Recognizing a Healthy Donkey
Equine educators Laura Kenny (left) and Olivia Watson (right) standing with three miniature donkeys.
Introduction
Donkeys are hardy animals that share some similarities with horses, but also have some physiological and behavioral differences that are important for donkey owners to know. Recognizing your donkey's "normal" is essential for detecting health issues early and for assessing overall health. These monitoring techniques are easy to perform at home with just a stethoscope, a digital thermometer, a tape measure, and a watch!
Vital SignsÂ
Every donkey is slightly different, so there are ranges for "normal" for each vital sign. Donkeys tend to have stoic behavior and do not always show signs of pain or illness. It is recommended to monitor your donkey's vital signs daily to better recognize when they are sick. Measuring vital signs is performed the same as it is for horses, and extra images and explanations can be seen in the Recognizing a Healthy Horse article.
Temperature
The range of normal temperatures for a donkey is slightly lower than that of a horse. The body temperature for an adult donkey ranges from 97.2-100.0°F. Temperature is assessed rectally using a lubricated digital thermometer. The non-contact thermometers tend to be less accurate on equids. Elevated body temperatures can indicate pain, inflammation, illness, or heat stress. Lower body temperatures can indicate hypothermia.
Pulse Rate
The range of normal pulse rates for an adult donkey ranges from 36-52 beats per minute (bpm). Younger and newborn donkeys have higher resting heart rates than adults. Pulse rate is assessed by placing a stethoscope on the left side of the body, behind the elbow, and listening for a lub-dub sound, or one heartbeat. Heartbeats can be counted for 15 seconds and multiplied by 4 to get beats per minute, 30 seconds and multiplied by 2, or counted for 60 seconds. You can also palpate for the facial artery located on the underside of the jaw on the left side. The artery feels similar to a cooked spaghetti noodle. BPM is calculated the same way as it is using a stethoscope. An increased pulse rate can indicate pain, inflammation, or stress.
Respiratory Rate
The range of normal respiratory rates for an adult donkey is 12-28 breaths per minute, 16-48 bpm for young donkeys, 60-80 bpm for newborn foals under 12 hours of age, and 30-40 bpm for foals over 12 hours of age. Respiratory rate is assessed by watching the flank area and counting the breaths the same way that pulse rate is counted. It is not recommended to watch the nostrils to count the respiratory rate, as they can flare when smelling things, making the count inaccurate. Increased respiratory rates can indicate inflammation, illness, respiratory distress, or heat stress.
Mucous Membranes, Capillary Refill Time, and Skin Pinch Test
Mucous membrane color, capillary refill time (CRT), and skin pliability are indicators of hydration status. The mucous membranes, such as the gums and interior of the nasal cavity, should be pink and moist. Other colors can indicate dehydration or illness. CRT is the time it takes for blood flow to return to an area. When assessing CRT, press on an area along the gumline, then count the seconds it takes for the color to return to normal when you remove your finger. The color should return within 2 seconds. Longer CRTs can indicate dehydration. The skin pliability test is performed by lightly pinching the skin (usually on the neck) and noting how quickly it returns to its original position. The skin should flatten immediately; a delayed response can indicate dehydration.
Gut SoundsÂ
Evaluating gut sounds is also an important part of assessing health. To assess gut sounds, use your stethoscope to listen for gurgling, tinkling, or gas sounds in the four abdominal quadrants located on the upper flank region of the left and right sides and the lower flank region on the left and right sides. Absent, slowed, or overactive sounds can indicate gastrointestinal disturbances, such as colic or other illnesses.
BehaviorÂ
Donkeys evolved as prey animals, which contributes to their stoic behaviors. Donkeys are generally highly intelligent, curious, and social animals; however, their self-preservation and stoic behaviors can make it difficult to notice when they are sick. Some indications that your donkey is sick include abnormal vital signs, decreased appetite, sham eating (pretending they are eating but not actually consuming anything), depression, isolation, droopy ears, pawing, kicking at their belly, and constant rolling. It is very important to contact a veterinarian when abnormal behaviors are noticed to avoid secondary illnesses, like hyperlipemia. Donkeys tend to form tight bonds and are more comfortable in pairs, so it is important to consider taking both animals in the event that one needs to be hospitalized, to reduce stress.
Body Condition ScoringÂ
Body condition scoring provides an overview of a donkey’s fat deposits. Body condition scores at the extremes, such as a 1 or a 5, or uneven fatty deposits along the body, could indicate illness. While the Henneke Body Condition Scoring System was developed to evaluate fat on the horse and ranges from 1-9, the donkey body condition scoring scale ranges from 1-5. The UK Donkey Sanctuary developed a body condition scoring system that evaluates fat and muscle coverage along the neck and shoulders, withers, back, ribs, belly, and hindquarters. Donkeys tend to carry fat along the neck, sides of the body, and around the tailhead. A score of 1 indicates extreme emaciation, 3 indicates ideal, and 5 indicates extreme obesity. Body condition score is assessed by palpating the 5 areas listed above for even fat coverage. Body condition scoring based solely on visual inspections is inaccurate. The chart below shows the differences between the scores. Obese scores are more common in donkeys due to their differences in nutritional needs compared to horses.
The chart below is from the UK Donkey Sanctuary and shows the parameters for each body condition score. Â
| Condition Score | Neck and Shoulders | Withers | Ribs and Belly | Back and Loins | Hindquarters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Poor (very thin) | Neck thin, all bones easily felt. Neck meets shoulder abruptly. shoulder bones felt easily, angular. | Dorsal spine and withers prominent and easily felt. | Ribs can be seen from a distance and felt with ease. Belly tucked up. | Backbone prominent, can feel dorsal and transverse processes easily. | Hip bones visible and felt easily (dock and pin bones). Little muscle cover. May be cavity under tail. |
| 2. Moderate (underweight) | Some muscle development overlying bones. Slight step where neck meets shoulders. | Some cover over dorsal withers, spinous processes felt but not prominent. | Ribs not visible but can be felt with ease. | Dorsal and transverse processes felt with light pressure. Poor muscle development either side of midline. | Poor muscle cover on hindquarters, hip bones felt with ease. |
| 3. Ideal | Good muscle development, bones felt under light cover of muscle/fat. Neck flows smoothly into shoulder, which is rounded. | Good cover of muscle/fat over dorsal spinous processes, withers flow smoothly into back. | Ribs just covered by light layer of fat/muscle, ribs can be felt with light pressure. Belly firm with good muscle tone and flattish outline. | Can feel individual spinous or transverse processes with pressure. Muscle development either side of midline is good. | Good muscle cover over hindquarters, hip bones rounded in appearance, can be felt with light pressure. |
| 4. Overweight (fat) | Neck thick, crest hard, shoulder covered in even fat layer. | Withers broad, bones felt with pressure. | Ribs dorsally only felt with firm pressure, ventral ribs may be felt more easily. Belly over developed. | Can only feel dorsal and transverse processes with firm pressure. May have slight crease along midline. | Hindquarters rounded, bones felt only with pressure. Fat deposits evenly placed. |
| 5. Obese (very fat) | Neck thick, crest bulging with fat and may fall to one side. Shoulder rounded and bulging with fat. | Withers broad, bones felt with firm pressure. | Large, often uneven fat deposits covering dorsal and possibly ventral aspect of ribs. Ribs not palpable dorsally. Belly pendulous in depth and width. | Back broad, difficult to feel individual spinous or transverse processes. More prominent crease along mid line fat pads on either side. Crease along midline bulging fat either side. | Cannot feel hip bones, fat may overhang either side of tail head, fat often uneven and bulging. |
Body Weight Estimation MethodsÂ
Accurate body weight estimations are important for developing feeding rations, dosing medications, and evaluating overall health. Unfortunately, most donkey owners do not have access to livestock scales, but there are a few methods that can be used at home to estimate body weight.
Weight tapeÂ
Weight tapes were developed as a simple method for estimating body weight in horses when a scale is not available. Weight tapes are not the most accurate method for estimating body weight in horses, but they are very helpful for tracking trends and weight fluctuations. The horse weight tapes are likely to be even more inaccurate for donkeys because their weight is distributed differently than that of a horse. However, they can still be used to track trends and fluctuations. To use a weight tape, wrap the tape around the heart girth area behind the tallest point of the withers and read the estimated weight.
Equation
There are several equations that can be used to estimate body weight for donkeys, depending on the breed. Several researchers found that body weight is highly correlated with heart girth circumference, and the larger the circumference, the higher the body weight. Below are multiple equations that can be used to estimate the live body weight of adult and growing donkeys. All measurements are in centimeters and equations report numbers in kilograms (kg). To convert kg to pounds, multiply by 2.2. The following equations can be used to estimate live body weight for donkeys:
Adult Donkeys:
- liveweight (kg) = 0.000252 × height(cm) 0.24 × heart girth(cm)2.575)
- liveweight (kg) = heart girth (cm)2.65/2188
- liveweight (kg) = (heart girth (cm)2.12 x length (cm)0.688)/380
Donkeys under 3 years of age:
Donkeys under 2 years of age:
UK Donkey Sanctuary Chart
The UK Donkey Sanctuary developed a body weight estimation chart. This chart utilizes 2 measurements: height and heart girth. Measurements are taken using a soft measuring tape in centimeters. You then plot the points on the chart and draw a line from point a to point b. The estimated body weight is where the line drawn from a to b crosses the weight line. Multiply by 2.2 to convert from kg to pounds. Note that this chart does not work for donkeys measuring shorter than 90 cm in height.
ConclusionÂ
In summary, recognizing the differences between donkeys and horses allows us to more accurately evaluate a donkey’s vital signs and overall body condition. This understanding is crucial for implementing effective health management strategies, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for these unique animals.
