A miniature donkey named Harper is back home and healthy after a team of veterinarians at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine performed emergency surgery to save her life after she ate a towel
Lexi Tarpy, stable manager at Stone Ridge in Concord, Virginia, brought Harper, a 3-month-old filly to Virginia Tech’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Veterinarian Caroline Rossner referred the donkey to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine after Harper showed signs of colic and a fever.
Upon arrival, the veterinary team performed exploratory surgery to investigate the cause of Harper’s illness. They discovered two pieces of towel obstructing her digestive system, which they successfully removed.
While dogs eat lots of things they shouldn’t, such cases are rare for large animals. “They’re usually pretty good at sticking to the things they should normally eat,” said Dr. Elaine Claffey, assistant clinical professor of large animal surgery.
Just as Harper’s recovery began, her mother Daisy was brought to the hospital to allow Harper to nurse. However, Daisy quickly developed fevers and enteritis, a type of intestinal inflammation. The hospital’s internal medicine team took over her care, and both mother and daughter have fully recovered.
Tarpy expressed her gratitude for the care they received at the teaching hospital. “They’ve been great and very helpful, transparent with everything for us,” she said. “They were in great hands, and we’re ready for them to come home.”
Feature image courtesy Margie Christianson
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