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Born prematurely, Zena was found early one morning curled up in the corner of a stable here at The Donkey Sanctuary with her doting mother, Flora, watching over her. Although Zena was breathing, she was very still and quiet, lying almost motionless in the straw. She was clearly unwell and it quickly became apparent that she was unable to stand.
The early hours of
Zena's life were
crucial.
Urgent veterinary treatment was needed to save Zena's life. One of our vets, Elena Barrio, carried out an initial examination of Zena and confirmed that her legs were not able to support her as they were not working properly. Zena desperately needed to feed, but couldn't stand to suckle from Flora. Even when Zena was held up to her mother's udder, her suck reflex was poor and she could not get enough milk.
The early hours of Zena's life were crucial and staff worked around the clock to help her. An intensive feeding regime was implemented and staff combined regular bottle feeding with attempts to encourage Zena to latch on to her mother. Zena's back legs were bandaged to give her added support in standing to reach her mother's milk. Flora proved to be an excellent mother and was calm and patient with her foal throughout. Sometimes mothers can reject their foals if they fail to suckle or are weak from birth, but Flora has been a model parent.
Centre of expertise for donkey care
Thankfully, we have a wealth of experience and expertise here at The Donkey Sanctuary to deal with critical cases such as this.
A £5 donation could
buy a basic but
essential first aid kit.
A £15 donation could help
towards the cost of
providing an X-ray.
A £30 donation could fund
a routine blood test
for donkeys.
Zena underwent an intensive period of veterinary examinations and diagnostic tests to find out what was wrong with her. This included a number of blood tests and X-rays. Zena was diagnosed with a condition known as congenital flexural limb deformity, a relatively common problem in newborn foals. She was treated with a combination of medical therapy and regular physiotherapy to restore the conformation of her legs. This treatment was a success and she is now able to run around like a normal, happy foal.
Guaranteeing exceptional support and care in the future
Zena's story is a remarkable one. Thanks to the expertise and life saving facilities we are lucky enough to have here at The Donkey Sanctuary, a desperate little foal has been nursed to perfect health. Zena's future is now secure.
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Your commitment has been phenomenal
Over the years, your commitment to The Donkey Sanctuary and to the welfare of donkeys worldwide has been phenomenal and we are most grateful for your kindness. We simply could not have provided the quality and level of care to so many donkeys without this vital support. We realise that times are hard and that battling through one of the most difficult financial periods of our time hasn't been easy, but here at The Donkey Sanctuary there are still many mouths to feed and many donkeys just like Zena in genuine need of your help.
That's why any donation you feel able to give at this moment in time will be gratefully received and will help us to save the lives of many more donkeys including our little donkey foals.
Are you a UK taxpayer?
When making a donation, it would be helpful if you could inform us if you are a UK taxpayer to enable us to claim back money from the tax man through the Gift Aid Scheme by completing our gift aid declaration form.
An overview of the Gift Aid Scheme is available on the HM Customs & Excise website.
Donation enquiries
If you have any queries regarding making a donation, please contact us.
