Coke, miracle cure for donkeys?
A specimen has just been treated by British veterinarians after suffering from constipation for several days, reports the BBC.
It was by administering no less than 24 liters of coke that caregivers managed to restore him, at the end of January, in a center dedicated to the care of donkeys in Sidmouth, in the southwest of England.
Indeed, the donkey Joey suffered from gastric impaction, a syndrome which can regularly affect horses and equines.
It is characterized by constipation in the animal.
According to the BBC, Joey was no longer able to eat or drink due to the pain.
To treat it, veterinarians therefore resorted to a most original technique: coke.
Coke administered through the nostrils
One of the vets, Jamie Forrest, told the BBC that the coke dissolved the blockage, and that it was a procedure the treatment center had used before, with "very good" results. .
Several studies have already been carried out on this subject by researchers, including one published in April and relayed by the specialized site Le Point veterinaire.
Over four days, they made him ingest a total of 24 liters of coke through a tube inserted through his nostrils and into his stomach.
The donkey needed many calories to avoid damage to its liver and kidneys.
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“We gave him coke three times a day to eliminate the impaction,” detailed Jamie Forrest, before emphasizing that this type of procedure should only be carried out by an animal specialist when necessary and that the coke was not a drink suitable for animals.
Since then, donkey Joey has been doing perfectly well, reassured The Donkey Sanctuary center.