Pain Assessment and Acute Phase Response in Donkeys Submitted to Inguinal Orchiectomy

In most animals, pain can compromise physiological functions and delay healing so, rapid detection of pain through behavior and inflammatory reaction with biomarkers are necessary. This study aimed to evaluate pain, physiological variations and Acute Phase Proteins (APP) in donkeys undergoing orchiectomy technique by inguinal access. For this research, 15 male northeastern donkeys kept in extensive management were selected, with a mean age of 4.5±3.1 years. All animals had the same anesthetic protocol, using dissociative anesthesia and local block with lidocaine, followed by orchiectomy by inguinal access. Due to their predisposition to complications, the inguinal technique is the most indicated to minimize complications and excessive inflammation in donkeys' orchiectomy, the donkeys were evaluated regarding behavioral assessment of pain, hematological parameters, APP and the surgical wound, during 0 hour, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours. As for the physiological parameters and APP, no significant differences were observed between times, due to the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. In the macroscopic evaluation of the surgical wound, it was observed that there were no significant differences between the times, with animals presenting mean scores of 1.8±0.414, in 48 hours 1.6 ± 0.507, and in 72 hours 1.6 ± 0.507. Most animals had mild to moderate edema in the scrotum and foreskin regions. As for pain assessment, the average scores were between 2 and 3, representing mild and moderate pain, not requiring intervention. However, further research is needed to elucidate the behavior of PFAs in the face of variables and the creation of new pain scales for animals raised in an extensive system.

reality of the donkey’s exploitation for the hide trade in Brazil: disease outbreaks and animal welfare compromised in rescued donkeys

  About 800 donkeys that were confined in a restrictive area used in a manner comparable to a warehouse for receiving donkeys for slaughter were abandoned. After receiving reports of mistreatment, civilians acted to save the animals. A task force was organized that planned veterinary and zootechnical actions and activities for daily health management, feeding, and clinical care to attend to the abandoned donkeys. Positive cases were diagnosed for glanders, equine infectious anemia, equine herpesvirus, and equine babesiosis. The objective of this communication is to bring to the attention of the scientific community the interventions in the area of animal health and welfare, to address the episode of northeast donkeys that were victims of international trade. It is fundamental to change the approach related to the management of donkeys in Brazil, and appeal to the necessity to identify ethical and sustainable ways to incorporate donkeys in Brazil in the 21st century.    

Endoparasites of donkeys (Equus asinus) used in commercial skin exploitation in the Northeast of Brazil

The present study identified the main endoparasites present in donkeys (Equus asinus) used in skin exploitation located in Cando municipality, Bahia State, Northeast of Brazil. The samples were collected from September 2019. Feces were collected from the rectal ampulla of 34 animals, macroscopically visualized for parasitic forms, and microscopically evaluated to identify endoparasites forms using the McMaster method. Parasitological results were associated with sex, age, and bodyweight Stata Corp LLC 14. Endoparasites were found in 82.3% of the animals, with the egg count ranging from 50 to 1050 eggs per gram (EPG). The sole presence of superfamily Trichostronglylidae was observed in 67.6% of the donkeys, in 8.8% co-infected by Trichostronglylidae and Eimeria spp., while Trichostronglylidae and Strongyloides westeri was detected in 2.9%, and simultaneous infection by Trichostronglylidae, Strongyloides westeri, and Oxyuris equi was observed in 2.9%. The occurrence of parasitic infections varies according to nutritional status, age, sex, and environmental exposure (p>0.05). A high occurrence of infection was observed in young animals and those with lower body weight.