Ears First
into Trouble
T
heoldesthorseI’deverworkedonwas34,
so when Robyn announced that her donkey
was 47, I was amazed and a little doubtful.
But she was certain of her dates, and after
looking at fuzzy and ancient little Roger for the
fi rst time, I agreed that he was really, really old.He did have teeth, although they were extremely
worn down. After studying his incisors—yellowed
lumps of polished enamel with no recognizable
features—I gave up trying to age him.
His ears drooped at disreputable angles, and
his eyes were almost completely hidden by ashock of fuzz. The crest of Roger’s neck hung
perilously to one side, and he tended to blun-
der into objects, as his eyesight was very poor.
Roger had no problem snapping up treats,
and this remained the best way to assess his
wellbeing and cognitive function. The day the
he stopped eating was probably going to be the
day he fi nally gave up and died.BARRIERS AND BLOCKADES
Roger had the run of his farm, and while the
owners had done their best to donkey-proof
the environment, he still managed to fi nd ways
to get himself into trouble.vet adventures
An ancient donkey continues to defy expectations.
BY COURTNEY S. DIEHL, DVM