Sarcoid surgery a success for fearful mule
Maya Willis, Zula's groom, gradually exposed him to the procedure.
The veterinary, behaviour and farming teams at The Donkey Sanctuary have collaborated to treat a sarcoid tumour on a nervous mule.
Zula, a fifteen-year-old mule residing at Town Barton in Devon, displayed nervous behaviour whenever veterinary teams attempted to examine the tumour on his underbelly.
As part of the treatment needed to remove Zula’s sarcoid, the three teams collaborated to create a behaviour shaping plan ahead of his procedure. The charity was concerned that, without intervention, Zula would have been too stressed by the sight and sounds of the equine hospital.
The behaviour plan saw Maya Willis, Zula’s groom, gradually expose him to the experiences he would face during his tumour removal operation.
Zula’s daily programme involved him building confidence with being caught and a shaping plan to keep him calm when having a pre-operation injection. Ms Willis began to increase the amount his underbelly was touched, as he would previously kick out when veterinary surgeons examined the tumour.
Ms Willis also showed him how medical swabs would be used on the wound, helping him to remain calm during examinations.
Although the sarcoid procedure was urgent to prevent the tumour spreading, The Donkey Sanctuary said that they could not rush Zula’s progress. Without building Zula’s confidence, they would have been unable to provide sufficient aftercare.
Despite Zula’s behaviour plan, veterinary surgeons ultimately decided to perform the laser surgery at his stable’s uncovered sand school.
Hannah Boocock, Zula’s veterinary surgeon, said: “While we would rather have operated on Zula in a hospital environment because it’s cleaner and we have specialised staff, it was important that he could stay at home with his attentive grooms who he knew really well.
“Mules can find changes more stressful than donkeys, so keeping him at Town Barton was the right choice for him.”
As the surgery date approached Dr Boocock became part of Zula’s behaviour plan, joining Ms Willis in mock-preparations for the procedure.
During the procedure, Zula remained stable under a general anaesthetic and was back on his feet within an hour. The team says that, in familiar surroundings, Zula was calm and got up with little help from Dr Boocock.
The Donkey Sanctuary has attributed the operation’s success with its team’s communication and forward-planning.
Dr Boocock said: “He has recovered well and the wound has healed excellently. The sarcoid was benign so it is unlikely to come back and as far as we could tell, we removed the entirety of the tumour, which is great news.”
Image © The Donkey Sanctuary
Joanne Webster, a professor of parasitic diseases at the RVC, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).
