A vet who was investigating a Shire’s uterine problems was shocked to find an old Fanta can embedded deep within the mare.
The RSPCA is appealing for information as it tries to find out what happened to the mare while she was being kept in the Biddulph area of north Staffordshire about two years ago. The mare has been rehomed since, and her previous owners are under no suspicion, but it is thought the mare “may have been interfered with by an unknown person while she was staying at a yard they were using at the time”.
“Two parts of the degraded aluminium can were removed manually by a vet who carried out an internal examination after being contacted by the horse’s current owners because they were concerned about her uterine problems,” an RSPCA spokesman said, adding that the drink can was date-stamped 30 April 2020.
“Anyone who has or had connections to a yard in the ST8 postcode area or the horses stabled there between 2020 and 2022 is being asked if they recall any suspicious activity during that time.”
The horse is expected to make a full recovery from her health issues.
The vet who found and removed the can contacted RSPCA inspector Pamela Bird, who said: “The Fanta can had broken down inside the horse and skin tissue had grown around it. It is quite horrific to think the poor creature had this embedded deep inside her for so long and the equine vet was shocked to find it.
“The horse has been rehomed, but two years ago she was stabled in the Biddulph area. She was suffering from health problems then, but the owners couldn’t find out what was causing them.
“There is no suggestion of neglect on their part, but it looks like this foreign object could have been inserted at that time without their knowledge by an unknown person. We are trying to establish how this happened.”
Anyone with information about the mare is asked to call the RSPCA on 0300 1238018.
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