Page 1047 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

THE DULL DONKEY

The dull donkey is frequently a diagnostic challenge as no specific cause may be obvious to
VetBooks.ir the owner. The chart below shows the results of a retrospective study over 1 year of dull

donkeys at The Donkey Sanctuary. The range of causes is extremely wide and includes the
potentially life-threatening conditions such as hyperlipaemia, liver disease and colic. For this

reason you should call your vet promptly if your donkey is dull.

Differential diagnosis of dullness

PITUITARY PARS INTERMEDIA DYSFUNCTION (PPID, CUSHING’S
DISEASE)

This condition is recognized in donkeys and the presentation and clinical signs are similar to

those in the horse. A long coat with delayed shedding and recurrent laminitis are the
commonest clinical signs. The diagnostic and treatment protocols follow those recommended

for the horse; there is no specific data currently available for the donkey (Figure 23.7).