A donkey who has suffered from a number of health issues is enjoying life at our Sidmouth sanctuary thanks to the love and attention he has received from our farm staff.
Will, a distinctive skewbald coloured donkey, came into the care of The Donkey Sanctuary as a young stallion with a mare named Coco, after their owner could no longer care for them.
As the charity has a 'no breeding' policy, newly arrived stallions require castrating before being introduced to the wider herd. But during medical assessments, it was discovered that Will had a notable heart murmur.
An ultrasound scan at our donkey hospital revealed the full extent of Will's problem – a small hole between the large ventricles of his heart.
Castrating Will would have proved a risk to his health, so he needed to be gradually introduced to a group of males, while his bonded friend Coco joined two young mares of the same age called Chocolate and Ivy.
The gradual separation took months of patience from the dedicated team of farm staff. They separated them bit by bit so they could still see each other while introducing new friends to interact with.
Will settled in well with his new group of friends, but as he matured as a young stallion, the females in other parts of the sanctuary started to draw his attention.
His new-found interest in trying to reach the mares resulted in several attempts to break through the fence of his paddock to join them. His behaviour meant there was a real possibility of him causing harm to himself, so farm staff knew they had to come up with a solution.
After much deliberation and further medical assessment, the decision was made to castrate Will. Even though the operation would prove a risk, the benefits to Will's safety and overall wellbeing significantly outweighed this, and in July 2019 he underwent a successful operation.
Will also suffered from eye issues, and staff knew he would need long-term care. In July 2021, he joined the group of donkeys in Shelter 3, which is specifically set up for donkeys who have eye problems and features bumper pads and soft, deep shavings inside.
Will suffers from recurrent eye ulcers and epiphora (a discharge from the eye), but his grooms did a good job of keeping the hair trimmed above his eyes to help reduce the problem.
During the summer months, he also wears an eye mask to protect him from flies and the bright sunshine – and it also helps if he is struggling with an eye ulcer.
Will's vet Polly Vogel said: "I have known Will for nearly two years now and worked with him since I've been at The Donkey Sanctuary. It is amazing that he is now happily settled into a mixed group. He is very friendly and always comes up to see what I'm doing during my routines.
“He can be quite cheeky to examine now, as he knows that I have to administer special eye drops called fluorescein to check for ulcers, but we usually manage. To help his medicine go down, we usually offer a treat of a jam sandwich, which always does the trick.”
After many ups and downs, seven-year-old Will is now a very happy donkey living among the herd. He has found a new lease of life in a safe environment, which is a delight for all his grooms to see.
