Veterinarians who are trained in treating donkeys are attempting to educate the public to the fact that donkeys are very different from horses and recognition of these differences can be crucial in treatment for many diseases and conditions.
Donkeys are donkeys!
Recognition of differences between donkeys and horses can be crucial in treatment for many diseases and conditions.
Their work to educate donkey owners and veterinarians is supported by a paper presented at an American Association of Equine Practitioners conference, that delineated many of the anatomical and metabolic differences between the two animals, some of which are quite important from a veterinary care standpoint.
Donkeys may need about one and a half times as large a dose of some common drugs as horses do, including many products used for pain management, sedation, and general anesthesia.
This is not true for some medicatiions such as guaifenesin. If this muscle relaxer is given to a donkey at the dose used for a horse, respiratory arrest may follow.
In addition, the muscular structure of a donkey's neck makes it more difficult to access the jugular vein, and inserting an intravenous catheter can be made easier if local anesthetic and a surgical incision are used.
Placing a tube through the mouth to the trachea is also more difficult than in horses. Donkeys have excess tissue in the pharynx including elongated laryngeal saccules which are partly responsible for the smaller equine's amazing vocalizations. They also have a pocket in the throat called the pharyngeal diverticulum, and a larynx that is situated at a different angle than that of the horse.
A donkey's nasal passages are also smaller than those of a horse, and intubation is more difficult for this reason.
Owners of donkeys are encouraged to make sure the veterinarians they use are trained in the treatment of donkeys. Veterinarians who treat horses are encouraged to either refer donkey clients to a vet specializing in the treatment of donkeys or expand their medical knowledge relative to the differences between donkeys and horses to insure appropriate treatment.