Could this very young mini donkey be pregnant? *worried*

dianneS

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I got a mini donkey back in September. She was just 5 months old at the time. She was penned in a small corral (no pasture) with both parents. Her mamma weened her at about 4 months old. The guy who owned them asked me to come get the baby because he said the Jack was starting to become "interested in her" and he was worried he might breed the baby. (Why he didn't separate them is beyond me).

I offered to pick her up right away, but he said it wasn't convenient for him until two weeks later. She was still in with the Jack when I arrived with the trailer to pick her up. A day or two after getting her home I noticed that she was "winking" and hoped that that was her first ever heat cycle.

I was grooming her a few days after her arrival here (she was very skittish and hadn't been handled much) and noticed three big scabs. One on her back right in the middle, one about her wither area, and the other just behind her ears on her neck. They looked like bites (where the stallions typically bite the mares during breeding).

I've had her for four months now, she's 9 months old. She's pastured with my mini horse and my two TB's. They have 24/7 access to hay. Her diet hasn't changed since she got here. She looks fine, but all of a sudden she has a bit of a belly! Its not huge, but I have noticed a change within the last two or three days.

I was palpating her tummy and its certainly more round all of a sudden, and she got very upset with me rubbing her belly and kicked at me (but of course she is young and spunky).

I am really worried that this little baby could be pregnant!?!? I'm scared to death, she's so tiny, this could kill her!

The people I got her from are not real smart obviously, and she wasn't abused or neglected, but her situation was less than ideal. I sort of consider her a rescue.

I really think if her previous owner noticed the Jack checking her out, that there is a good possibility she might be bred! I don't know much about donkeys and don't know any donkey experts. Can anyone help? What are the odds she could be pregnant? Slim to none, or a good chance?
 

taylorm17

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I don't know much about equine breeding, but under the circumstances she might be. If the bite marks are up there and was in heat when you got her, the male was checking her out, and she is getting wider, it might be sd to say. Also if her belly is getting bigger, has she been dewormed yet. Also I would consider her a rescue from what you say. I also don't know why they wouldn't separate the dad?!?!?!?!?
 

Bunnylady

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From what I've read, some little jennets can come into heat as early as 4 months of age. But since the gestation period on donkeys is even longer than horses (12 months), I wouldn't think she'd really be "showing" just yet.

I've heard that the small size of a mini's "parts" require a special ultrasound wand, and doing an internal exam is out of the question for most vets. The link below is for a company that makes a pregnancy test for equines that tests urine, just like the early pregnancy tests for humans that are available in every drugstore. It comes with very clear instructions and is easy to use, the only tricky part is getting a urine sample to test.

http://www.weefoal.com/

I bought a test kit when there was some debate as to whether my QH mare was pregnant (turned out she wasn't) so IME it works. Maybe testing your girl will set your worries to rest, too?
 

taylorm17

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Great information, I really hope she isn't. I think the urine test sounds like a great idea. I looked at it!:)
 

dianneS

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I just might get that urine test. Collecting the urine is going to be the hard part!

I feel a little better now. Her belly isn't really all that big yet. She has been wormed once, and the previous owner claims to have wormed her "through her mom's milk". If that even works??

Her belly hasn't gotten any bigger, as a matter of fact, its shrunk a little, or maybe I'm just getting used to looking at it? I'm starting to think that maybe she's not pregnant after all. I just worry too much.

I'm going to watch her carefully, take some pics of her and wait another month before I decide if I'm going to worry again or not. Maybe in a month or so, I'll try the urine test, but I'm really starting to think that she isn't pregnant. At least I sure hope she's not! :fl
 

taylorm17

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good news her belly doesn't seem to be getting any better. I really hope she isn't. Good luck and I worry way too much too, so hopefully it is just that!:fl
 

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