June 14th
Alice, one of our beloved mini donkeys, recently developed a small abscess under her chin that began to drain. Considering her harrowing past, we worried deeply that it was life-threatening and immediately sought help to free her from the pain.
To ensure her safety, we performed cultures, which thankfully came back negative. We diligently monitored her temperature, treated the area multiple times daily with ointments, administered a course of antibiotics, and used heating packs twice a day to promote draining. Despite our best efforts, and although the swelling has reduced and the drainage has lessened, we still felt something wasn’t right. So, we had the vet come back for another examination.
After consulting the veterinarian for a third time, we arranged for them to return as soon as Alice completed her antibiotics and treatment. Despite the initial improvement, a rock-hard ball had formed under her chin. We knew something was still terribly wrong, so we had the vet perform X-rays.
Alice is 8 years old, and her teeth are constantly growing. We have them floated regularly to prevent chewing issues, sharp points, and abscesses in her mouth. However, the X-rays revealed a devastating truth: the roots of a couple of her teeth are so tightly packed together that there is barely any room in her mouth. As a result, the roots have grown much farther down and have anchored deeply into the base of her jaw, causing an incredibly painful and hard baseball-shaped abscess outside the bone.
Right now, we are administering intramuscular anti-inflammatories and pain medications. We can continue treating the abscess, but it won’t stop and will only worsen until those teeth are removed. Alice needs to be transported to the vet for surgery and may need to stay overnight, depending on the severity of the roots and jaw upon arrival. The estimated cost of her surgery is between $2,500 and $3,500.
Alice's story is devastating when you put it in the context of her traumatic past. We took Alice in as part of four mini donkeys from an owner who could no longer care for them. These donkeys had been living on over 15 acres, leading to severe obesity and potential health issues like equine metabolic syndrome. It took days, and the help of many dedicated volunteers, to safely capture and relocate these donkeys, and begin to get them the medical treatment they deserved.
Alice’s pain and struggle are palpable. Are you willing to help save her? We are desperately searching for grants to help cover the cost of Alice's critical surgery, but with so many applicants, we are painfully aware this may not be a successful avenue. We have scheduled her surgery for the earliest available date because delaying it will only make her condition worse.
June 19th
We consulted the veterinarian for a 3rd time and had them come back out when Alice finished her antibiotics and treatment, even though the swelling and draining had dissipated, she was now forming a rock hard ball under her chin. As expected we just knew that something wasn’t right despite all the different treatments we had done so we had the vets perform X-rays this time.
At 8, Alice’s teeth are constantly growing so we have them floated regularly to prevent chewing issues, sharp points and abscesses in the mouth. However the X-rays confirmed that the roots of a couple teeth are packed in so close together, resulting in very little room in her mouth. As a result the roots are continually growing much farther down and have anchored deeply into the base of her jaw….causing a painful and hard baseball shaped abscess outside of the bone!!
We are giving intramuscular anti-inflammatories and pain meds and we can keep treating the abscess but it won’t stop and will only get worse until those teeth are removed! She needs to be trailed in to the vets and possibly be kept overnight depending on the severity of the roots and jaw on arrival. Her surgery estimate is between $2,500-$3,500.
We are currently searching for grants to apply for that could possibly help with her much needed and necessary surgery, but with so many applicants we are fully aware it may not be a successful avenue!
We set her surgery date to the first available next week as this type of surgery can’t be pushed off as it will only get worse.
You can help us by sharing or donating as any amount, no matter how big or small, helps her get the care she needs!
June 28th
We have an important update on Alice's dental surgery. As anticipated, the procedure was more complex than initially expected due to Alice's small size. The veterinary team discovered multiple issues during their pre-surgery examination, including infected tooth roots and an extra tooth growing sideways, which likely caused overcrowding.
Due to Alice's tiny stature and the standard horse-sized dental tools being too large, the surgeons had to take an alternative approach. They made an incision along Alice's jawline to push the problematic teeth upward into her mouth for removal. During the procedure, they also discovered and removed a tooth root tumor, which the vet assures us is typically benign and shouldn't cause further issues once excised.
Alice is currently staying at the veterinary clinic for a few days of post-operative care. She's receiving IV fluids, continuous flushing of the surgical site, and close monitoring. The clinic has promised to provide us with twice-daily updates on her progress. While the surgery was more involved than initially planned, we're optimistic about Alice's recovery and grateful for the thorough care she's receiving. Thank you so much for helping us do everything we can for Alice & we'll keep you posted on her progress as we receive updates from the veterinary team! 🙏
June 31st
Alice was discharged Monday after her surgery and spending a couple of days in the ICU to keep a closer eye on her. She was so happy to be back with her friends that she broke out into a sprint! She still has quite a while to go with healing as her chin is very swollen. She is getting flushes deep in her incision twice a day to keep it as sterile as possible along with flushes inside her mouth, temperature checks, pain medicine, antibiotics and gastrogard to prevent ulcers from the medication. She has a concrete plug in the location of where her tooth was. The purpose of the plug is to prevent germs from entering from the incision that had to be created on the outside of her chin so they could push the tooth upwards and remove the tumor. She will have a follow up appointment in 10 days to have that removed. Hoping she will heal quickly and have a positive outcome from here on out!
July 16th
The wonderful vets at Blue Ridge Equine Clinic came out last week to check her incision and healing. She is no longer on antibiotics or pain medicine since her major surgery and although still swollen some, seems to be healing nicely. They decided to leave the plug in her mouth a little longer and allow it to fall out on its own, giving the tissue more time to heal around it. She is transitioning back to hay and off of her soupy mush that she’s had to eat since her surgery. She is thrilled to no longer receive the twice a day flushes inside her incision!
We may have spoiled her rotten with lots of yummy treats lately-but we think it’s just fine with all that she has been through! Thank you so much for helping us do everything we can for sweet Alice!! Your support means the world. 🙏 ❤