A donkey is not a small horse

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BELGIAN EQUINE 
PRACTITIONERS SOCIETY 
 (BEPS) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
XXIXde XXIXème 
 
 
27 OCTOBER 2012 - 27 OCTOBRE 2012 
 
Met de medewerking van Avec la collaboration de 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Auditorium Auditoire 
 Onderwijs & Navorsing 1 Onderwijs & Navorsing 1 
 UZ LEUVEN CHU Leuven 
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 B-3000 Leuven B-3000 Louvain 
 
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Belgian Equine Practitioners Society (BEPS) – LEUVEN, Belgium, 27th October 2012 43
 
A DONKEY IS NOT A SMALL HORSE 
 
 
PROF. DR. PIETER DEN BOON 
THE DONKEY SANCTUARY, DEVON, UK 
 
 
 
The donkey, Equus Asinus, has been domesticated some 5000 years ago as a real beast of burden and 
draught animal. There are more similarities between donkeys and horses than differences, and this 
presentation will concentrate on some of the oddities of donkey medicine. 
 
Donkeys are more browsers than grazers and highly selective in their choice of high fibre and low 
energy feeds in their natural environment. Donkey intestines have evolved in such a way that they are 
highly efficient in digesting these feeds. However, this does pose problems in our temperate climates 
and the lush green grass we produce. Our donkeys easily become obese and this causes numerous 
obesity related problems such as hyperlipaemia and laminitis. 
 
Another, not always obvious physical adaptation to semi arid environments is the fact that donkeys 
can withstand thirst and dehydration very well. They are able to rehydrate easily and swiftly by 
drinking large amounts of water (e.g. 25-30 litres) in a very short space of time. It is important though 
to be wary of the fact that a sick donkey with a mildly elevated PCV may have lost considerable 
amounts of fluids. 
 
There are several subtle anatomical differences between donkeys and horses, most of which are 
located in the head and neck region. The nasal opening of the nasolacrimal duct is located in the lateral 
to dorsolateral aspect of the nostril (C.L. Herman, The anatomical differences between the donkey and 
the horse, IVIS) and can be very challenging to find. The nasal passages and trachea are narrower, the 
nasopharyngeal recess is deep and the epiglottis is sharp and angled. The practitioner treating donkeys 
will have to take care when intubating or passing a stomach tube to avoid bruising and haemorrhage. 
(Alex Thiemann, Respiratory problems, The Professional Handbook of the Donkey, 4th edition) The 
jugular vein in the donkey is covered by the M. Cutaneous Colli, which means it sits deeper in the 
jugular groove making it difficult to visualise. 
 
Donkey testicles are relatively large, pendulous and have a testicular artery of considerable size that 
needs a ligature placed when gelded. 
 
 
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Belgian Equine Practitioners Society (BEPS) – LEUVEN, Belgium, 27th October 2012 44
Clinically donkeys resemble horses but they express themselves differently when showing signs of 
sickness or disease. The first problem the practitioner will encounter is the stoical nature of the donkey 
and its anecdotally high pain threshold. Disease and sickness are very often clinically expressed only 
as dullness and a mild depression with or without anorexia, which demands close observation by the 
owner and the treating vet. Since donkeys are not used much in competitive pursuits, subtle changes in 
performance, as you would see in the horse, are not picked up soon and disease may present itself in 
an advanced stage (H. Duffield, An Approach to the dull donkey, The Professional Handbook of the 
Donkey, 4th edition). 
 
The following two conditions are closely related to obesity in the donkey : 
 
 Hyperlipaemia in the donkey is a life-threatening condition, where the donkey is affected by a 
stressor (e.g. disease, actual stress etc.) and stops eating its food. The resulting negative energy 
balance and mobilisation of fatty acids from the adipose tissue quickly spirals out of control 
and can result in multi-organ failure and death. It is the practitioners challenge to recognise the 
symptoms (e.g. dullness) at an early stage and initiate treatment. 
 
 Laminitis is a common and often not recognised condition in the donkey, partly because of the 
stoical nature and their anecdotal high pain threshold. It is closely related to obesity and its 
treatment differs subtly from a horse, especially with regards to frog support and the different 
loading pattern in a donkey’s foot. The treatment generally consists of the administration of 
oral analgesics (e.g. phenylbutazone), acetylpromazine and footpads covering the entire sole. 
 
The donkey is a fascinating animal with subtle differences and similarities to the horse, posing a 
clinical challenge to the practitioner; however it is not a small horse. 
 
“A tail isn't a tail to them, it's just a little bit extra at the back” Eeyore, (Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne) 
 
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