Surgery General Principles - Donkey
Most donkeys do not have the excitable nature of the horse. They are generally good patients and can be rewarding to operate on. However, their calm demeanour can mask pre-existing conditions and a full preoperative work-up is mandatory. At The Donkey Sanctuary we routinely perform a clinical examination, including a dental examination and full haematology and biochemistry profile. A large proportion of donkeys in the UK are geriatric and have serious dental pathology and/or hepatic and renal dysfunction. In addition, there is an increased incidence of internal neoplasia in geriatric patients as well as the more obvious Cushing’s disease in these older patients. Surgery may still be possible, but extra care must be taken and owners should be counselled appropriately.
In emergency situations a full haematology and biochemistry profile remains vital, as donkeys rapidly become hyperlipaemic secondary to a stressor, and can undergo multi-organ failure. Donkeys with colic, for example, frequently have some degree of hyperlipaemia, which may make correction of the gastrointestinal problem irrelevant if the metabolic defect is not recognised. Pancreatitis may accompany the hyperlipaemia and contribute to extreme pain and a negative outcome. The pre-operative work-up should also include thorough auscultation of the respiratory system. In this non-athletic species, sub-clinical respiratory disease often goes unrecognised.
The donkey should be kept as calm as possible by allowing any bonded companion animal to share the stable (where practical), and to accompany the patient up to the anaesthetic knock-down box. It is worth treating a donkey and bonded companion as one would a mare and foal, with minimal separation and sedation, if necessary, for the one left behind.
Post-operatively, donkeys require close monitoring, as they are often reluctant to exercise and prone to oedema. More importantly, their stoical nature, combined with use of anti-inflammatory drugs, can mask the signs of impaction colic. Only non-edible bedding is used in the Sanctuary’s hospital and close attention is paid to gut sounds and faecal output. If two donkeys are sharing a stable it may be necessary to perform frequent rectal examinations to assess the likelihood of impaction. Again regular monitoring of plasma triglycerides should be undertaken if there is any depression of appetite.
References
- Thiemann, A. (2008) Surgery In Svendsen, E.D., Duncan, J. and Hadrill, D. (2008) The Professional Handbook of the Donkey, 4th edition, Whittet Books, Chapter 16
|
This section was sponsored and content provided by THE DONKEY SANCTUARY |
|---|