear this every day. As soon as his hoof heals up we'll be measuring them and placing the order--the vet recommended that now is a good time to get them for Maxy as it'll make his day-to-day a little more comfortable. And thanks for the offer - y'all really showed up when we first got them and we have absolutely everything we could ever need and more for their care!!
I have to be honest, I was nervous about the outcome when I started reading. Now very relieved at the outcome and learned a lot about donkey hooves! You both have done an amazing job rescuing these donkeys and you can tell by the looks on there faces that they are living the the dream at LDF❤️
Gosh he really sent me into a worry. Once the coffin bone begins to rotate or slip, that is really the end for an equine. Generally, you put them down to spare them the misery, and I was sick with worry that we may have been headed in that direction. I'm so relieved that is not what we were facing this time...thankfully he's got more left in him. ❤️
Molly-Max is so blessed to have you and Chris as such loving and attentive guardians. I’m so impressed with the way you both approach his care. True dedication and testimony of the power of love and care!
Thank you so much! It's so weird to think that just two short years ago we knew N O T H I N G about donkeys...literally zilch. Today, I feel like I could confidently help a first-time donkey caretaker or someone adopting or inheriting an elderly donkey. Who would have ever thought. They've stolen our hearts forever.
I work as a receptionist in a small animal vet on LI and have always been interested in medicine. So I was very interested in this post and appreciated the layman’s explanation. Then again, I enjoy all of your posts ( even though I am undisciplined and read many of them far after posted)
I started crying when I saw the x-rays of his right hoof, but hearing the explanation and the doctor’s hopeful view of his likely journey returned my smile.
With all you and Chris have been going through recently, May you all have deep healing physically AND emotionally❣️
Thanks so much for your kind words, Sharon. When the post was approaching 2000 words I was like oh gosh everyone is going to think, sheesh Sarah just get to the point! But that was a fleeting and silly thought because I know you guys care about and like learning about the same stuff we're enjoying learning and experiencing, too. It's why I love writing this Farm Note and sharing everything we can with you!!
Thank you for sharing the details of Molly-Max and his improvement. I am curious what you use as the “drawing agent” for his poultice? I love your posts!
The pads are made by Animalintex (a 3M company) and they have boric acid and tragacanth...the boric acid acts as the antiseptic and the tragacanth is like a stabilizer. When dipped in hot water and applied to the hoof it helps soften the surfaces and basically sucks all of the infection out of the hoof and onto/into the pad. It's amazing how well they work. We leave one on for a full 24 hours and then change it, as we've found that to be the best result so far!
I’m so glad it wasn’t as serious as you thought! Molly Max is a very lucky boy to have found you two and we’re very lucky to have found all of you! ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for sharing about the hooves. I never knew how they inter-connected with the bone structure. It's amazing how much they are like our feet and ankles. If one thing is out of kilter everything else pays a price.
I know you will give MM lots of TLC. Give him a hug and a 💋from me.
We're so lucky to have an incredible vet and an amazing farrier. The type of mobile traveling veterinary care our vet provides today is almost unheard of...that model is very much going to the wayside which is a huge disservice to equine owners. Now imagine, if we didn't have her, we'd have to load Maxy up on a trailer, as bad as he is, and drive him three and a half hours to the Cornell Veterinary Hospital for care. Can you imagine? Truly, we are so so so so blessed.
Your vet does indeed seem amazing and if her type disappears, I am sure it would likely cause much more pain and suffering for large animals. I hope that does not come to be the standard.
I just was thinking yesterday after I wrote this comment about how I could help her create a program to teach to other vets and those aspiring to run their own mobile practice. I'll mention it to her next time I talk to her because I bet she does incredibly well for herself and that the kind of practice she runs would appeal to people who want freedom of their own business, schedule, clients, and operations.
I know, at least in small animal world there is actually a shortage of veterinarians right now. I hope that also is not a continuing (spelling?) trend.
Glad it wasn’t as bad as you thought and I think the same thing they said that if you two had not come into their lives they wouldn’t be around now. It was interesting with the X-rays. I follow two YouTube folks for trimming and those abscesses wreck so much havoc!
The very first time Maxy had an abscess when he first got here I started watching the Hoof GP videos on YouTube. Even though it was cows, it still was insanely helpful to learn about how the abscesses develop and what it's like to treat them. Now, we never cut Max's open and make them gush and do all the things they do in those videos, but his abscesses have been every bit as gross and smelly as you see on YouTube. I can't even imagine how painful it has to feel. Glad he's on the mend!
Thank you SO much for saying all the details about MM! I am definitely a nerdy science person & love learning things I know nothing about. How fascinating!! I am so grateful for people so skilled to be able to diagnose & treat MM. He is definitely blessed!! Always brings sense of calm knowing what you are facing & to have an action plan! And can not agree more to these sentiments:
“They said directly to Molly-Max, “there’s no way you’d still be here if it wasn’t for these two caring so much about you.”
You both have been a God send to MM & I can’t say enough about how much love makes a difference. Thank you for all you both do for MM & all creatures big & small at LDF!! 🙌🏼❤️
Thank you Becky, I'm glad you enjoyed reading through his care! We're so lucky to have access to Dr. Cornell...wish y'all could see her in action because it is fascinating! She's just so knowledgeable and she and Mark have been doing this together for many many years. The two of them really impress me as a team and the sweetest part about them is they're always petting and stroking and loving on Molly-Max while they're doing his care. They're huge MM fans! ❤️
Thank you Barbie! They sure do let us know how much they love us and it's very clear to both Chris and I that Molly-Max knows we're working so hard to help him. Typically when he's feeling good he'll try and evade me putting on his harness or he'll give us trouble stepping up to where we tie him up to work on his hooves. While he's been dealing with this he's always so accepting of our care--he must know it's all leading to him feeling better and better.
He still amazes me. Watching him go thru so much since he & Dominic were saved by you both. He has the drive to heal. He knows how much he’s loved & he loves you both so much. He can get thru anything. Please give him a big hug around the neck & a big kiss on his sweet nose. I hope Dominic doesn’t have to suffer with abscesses down the road. 🫶🏼
See, I started following you because of an infamous cat you adopted way back when (may he rest easy now) and here I am, years later, almost in tears about a donkey I've never met.
I'm a born and bred city girl, have only seen horses and never ridden one, but am now in love with Molly-Max and his little brother.
Seeing his x-rays and the comments from his vet make me very happy for you all.
Ania thank you for sharing this!!! Ohhh Mr. B, how we miss that big kitty. I'll always be so grateful at the way he brought so many of us together and made SO many people so happy through the years. Molly-Max sure does a good job of that now--you truly can't help but love him. I remember way back when I first met Molly-Max, I looked into his big brown beady eyes and told him I'd do anything I possibly could to make things better for him--whatever that looked like. It started out as visits and snacks and has since morphed into so many daily little tasks to hopefully ease his pain and keep him comfortable and care free. Sometimes I think we were meant for THIS farm and meant to be here for MM and Dom. We feel really lucky we get to be the ones to care for them. ❤️
I'm with Ania - teary eyed over this. I have always loved donkey's even as a city girl. Got to ride one on a trip to my mom's farm in Malta (dry conditions). then saw them around the racetracks I'd visit with my dad. I'd love a donkey but thanks to you I feel like Miracle Max is ours. That right hoof (and my bout of plantar facisits) has me wondering if there's a cast or boot to help adjust the bones? It really was jarring to see and looks so painful. Thank you for giving them both the absolute best care. Share an Amazon wish list if you need treats, or supplies, or treats.
Liz - sounds like you have such wonderful memories of donkeys!! And you're right--Maxy is our Every Donkey - I think of him like he's yours, too...so know that you do have a dear old donkey up in Upstate NY. Good thing you mentioned the boot - there are boots called Soft Rides that we're going to be custom ordering for Molly-Max. They have an orthotic insert and then a boot that goes around it that should ease his footing. He'll wear this every day. As soon as his hoof heals up we'll be measuring them and placing the order--the vet recommended that now is a good time to get them for Maxy as it'll make his day-to-day a little more comfortable. And thanks for the offer - y'all really showed up when we first got them and we have absolutely everything we could ever need and more for their care!!
I have to be honest, I was nervous about the outcome when I started reading. Now very relieved at the outcome and learned a lot about donkey hooves! You both have done an amazing job rescuing these donkeys and you can tell by the looks on there faces that they are living the the dream at LDF❤️
Gosh he really sent me into a worry. Once the coffin bone begins to rotate or slip, that is really the end for an equine. Generally, you put them down to spare them the misery, and I was sick with worry that we may have been headed in that direction. I'm so relieved that is not what we were facing this time...thankfully he's got more left in him. ❤️
Molly-Max is so blessed to have you and Chris as such loving and attentive guardians. I’m so impressed with the way you both approach his care. True dedication and testimony of the power of love and care!
Thank you so much! It's so weird to think that just two short years ago we knew N O T H I N G about donkeys...literally zilch. Today, I feel like I could confidently help a first-time donkey caretaker or someone adopting or inheriting an elderly donkey. Who would have ever thought. They've stolen our hearts forever.
I am so happy Molly-Max is on the mend. Yay! You and Chris are just so amazing.
Thank you Carole! The encouragement from you all always helps in the toughest times!
I work as a receptionist in a small animal vet on LI and have always been interested in medicine. So I was very interested in this post and appreciated the layman’s explanation. Then again, I enjoy all of your posts ( even though I am undisciplined and read many of them far after posted)
I started crying when I saw the x-rays of his right hoof, but hearing the explanation and the doctor’s hopeful view of his likely journey returned my smile.
With all you and Chris have been going through recently, May you all have deep healing physically AND emotionally❣️
Sending lots of love and light,
Sharon
Thanks so much for your kind words, Sharon. When the post was approaching 2000 words I was like oh gosh everyone is going to think, sheesh Sarah just get to the point! But that was a fleeting and silly thought because I know you guys care about and like learning about the same stuff we're enjoying learning and experiencing, too. It's why I love writing this Farm Note and sharing everything we can with you!!
Thank you for sharing the details of Molly-Max and his improvement. I am curious what you use as the “drawing agent” for his poultice? I love your posts!
The pads are made by Animalintex (a 3M company) and they have boric acid and tragacanth...the boric acid acts as the antiseptic and the tragacanth is like a stabilizer. When dipped in hot water and applied to the hoof it helps soften the surfaces and basically sucks all of the infection out of the hoof and onto/into the pad. It's amazing how well they work. We leave one on for a full 24 hours and then change it, as we've found that to be the best result so far!
I’m so glad it wasn’t as serious as you thought! Molly Max is a very lucky boy to have found you two and we’re very lucky to have found all of you! ❤️❤️❤️
We're all just one big happy loving learning animal-loving family and I love this for us all!! 😘
I'm happy to know that MM is on the mend.
Thanks for sharing about the hooves. I never knew how they inter-connected with the bone structure. It's amazing how much they are like our feet and ankles. If one thing is out of kilter everything else pays a price.
I know you will give MM lots of TLC. Give him a hug and a 💋from me.
We're so lucky to have an incredible vet and an amazing farrier. The type of mobile traveling veterinary care our vet provides today is almost unheard of...that model is very much going to the wayside which is a huge disservice to equine owners. Now imagine, if we didn't have her, we'd have to load Maxy up on a trailer, as bad as he is, and drive him three and a half hours to the Cornell Veterinary Hospital for care. Can you imagine? Truly, we are so so so so blessed.
Your vet does indeed seem amazing and if her type disappears, I am sure it would likely cause much more pain and suffering for large animals. I hope that does not come to be the standard.
I just was thinking yesterday after I wrote this comment about how I could help her create a program to teach to other vets and those aspiring to run their own mobile practice. I'll mention it to her next time I talk to her because I bet she does incredibly well for herself and that the kind of practice she runs would appeal to people who want freedom of their own business, schedule, clients, and operations.
That is a fabulous idea❣️ I hope it works out !
I know, at least in small animal world there is actually a shortage of veterinarians right now. I hope that also is not a continuing (spelling?) trend.
Glad it wasn’t as bad as you thought and I think the same thing they said that if you two had not come into their lives they wouldn’t be around now. It was interesting with the X-rays. I follow two YouTube folks for trimming and those abscesses wreck so much havoc!
The very first time Maxy had an abscess when he first got here I started watching the Hoof GP videos on YouTube. Even though it was cows, it still was insanely helpful to learn about how the abscesses develop and what it's like to treat them. Now, we never cut Max's open and make them gush and do all the things they do in those videos, but his abscesses have been every bit as gross and smelly as you see on YouTube. I can't even imagine how painful it has to feel. Glad he's on the mend!
Yes that’s one I follow!
Thank you SO much for saying all the details about MM! I am definitely a nerdy science person & love learning things I know nothing about. How fascinating!! I am so grateful for people so skilled to be able to diagnose & treat MM. He is definitely blessed!! Always brings sense of calm knowing what you are facing & to have an action plan! And can not agree more to these sentiments:
“They said directly to Molly-Max, “there’s no way you’d still be here if it wasn’t for these two caring so much about you.”
You both have been a God send to MM & I can’t say enough about how much love makes a difference. Thank you for all you both do for MM & all creatures big & small at LDF!! 🙌🏼❤️
Becky
Thank you Becky, I'm glad you enjoyed reading through his care! We're so lucky to have access to Dr. Cornell...wish y'all could see her in action because it is fascinating! She's just so knowledgeable and she and Mark have been doing this together for many many years. The two of them really impress me as a team and the sweetest part about them is they're always petting and stroking and loving on Molly-Max while they're doing his care. They're huge MM fans! ❤️
Wow! What a ride! Thank you for sharing. Your love for Molly Max and Dominic is what keeps them going. They so obviously love you right back. 🥰❤️🫏🫏
Thank you Barbie! They sure do let us know how much they love us and it's very clear to both Chris and I that Molly-Max knows we're working so hard to help him. Typically when he's feeling good he'll try and evade me putting on his harness or he'll give us trouble stepping up to where we tie him up to work on his hooves. While he's been dealing with this he's always so accepting of our care--he must know it's all leading to him feeling better and better.
He still amazes me. Watching him go thru so much since he & Dominic were saved by you both. He has the drive to heal. He knows how much he’s loved & he loves you both so much. He can get thru anything. Please give him a big hug around the neck & a big kiss on his sweet nose. I hope Dominic doesn’t have to suffer with abscesses down the road. 🫶🏼
Yes, my stomach was indeed in knots! I almost stopped reading. So glad I finished to the excellent ending news. As usual, you guys are an inspiration.
Y’all are taking such good care of 3M ! (Miracle Molly-Max) He’s got this!!💕💕💕💕