The donkey Flashcards
1
Q
What differences specific to donkeys?
A
- Narrow nasal passages - potential haemorrhage when passing NGT
- Short NP Airway: constricted in th emiddle, flared dorsally & ventrally
- Epiglottis short and pointed, laryngeal opening tilted more caudally
2
Q
Specifics of donkeys - pt 2?
A
- Extended pharyngeal recess
- Narrower GP openings
- Paranasal sinuses smaller and do not extend as far rostral
- Rostral and caudal maxillary sinuses communicate
3
Q
where is the nasolacrimal duct?
A
Dorsal compared to horse
- At entrance to the false nostril
- Mules more lateral than donkeys
4
Q
What are some subtle signs of flight response?
A
o Turning their head away
o Freezing in your presence
o Stepping sideways
o Tail swishing
5
Q
What to know about Pair Bonding?
A
- Separating pair bonds causes severe stress (hyperlipaemia)
- Important to keep together for e.g. farriery, dentistry, vet visit
- Sometimes form trios
6
Q
What is the aim for vet exams, dental tx, & farriery …
A
*Provide a calm environment
* Limit stress for the animal
*Promote positive emotions
*Keep donkey and human safe
* Head into armpit technique works well
7
Q
How stoic are donkeys?
A
VERY FUCKING STOIC
8
Q
What signs of painful donkeys?
A
- becomes less interested in env
- have lower head pos
- weight shift more freqently
- reduced ear mov
- sham feed (pretend)
- SPend more time recumbent
- may grind their teeth
- startle easily
9
Q
How should we be scoring?
A
- Ideally have the same person carrying out the pain score.
- Remember to take into account behavioural aspects which may change your score.
- Perform a pain score at least twice daily
- Pain scoring will not necessarily take up much time and has great benefits for the donkey
- Show and involve owners
10
Q
Nutrition?
A
- Evolved as a grazing and browsing herbivore
- They flourish in semi arid environments = high fibre diet, low nutritional quality
- Donkeys do well on very little compared to most horses because of their efficient fibre digestion
- Forage for 14-18 hours per day and could also travel up to 20km
11
Q
How to feed a donkey day to day?
A
- Donkeys require less energy than pony of same size
- Av donkeys eats 1.3-1.7% of BW in DM
- Generally 2.5-3kg fo dry feed per day but don’t over complicate
- Feed by BCS
- Ad lib straw
12
Q
What can obesity in donkeys lead to?
A
- hyperlipaemia
- Laminitis
- EMS
13
Q
What tx will obesity impact on?
A
- Abdominocentesis
- Drugs for anaesthesia
14
Q
Describe the clinical exam in donkeys?
A
- Temperature: 36-37.8⁰C
- Pulse: 36-52 beats/min
- Respiration: 12-28 breaths/min
- Donkeys can be rectalled
- Insensitive cough reflex
- Cutaneous coli muscle – be aware when
doing IV injections - Important to get accurate weight for
medications (average donkey is 180-200kg)
15
Q
What doses of Phenylbut, Flnixin?
A
Phenylbutazone:
* loading dose 4.4mg/kg IV or PO BID
* followed by 2.2mg/kg po IV or PO BID
* Can be given long term with no deleterious side effects
Flunixin:
* 1.1mg/kg IV or PO BID
16
Q
What doses for Carprofen, Meloxicam, Paracetamol
A
Carprofen
* 0.7-1.3mg/kg po SID
Useful for chronic pain such as osteoarthritis
Meloxicam: Not advisable due to short half-life
Paracetamol
* 20mg/kg po BID
Useful as part of a multimodal post-operative approach
17
Q
Worming in Donkeys?
A
- Pasture management is key
- Regular FWEC
- Worm according to need (can cope with
greater worm burdens than horses) - Praziquantel not licensed in donkeys
18
Q
Vaccinations?
A
influenza and Tetanus as for horses
19
Q
Dental exam of donkey?
A
- Unlike horses it is often helpful to tie the donkey to a
firmly attached tie ring (string vs no string) - Donkeys tend to pull back to the rope limit…then stand
- Donkeys which ‘plough’ forwards may be settled by
using a pony headstand
20
Q
If donkey too agitated?
A
LET GO -> STRESS CAN KILL DONKEYS
21
Q
What are donkey teeth like?
A
- Greater degree of anisognathiea
- Mandible narrower than maxilla by 30%
- Keep deciduous teeth 2-6 months later than horses
- Incisor smile is often normal, don’t try to correct
22
Q
How often to do dental exam in donkeys >20?
A
6 monthly
23
Q
Castration in donkeys?
A
- GA stronly recommended
- Ligate spermatic artery - ALWAYS LIGATE
24
Q
What optimum age for donkey castration ?
A
6-18 months
25
What approach for donkeys <2yo
Check both testicles descended -> GA, closed castrate, scrotal approach
26
What approach in Donkeys >4 years old or over 150kg ?
-> GA inguinal approach
(also for large testicles, or inguinal testicles)
27
In most casess what approach is appropriate?
scrotal
28
What to do with donkeys 2-4 years old and <150kg?
Decision made based of SIZE of testicles
29
What ligature to use?
constricting ligature
30
how to do a constricting ligature?
1.Place working end over cord
2.Cross over the static end
3.Go around the back and
under again (this is now a
Clove Hitch)
4.Take the working end and
go over the first loop.
5.Then under towards the
middle and pull up tight
31
how long can donkeys live? relevance?
>40 years -> monitor QoL
32
What geriatric donkey care?
33
euthanasia / bereavement?
* Bereavement management is an
important part of euthanasia
planning
* Consider companion – leave them
with the body for as long as they
need
* Risk of bereavement remains high
for up to 3 weeks
* Delay introduction of a new
companion for a few weeks if
possible
34
Why is the dull donkey an emergency?
bc so stoic => make a priority call
35
Causes of 'dullness'?
* Non-specific
* Hyperlipaemia
* Impaction colic (commonest
colic in donkeys)
* Other colic
* Hepatopathy
* Respiratory disease
* Foot pain
* Many other causes
36
What diagnostic approach to the dull donkey?
Hx -> identify stressors in previous 1 -2 weeks -> travel, weather, loss of friend, procedures, dental, farriery
Identify risk factors for hyperlipaemia - female pregnant, lactation
37
what should u do if you suspect hyperlipaemia?
take bloods early on CE
38
why do we get hyperL in donkey?
usually secondary to another dx
39
All signs of hyperL ?
* Dull, lethargic, depressed donkey
* May be sham feeding and drinking
* Muzzle and head oedema after several days
* Tachycardia + tachypnoea
* Ataxia, head pressing
* Hepatic encephalopathy
* Pregnancy + obesity = risk factors
* Grossly lipaemic blood sample
* Anorexic / inappetent
* Dry faecal balls covered in mucus
* Recumbency
* Congested MM, prolonged CRT
* Halitosis “death breath” = classic smell due to ileus
* Will progress → death if untreated
40
what prognosis and tx for various serum triglycerides?
41
TX for hyperlipaemia?
REVERSE THE NEG ENERGY BAL
42
differences in foot of conkey vs horse
43
laminitis in donkeys?
- common
- Remember EMS/PPID
- Signs are often subtle: weight shifting, reluctance ot walk, pottery gait, inc recumbency
44
TX for laminitis?
As for horse
BUT DO NOT use FOG support
- Solar padding advised
45
Whit eline dx?
* Donkey hooves have a higher moisture content in certain conditions such as
the UK environment compared to their semi-arid origins
* Not usually lame
* Requires debridement of all affected material
46
Keratomas ?
- common in donkeys
- Can affect more than 1 foot
- Diagnosis via dorsoproximal palparodistal oblique view
47
COLIC presenting signs?
Inappetence / Anorexia
Dullness
Lowered head carriage
Isolation from companion or group
Lack of ear movement
Increased recumbency
Rolling (often only if severe abdominal
crisis)
48
Liver dx signs?
- Weight loss
- dullness
- non-specific
49
Diagnosis of liver dx ?
- higher bile s = worse prognosis
* Bloods may be normal
* If suspected – ultrasound liver +/-
biopsy
50
tx for liver dx?
* Supportive
* IVFT
* Feeding
* Euthanasia
51
resp dx in donkeys?
* Often managed by neglect,
donkeys non-athletic, cough less
* Late diagnosis and advanced
pathology
* Collapsed trachea common in
older donkeys
52
Skin dx in donkeys?
* Donkeys are not waterproof: they
need shelter
* Lice are a common problem: hard
to find and treat due to their long,
thick coats
* Skin and coat changes due to
PPID are less apparent in the
donkey than horses/ponies
* Don’t forget sarcoids; common in
donkeys
53
Flies?
* Fly bite attacks of the
distal limbs
predominantly affect
older / arthritic
donkeys
* Equine NitNat is
useful against lice and
as a fly repellent
