Donkeys and Mules Articles

Donkey and Mule Scenarios: When to Stop, Think, Read or Call

Donkey Reproduction

Donkey and Mule Scenarios: When to Stop, Think, Read
or Call
by By: Tex Taylor, DVM, and ora Matthe!s, DVM "source: #resented
durin$ the %&&% AA'# Annual Con(ention, )rlando, *la+ ,
Nationwide, equine (or more accurately descried, horse! practitioners are recei"in#
requests to pro"ide pro$essional ser"ices to donkey and mule owners% This trend is e&pected to
continue% Many "eterinarians are reluctant to respond to some o$ these requests ecause they
don't understand the di$$erences amon# horses, mules and o$ten, the di$$erent si(es o$ donkeys%
)ach "eterinarian must reali(e he or she has een well*trained to treat all memers o$ the equine
species% The diseases and conditions a$$ectin# these animals are the same% Certainly, there are
"ariations in how each species may demonstrate clinical si#ns, ut not in mana#in# or treatin#
the condition%
+ne o$ the most critical points is to reali(e that mules and donkeys ha"e a markedly etter
tolerance $or pain than do most horses% This is particularly si#ni$icant in e"aluatin# the
musculoskeletal and #astrointestinal systems% ,ailure to reco#ni(e this can lead to an erroneous
or delayed dia#nosis, the results o$ which can sometimes e disastrous%
)"eryone has heard the old tales aout what donkeys and mules do or don't do, and aout why
they are or are not etter than horses% -ike most in$ormation we recei"e, some is correct, some is
incorrect and some is not presented in the correct conte&t% .s an e&ample, let's consider
lameness in mules% They reportedly ha"e $ewer lamenesses than do horses% This "iew has een
around $or decades% /t may or may not e true%
0e$ore the 1234s, mules were workin# animals $rom dra$t*type mares and sired y dra$t* type
5acks% They were doin# the 5o dra$t horses did, and in some cases, were perhaps doin# it etter
or more economically% They per$ormed, #enerally, in a reasonaly strai#ht line or loose turn and at
a walk and trot% Rarely were they e"er required to work at #reater speeds% Most o$ today's mules
are produced $rom our saddle*type per$ormance mares and sired y smaller, more re$ined 5acks%
We are askin# the mules to duplicate the maneu"ers o$ our racehorses, ropin# horses, reinin#
horses, dri"in# horses, cuttin# horses and others% We ha"e chan#ed our e&pectations o$ our
mules as well as their pedi#ree% +ur oser"ations su##est that we are in$usin# all our lameness
dispositions into our mules and $ollowin# up with the appropriate trainin# pro#rams to insure the
de"elopment o$ the same lamenesses seen in horses% The idea that mules are less likely to
ecome lame is at least in part ecause o$ the $act that many o$ the lamenesses will e much
more ad"anced in the mule e$ore the animals demonstrate su$$icient lameness to e presented
$or e&amination and treatment%
)arly impressions also su##est that as we e#in to de"elop lar#e donkeys $or recreational use,
we will e#in to see the same prolems that we see in per$ormance horses% The $ollowin# are
some rie$ points worth $ilin# in a little*used corner o$ the mind to e resurrected as needed when
$aced with mules and donkeys as patients% They are not all* inclusi"e, ut represent the more
o$ten asked questions and errors o$ commission%
6 Restraint o$ mules (and to a lesser de#ree, donkeys! o$ten requires a two*phased
approach% +ne is to keep the patient in the area where you wish to work, and the other is
to distract the patient $rom the procedure ein# per$ormed% The use o$ stocks, chutes,
snuin# posts and swin#in# #ates or panels are "ery help$ul and may e supplemented
with the twitch, war ridle or other restraint% The $orele# strap and the scotch hole are
o$ten "ery use$ul% 7roper use o$ the $orele# or elow strap is one o$ our most use$ul
techniques%
6 With mules it is "ery important that you #et it ri#ht the $irst time% 8nsuccess$ul attempts
to restrain a mule are positi"e rewards $or ad eha"ior that rapidly ecome a learned
skill%
6 9oo$ testers seem to e less discriminatin# in the e&amination o$ mules and donkeys
than in horses%
6 . limited numer o$ ner"e locks are allowed in a lameness e&am% The attendin#
"eterinarian must use them wisely%
6 /$ apparent lacerations or lesions o"er the $le&ure sur$ace o$ the 5oints are $ound in
donkeys, consider that they may e 5ack sores% This syndrome is not a well*de$ined
condition, ut it usually starts as a linear ulceration with a ad odor% Many "eterinarians
and current literature may call them summer sores% That is not always the case, and
there is no e$$ecti"e treatment currently known%
6 Se"ere respiratory distress in donkeys is a cause $or immediate and a##ressi"e
dia#nostics and treatment, especially i$ in a herd% Donkeys o$ten ha"e se"ere secondary
acterial in$ections a$ter or alon# with equine in$luen(a "irus% This is not so with mules%
6 .ny donkey o$$ $eed $or three to $our days or more should e checked $or hyperlipemia
or hyperlipidemia%
6 Chronic non*healin# coronary and lesions in donkeys look like a #ra"el eruption% This
is a syndrome o$ donkeys that may persist $or years and may ecome $requent% :eep the
toes trimmed short% Check $or sole*penetratin# wounds since they may require remo"al%
6 Radio#raphic anatomy o$ the donkey di#it is not the same as the horse% The mule is
minimally di$$erent, i$ at all%
6 Donkey #rowth plates radio#raphically close later than those o$ the horse% Currently,
in$ormation is not yet known re#ardin# the mule closure times%
6 Donkeys and mules are more susceptile to equine sarcoids than are horses%
6 Consider $at pones and lar#e neck crests to e permanent%
6 -aminitis in donkeys o$ten occurs in all $our $eet or o$ten in rear $eet only% -aminitis o$
rear $eet will more likely lead to euthanasia than i$ in $ront% Support laminitis in
contralateral $oot in the rear due to ascesses or in5ury is "ery common and is o$ten
missed y the owner and the attendin# "eterinarian%
6 )ndoscopic anatomy o$ the donkey is not identical to the horse with a tendency $or
dorsal collapse o$ the pharyn&% The mule anatomy is not yet well*estalished%
6 )ntropion (ophthalmolo#ic condition! is "ery common in lar#e dra$t ;ack stock%
6 Donkeys can ser"e as hosts $or lun#worms%
6 Strin#halt and upward $i&ation o$ the patella is more common in donkeys and mules than
in horses%
posted: 14<1=<>44?% -ast updated: 14<1=<>44?
Donkey Reproduction
by Written by: Da(id #u$h, DVM, MS, DACT, and DACV
/ntroduction
Donkeys are used throu#hout the world as #uard animals $or protectin# small ruminants (sheep,
#oats, llamas!, as companion animals ($or people, $oals, etc%!, halter trainin# (cal"es, $oals!, work
(pack, pullin# wa#ons, plowin#, etc%!, ridin# and shows% The mare and donkey are also red to
horses to produce mules or hinnies, respecti"ely% Donkey medicine can e $un and rewardin# and
a reak $rom routine equine practice% Donkeys come in many si(es, $rom the miniature (@?3 in at
the withers! to the mammoth, which may e in e&cess o$ A3 in tall% These si(e di$$erences may
alter the practitioner's aility to per$orm some types o$ dia#nostics (e%#% rectal e&amination!%
.lthou#h the practitioner will rarely e in"ol"ed with the reproduction o$ donkeys as intensely as
they are in horses, a workin# knowled#e o$ donkey reproduction is "aluale% The donkey is
similar in many respects to the horse, and equine practitioners, i$ lucky enou#h to e a$$orded the
opportunity, can easily adapt to this interestin# species%
,emale Reproduction
The 5enny (5ennet! is "ery similar in many reproducti"e aspects to the horse mare% 7uerty is
usually attained in 1*> years% Donkeys seem to display less seasonality reported prolon#ed
estrus, a lower incidence o$ o"ulations durin# Decemer, shorter estrous cycles $rom May to
Septemer and shorter estrus $rom May throu#h +ctoer% Still, these workers reported less
Bpartitionin#C in the o"ulatory and ano"ulatory (non*reedin#! season o$ the donkey than in the
horse%
.lthou#h the estrous cycle has een reported to ran#e $rom >4 to =4 days, it will usually last >?*
?4 days% )strus usually lasts etween 3 and 2 days, with o"ulation A to 3 days a$ter the onset o$
estrus% )strus eha"ior has een characteri(ed y mouth openin# and closin# (occasionally with
the neck e&tended!, chompin# with sali"ary drilin#, winkin#, urinatin# and tail risin#% /$ palpation
or ultra*sono#raphic e"aluation is carried out, $ollicles D>A*?4 mm should e considered
potentially o"ulatory% Multiple o"ulations in mammoth ;ennies may e hi#her than that reported in
standard ;ennies% This di$$erence may e similar to the di$$erences in multiple o"ulations as seen
in the horse reeds (.raians "ersus Thorou#hreds!% Eestational len#th has een reported to
e ?F>*?F= days% ,oal heat usually occurs etween A and 1? days postpartum%
The 5enny's cer"i& is usually lon#er than that o$ the mare, with a smaller diameter% The donkey's
cer"i& protrudes into the "a#ina, and this protrusion may preclude intrauterine e5aculation, make
arti$icial insemination more di$$icult and may e associated with a hi#h incidence o$ post dystocia
cer"ical adhesions%
Male Reproduction
The 5ack (5ackass!, like the 5enny, has many reproducti"e similarities to the horse% 9owe"er, some
di$$erences do e&ist% The testes and the penis o$ the 5ack seem to e lar#er than that o$
comparaly si(ed horses% .lthou#h the 5ack and stallion ha"e the same accessory se& #lands, the
ampulla is lar#er in the 5ack than the stallion%
+ne peculiarity o$ donkey reproduction is the lon#er time it takes $or the 5ack to achie"e an
erection and e5aculate% ;acks will usually need A*?4 minutes (compared with 14*11 minutes! to
complete a reedin#% The teasin# eha"ior usually includes "ocali(ation, sni$$in# the "ul"a o$ the
$emale, $lehmen and one or more mounts e$ore penile e&posure and erection% .lthou#h some
seasonal di$$erences in liido are oser"ed, there seems to e little or no alteration in seminal
parameters durin# the winter months%
.s with the stallion, the 5ack can e trained to ser"ice an arti$icial "a#ina and semen can e
collected and used in $resh or cooled arti$icial insemination pro#rams or $ro(en $or $uture use%
Donkey semen can e handled similar to that o$ the stallion, and skim milk e&tenders seem use$ul
in arti$icial insemination pro#rams%
0reedin# 7ro#rams and Eeneral Reproduction
;ennies can e pasture or hand red% Whene"er a hand*reedin# pro#ram is employed (either
with natural reedin# or arti$icial insemination!, an e$$ecti"e teasin# pro#ram will enhance its
success% /$ natural reedin# systems are used, the 5enny should e mated the second day o$
estrus, and then at =G hour inter"als until the end o$ Bstandin# heat%C
Reproducti"e mana#ement in the 5enny is similar to the mare% Metritis, endometritis, retained $etal
memranes, etc% are less common, yet postdystocia "a#inal*cer"ical in5ury is more common%
9owe"er, this may not e the case in certain areas, herds or reeds, and this oser"ation could
e counter to others%
posted: G<>G<>44?% -ast updated: G<>G<>44?