The blog this month comes from Elena, one of the Sanctuary vets, giving us an insight into Appleby Horse Fair:
Some of you might not be aware that in June each year, The Donkey Sanctuary participates in a very large operation collaborating with a multi agency group (RSPCA, World Horse Welfare, Blue Cross and Redwings) and the local police to improve the welfare of hundreds of horses and donkeys that attend Appleby Horse Fair every year.
Hello, my name is Shelley and I am the Veterinary Department Clerical Officer. I have worked at the Sanctuary for 7 years and still love cuddling the donkeys on my way in every day. Not many places can boast that before you start work!
The hospital is a very busy place and we have a team of 7 vets, 5 vet nurses, 2 equine dental technicians and 2 grooms... this creates a lot of work for us in the office.
This blog has been written by Matt, one of our farriers here at the Sanctuary. He is responsible for looking after the feet of the donkeys at Axnoller, Brookfield, Paccombe, Strete and Slade Farms, as well as at our New Arrivals Unit.
There is a lot of thought, discussion and preparation that goes into each new arrival at The Donkey Sanctuary. Julie, our isolation nurse and veterinary department co-ordinator details the process here, so you can understand how carefully each donkey is looked after.
This month’s blog comes from Alex, one of the clinical team of vets.
One of the things The Donkey Sanctuary is keen to promote is education about looking after donkeys at all levels from owners, farriers, equine dentists, vet students and vets in practice. So a lot of our time here in the vet department is taken up with organising and doing all this training.
We are Lee and Gemma, two full-time, qualified Equine Dental Technicians based here at the Sanctuary. We visit each of our farms in Devon and Dorset performing routine dental treatments and also hold twice weekly clinics at our hospital facility for more advanced cases requiring veterinary input.
The second most common veterinary medical problem encountered by the donkey is dental disease. Every year, donkeys in the UK are euthanased through neglect to their oral health having first endured the chronic, widespread effects of severe oral disorders.
