Against all odds: Dan pulls through

Dan, who lives in Cornwall with long-eared companions Oscar and Murphy, worried his Guardians, Chris and Jayne, when he didn’t want to eat his morning meal.

The 23-year-old donkey had become lethargic and uninterested. At The Donkey Sanctuary, we have coined the phrase ‘beware the dull donkey’.

When a donkey becomes indifferent to their feed and surroundings, it could indicate that something could be wrong.

Chris recalls: “A vet came out and thought Dan may have a compaction in his stomach. They administered pain relief and an injection to clear the suspected blockage.

“The next morning, Dan seemed brighter but still wasn’t his normal self, so we called our local veterinary practice – Penmellyn Vets – who asked us to bring him in immediately.”

Once he had arrived with Oscar and Murphy beside him, Dan was diagnosed with enteritis, an infection of his small intestine.

Despite receiving the best treatment, Dan’s health yo-yoed and by the time Chris and Jayne had returned to Penmellyn Vets the following morning, they were left fearing the worst.

“Dan had fallen over twice,” Chris says. “His head was down and he seemed to be depressed. The nurses were so concerned about him, they had called in the vet to look at him again.”

However, against all odds, Dan pulled through after ten very nervy days.

A slow recovery

“I remember there was a point where Oscar and Murphy started calling for Dan, and he lifted his head up. That’s when I saw there was still fight in his eyes.

“The next ten days are what I would describe as ten days of hell. Some days, Dan would accept food from our hands and look brighter, then we’d blink and he wasn’t eating and was going the other way.

“It was ten days of highs and lows, and we knew that any point, Dan may have had a downturn he couldn’t have bounced back from.

“But thankfully, he pulled through. We all played our part – the vets with the medication and expertise, us with the emotional support and of course, Dan, who had the heart to keep on going.”

Brave Heart Awards

Dan’s story was shared at Penmellyn Vets’ recent Brave Heart Awards, which recognises the practice’s patients who have been through extensive surgery, long periods of hospitalisation or critical illness.

Today, Dan is thriving once more in the safety and comfort of his Guardian home.

“His life is complete paradise,” Chris says. “He’s back with his friends and is a very happy donkey.”

Donkey Guardians are essential to The Donkey Sanctuary. They provide dedicated care to donkeys and help free up vital sanctuary space for donkeys who require more specialist care, allowing us to reach even more donkeys and mules in need.