Salt the donkey is a member of our herd at Brookfield Farm in Devon. When he began suffering from dental problems, his team of grooms and our veterinary team jumped into action.
During an annual routine dental exam, our vets noticed that Salt had fractured one of his upper molar teeth, exposing sensitive dental pulp in two places.
Emma Hales, Lead Veterinary Surgeon at The Donkey Sanctuary, explains: "The pulp is the innermost layer of the tooth containing the nerves and blood vessels to keep the tooth healthy.
"Not only is pulp exposure in donkeys painful, it leaves the tooth vulnerable to infection, which can quickly spread into their sinuses."
The team brought Salt into our specialist donkey dentistry suite, where Emma and Lead Veterinary Surgeon for Dental Jesus Buil were able to desensitize the tooth with a local anaesthetic before safely removing both fractured segments of the tooth in full along with their roots.
After his tooth extraction, Salt returned to Brookfield Farm. His grooms kept a very close eye on his recovery and gave him pain medication and antibiotics disguised in his favourite treats.
Salt's groom Mel Burton says: "Since his return to the farm, we have noticed a positive change in his behaviour and confidence. He is now much happier with human interactions and has even started integrating himself into his herd more and making some new donkey friends."
Emma closely monitored the tooth's socket, which is now fully healed over and Salt is no longer in any dental discomfort.
