Mr Jingles is a much-loved donkey here at our sanctuary. Early one morning, welfare team member Eugene Butler noticed Mr Jingles was in discomfort, so he called the veterinary team right away.
Following closer inspection by Veterinary Nurse Tina O'Brien and Veterinary Surgeon Rosin Doyle, it became apparent that there was a tear in his cornea.
Tina says: "Mr Jingles presented with signs of pain and a watery discharge from his eye. A defect was clearly visible to see during examination."
Treatment
To ensure Mr Jingles was comfortable and free from pain, a treatment plan was put in place to help mend the tear.
Mr Jingles was treated with an IV anti-inflammatory, antibiotic serum. The team also applied a face mask to reduce the light hitting his eye, ensuring he was as comfortable as possible.
Rosin says: "He was exceptionally good to treat but the ulcer was proving very slow to heal."
The decision was made to contact Natasha Mitchell, an experienced equine ophthalmologist.
During her examination of Mr Jingles, some cells were gently collected from his eye and sent to the Irish Equine Centre for microscope analysis.
Rosin says: "It was great to get Natasha's expert opinion. She is very professional and has so much experience with equine ophthalmology."
On the road to recovery
Our vets continued treating his eye and they were delighted when the ulcer finally healed.
Mr Jingles was then put on an immunosuppressive eye drop to help his eye heal with minimal scarring.
We are delighed that Mr Jingles is now recovering well from his eye ulcer and hope he will join our rehoming scheme in the near future.
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With you by our side, we can always be there for donkeys like Mr Jingles.
