Vet cures grieving donkey's serious condition with 24 litres of cola

Joey the donkey became unwell when he stopped eating after his mother died. Picture: The Donkey Sanctuary

A donkey in England has been saved by 24 litres of cola after he had a blockage in his stomach.

Fifteen-year-old Joey stopped eating when his elderly mother, Josie, died last November. He found himself in serious condition soon after when he developed a solid blockage of food in his stomach which was preventing food to pass through his small intestine.

Veterinary surgeon Jamie Forrest examined Joey and decided that intensive treatment would be required to solve the problem.

The unusual treatment involved Joey having six litres of full-sugar cola a day administered via a tube up the nose in three or four doses, as well as pain relief.

“In essence, the cola acted like a drain cleaner. It eats away at the firm matter and eventually softens it to a point where it can pass," said Dr Forrest. Joey was also put on a restricted diet to prevent the impaction from growing.

The sugar in the cola also helped to reduce the risk of Joey developing a condition called hyperlipaemia. When Joey stopped eating for a long period of time, he triggered a process in the body that could have led to organ failure and eventually death.

After four days of treatment, Joey was on the mend and tests showed that the blockage had cleared. While the treatment was a success, it should be noted that cola should never be given to a healthy donkey and should only be done by a vet.

Joey and new pal. Ben, are helping each other after they both lost their companions. Picture: The Donkey Sanctuary

Joey was well looked after while he was being treated and is now back to his happy self.

Dedicated groom Kayleigh Yelland said that his mother's death was a massive loss to Joey who had been with her for his whole life.

"He had become quite nervous and didn’t want to be around anybody," she explained.

"I used positive reassurance to help him along — I would go in and scratch his neck, reassure him and then walk away.

"By repeating this, it helped him understand that we were here to help and comfort him, not just add to the veterinary procedures."

New pal

Joey's progress was helped along when he made a new friend. Ben, who had recently lost his closely bonded companion, was introduced to Joey because they had shared similar experiences.

“Ben had lost his friend Bob not too long before Josie’s passing, so our idea was to introduce him to Joey," said Ms Yelland.

“By buddying the two together, we hoped their shared experience of loss would allow them to comfort each other. Their friendship is still flourishing, it’s early days. But I really do think their future as friends looks promising."