Sick Devon donkey saved by being given 24 litres of cola

Vets resorted to fizzy cola to help ease a blockage in a sick donkey's stomach.

Joey from The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, had a condition known as gastric impaction.

It was so bad that he could not eat or drink anything, and he was in a lot of pain.

Vets at the sanctuary gave Joey 24 litres of the fizzy drink over four days through a tube in his nose and now he is "back to his usual happy self".

Vet Jamie Forrest said the cola dissolved the blockage, a procedure the sanctuary had tried before with "really good" results.

He explained that they used full fat cola because Joey needed the extra calories to prevent damage to the the liver and kidneys.

"We administered the cola by putting a tube into Joey's nose, going directly into his stomach," he said.

"And then we administered the cola three times a day, over a four-day period to break down the impaction."

Gastric impactions are rare in donkeys, and the sanctuary only sees a couple of cases a year, he said.

He also warned cola should only be given to animals by a vet for a specific reason, and not as a regular drink.

"Joey is back to his usual happy self and he's made a new friend as well, so he's doing really well," he said.

Donkey Ben was introduced to him by their grooms.

"They follow each other around the field and they eat together, it's really, really lovely to see," said Mr Forrest.

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