A donkey cared for at one of our wonderful Guardian homes has been hailed as a 'miracle' after he fully recovered after accidentally swallowing a deflated balloon.
Jack, who lives in Wexford, Ireland, with Guardians Louise and Chris Gordon, has provided endless laughter and joy with his antics since his arrival back in 2003.
Following the death of a long-term companion, he formed a new bond with a donkey called Bennie B and they had plenty of adventures together.
Recently, tragedy befell the Gordon family when Louise noticed Jack wasn't well – he was lying down regularly and was not interested in his food.
Both of these symptoms indicated something serious could have been affecting Jack's health.
Finding the problem
Louise and Chris immediately called a vet, who treated Jack for suspected colic.
Despite initially responding well to the treatment, Jack's condition deteriorated the following day, and he showed no signs of improvement.
Roisin Doyle, Veterinary Surgeon at The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland, offered her assistance and advised alternative treatments.
After testing Jack's blood and confirming everything was normal, it was suggested there might be a blockage in Jack's digestive system.
Further treatments were administered but to no avail. It was decided it wouldn't be fair to keep putting Jack through much more, and euthanasia was the kindest option.
Louise requested Jack have one more night, and if his condition hadn't improved the following morning, he would be put to sleep.
After providing Jack with pain relief and ensuring he was comfortable, the Gordons and vets turned in for the night with bated breath.
'Miracle' turnaround
The following morning, Jack surprised everyone when he started to eat again and appeared to feel much better.
It turned out that Jack had eaten a deflated balloon, which was thought to have blown into his surroundings, and had been causing him discomfort.
Louise has hailed Jack as their 'miracle donkey', but he wouldn't be here today if not for the support of veterinarians, Barrowside Veterinary Hospital, Roisin, Clare Crowther and most importantly, the determination and commitment of Louise and Chris.
With the balloon now out of his system, we're delighted to report Jack is back to his loving, lively self.
