Donkey recovers after dental surgery complication
Darby (L) was accompanied to hospital by Gabrial.
A donkey resident at The Donkey Sanctuary’s Paccombe Farm is in recovery after facing complications from a tooth extraction.
Darby, a fifteen-year-old brown gelding, was referred for dental surgery at a specialist donkey hospital at Brookfield, after one of his lower cheek teeth became displaced.
This had caused food to pack around it which, if left untreated, would have caused gum disease. On arrival at the hospital, X-rays were performed to plan the surgical procedure.
Although Darby was not closely bonded with any particular companion in his herd, he was accompanied to the hospital by Gabrial.
The extraction, performed by veterinary surgeons Alice Hodgson and Curtis Goding, appeared to go well. For weeks after the surgery, Dr Hodgson was pleased with the healing process of the socket.
A few weeks later, Darby’s grooms noticed some discharge coming from the left side of his lower jawbone.
This was initially thought to be unrelated to the surgery, as the socket was healing perfectly, so he was treated for an infected wound. However, it was soon discovered that the wound was not healing as expected.
Darby was readmitted back to the hospital, along with companion Gabrial, for several months of diagnostics and close monitoring.
Multiple diagnostics were performed to establish the cause of the non-healing wound. This included blood work, multiple radiographs and contrast radiographs, ultrasound scans, wound flushes and surgical wound debridement.
A scan identified a sequestrum next to where the tooth was extracted, which was the reason the wound could not heal.
Dr Hodgson said: “After removing Darby’s tooth we were struggling to identify the reason for his non-healing wound, as scans were not initially picking up the secondary bone formation.
“We know that a sequestrum (bony fragment) is a possible complication of an extraction – however they are notoriously difficult to spot. Thanks to the expert attentiveness of the team caring for him, we were able to spot the issue and begin treatment.”
A short procedure was needed to remove the fragment, and Darby was soon able to return to Paccombe Farm. Despite concerns about Darby’s reintegration, he was greeted with brays when he returned to his herd.
Image © The Donkey Sanctuary
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.
