References
Know your patient: an introduction to the nursing care of donkeys
Abstract
With approximately 44 million of them worldwide, it is important that veterinary professionals can treat and care for donkeys effectively. In the UK, a decreased workload and nutrient-rich diet can cause donkeys to become metabolically unstable and develop debilitating disease. Donkeys are very resilient and have the ability to mask signs of pain and distress. This often results in veterinary surgeons being presented with donkeys that are already compromised and require high levels of intervention. Most donkeys living in temperate climates are working animals, so there is little research specific to donkeys kept as companion animals, which can be problematic for veterinary professionals working in farm or equine practice in the UK. To deliver the most appropriate diagnoses, treatments and care for donkeys, and to fully support owners, veterinary surgeons and nurses must understand the physiological differences and management requirements of donkeys, compared to horses or ponies. Appropriate care is essential when nursing donkeys and should include all aspects of a holistic approach.
Donkeys have significant physiological differences and management requirements, compared to horses and ponies. Understanding these differences will enable the veterinary surgeon to more successfully diagnose and treat a compromised donkey and enable the veterinary nurse to deliver appropriate nursing care and husbandry, while fully supporting owners and veterinary colleagues.
Donkeys are often treated as small horses or ponies, but they are significantly different to other equids (Senior, 2013; Burden and Thiemann, 2015; The Donkey Sanctuary, 2018a). With their high levels of resilience, ability to survive on poor diets and their ability to mask signs of pain and distress, 95% of donkeys are used as working animals (Figure 1) and live predominantly outside the UK, in countries where they are indispensable to human livelihood (Burden and Thiemann, 2015).
There are numerous challenges associated with the care of donkeys which must be taken into consideration, in order to implement appropriate and effective veterinary care provision.
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