DS research

1. Dental examination records from Jan 2003 to Mar 2005 found 43.6% of donkeys had dental disease, of these 12% had more than one abnormality. Disease included missing teeth (34.1%), step mouth (4.7%), shear mouth (4.3%), wave mouth (1.5%), diastema (1.3%), undershot jaw (1%), overshot jaw (0.3%). There was a positive correlation between age and dental disease. Results of the 2006 prospective study found a much higher incidence rate of dental disease,92.1% of the sample had at least one dental abnormality/disease.
2. Results obtained from retrospective database analysis from Jan 2000 to Mar 2005 found incidence rates for colic and impaction colic were 5.9 and 3.2 episodes per 100 donkeys per year respectively. Peaks were seen in late autumn and troughs in spring/summer. 51% of impaction colics resulted in death or euthanasia. Dental disease, musculoskeletal problems, previous history of colic and farm location were all identified as risk factors. Donkeys that were older, on extra feeds or underweight were also at an increased risk of suffering colic. Donkeys in foster homes between Sept 2004 and Aug 2005 had a lower incidence rate at 1.4 cases per 100 donkeys per year. Of these animals those fed 2 concentrate meals per day, or those bedded on rubber were more at risk of colic. Results from the prospective study Jan to Dec 2006 multivariable analysis which was performed in response to questions raised in the first part of the study found that a number of donkey and management variables were associated with the risk of impaction colic. The greater the number of carers responsible for the donkey, the greater the increase in risk with donkeys with 1 or 2 carers at the lowest risk. Donkeys that were fed extra rations as concentrate feed were at a 5 fold increased risk of impaction. In addition animals with no access to pasture were at increased risk (odds ratio 3.4) compared to those with 24 hour access. Donkeys bedded on paper were at increased risk of colic, however this has wide confidence intervals due to the small number of cases and controls that were bedded on paper. These animals were in the hospital and at 2 other farms. Animals that were vaccinated in the previous 2 weeks were also at increased risk of colic. Animals that had weight loss in the previous 4 weeks were at increased risk of colic although few animals had this health problem. Other variables relating to body condition did not remain in the multivariable model. A number of dental pathologies remained in the multivariable model; these included missing cheek teeth, ulcers, diastema and worn teeth which all increased the risk of colic. The presence of hooks was still associated with decreased risk of colic. After allowing for the above variables age was no longer significant (P=0.9) and forcing age into the model did not changed the effect of the other variables. Forcing of month (or season) into the final model showed that this was not significant, demonstrating that this model explains some of the seasonality. The farm level variation was zero after the inclusion of fixed effects suggesting that these fixed effects explained differences in farm.
3. There was a significant increase in the frequency of dental disease in donkeys that died from colic (80/94) than in those that recovered from colic (34/53) between Jan 2003 and March 2005. Results of the 2006 prospective study also confirmed an association between dental disease and colic, 92.1% of the sample had at least one dental abnormality/disease. Number of missing teeth and diastemata are positively correlated with impaction colic. There pathologies were also associated with ageing, whereas hooks and sharp edges were found in younger animals and not associated with increased risk of impaction colic.
4. Initial results from the retrospective analysis found donkeys with dental disease had a marginally significant (p=0.05) lower body condition score of 4/10 compared to 4.7/10 in those without dental disease. These results were supported by the prospective study which also found lighter/lower condition animals more at risk of impaction colic.

1. Figures on prevalence of 6 main pathologies donkeys PTS UK between 2001 and 2008: dental disorders (80%), vascular disease other than aneurysm (61%), arthritis (55%), foot disorder (45%), gastric ulceration (42%), gastrointestinal impaction (19%).
2. Disease/pain cases spent 10% more time lowered head carriage, 15% less time with ears in combinations (ie ears more static), end stage cases spent 31% more time recumbent and 40% less time eating, list of behaviours and associated pathologies.
3. Number of pain related behaviours found to be related and grouped together.
4. Positive association between ante and post mortem findings (approx 70% agreement) and presence of pain (approx 80% agreement) in donkeys euthanized in UK. 73.5% of donkeys were receiving treatment at the time of euthanasia, including 65% on non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). General agitation, tachycardia and discomfort; locomotion and stance related behaviours significantly increased the odds of a veterinarian stating that donkey is in pain. General depression and abnormal membranes; general agitation, tachycardia and discomfort; evasive and protective behaviours and locomotion and stance related behaviours significantly increase the odds of a donkey being assessed as having an overall higher degree of pain.
5. Of donkeys slaughtered in Mexico there was approximately 80% agreement between pain presence ante and post mortem. 6) Figures on prevalence of 6 main pathologies in donkeys presented for slaughter Mexico: alimentary and adnexa lesions (85%) including dental disorders (32%), integument lesions (70%), respiratory disease (48%), musculoskeletal problems (29%), mucoid fat degeneration (29%).

1. The sero-prevalence of AHS in donkeys sampled after the heavy rains was estimated at 35.2% (70/199) for the two divisions, while that for the dry season was estimated at 26.7% (55/199). The prevalence of AHS in donkeys during the two periods was 31% (125/398). There was a statistically significant difference in the two prevalences (Z=2.89). The prevalence of AHS in the donkeys that were re-sampled in Kambaa, decreased from 60% (18/30) in May/June to 20% (6/30) in August/September. This difference (Z=4.47) indicates that donkeys are not long term carriers of AHSV or fewer vectors during the dry season. There was a poor level of agreement between ELISA test results and clinical presentation of the illness as only 3 cases were presented with clinical signs of a swollen head and congested conjunctival mucosa. These 3 cases had detectable antibodies to the virus, the poor agreement was with the other 67 cases positive on ELISA test but with absence of clinical signs. Further studies need to be carried out to determine the duration that AHSV antibodies remain present in donkeys.
2. Division and sub-location were controlled in the mixed models logistic regression analysis of the risk factors. In the univariate analysis, age of the donkeys, presence of a water stream, source of the donkey, donkey use, vaccination status and housing were the statistically significant variables and were thus included in the multivariate analysis. Age of the donkey (p-value 0.02) and presence of a water stream (p-value 0.03) were significant risk factors and might have contributed to the high prevalence of AHS among donkeys in Kambaa and Rwamburi sublocations. This meant that older donkeys (9-12yrs) and those grazing near water streams were two times more likely to be exposed to AHSV. A water stream likely favoured increased vector(s) population, and transmission of the AHSV.
3. A small proportion, 21.9% of questionnaire respondents knew of AHS. 8.2% were familiar with the clinical signs of swollen head and congested conjunctival mucosa and 9.5% reported severe body weakness as a sign of the disease. The low level of awareness of AHS among household members may be attributed to lack of previous dissemination of information on the disease. Many respondents reported donkeys with AHS clinical signs as having been poisoned, bitten by snakes or suffering from sudden pneumonia – in hindsight these donkeys may have been AHS cases. Low public awareness of the disease may be resulting in under-reporting.

1. Detected high levels of tolerance to permethrin ((SwitchTM, VetPlus Ltd, 4% (w/v) and cypermethrin (DeosectTM, Pfizer Ltd., 0.1% (w/v) consistent with resistance development.
2. A strong seasonal pattern of louse infestation was identified, with the highest number of donkeys with lice recorded in winter (Oct-Mar). Significantly more very young (<4 yrs) and very old (>30 yrs) donkeys had lice than middle aged animals.Donkeys’ hair length was positively correlated with the presence of lice (P<0.05) but not with the number of lice each donkey carried (P=0.1). 
3. The axilla and supraorbital fossa were identified as being the sites most commonly populated by live lice in both housed and outdoor donkeys (P<0.05).  In addition, the presence of lice eggs in the first 2cm of the coat is a good indicator of an active infestation . Excoriation consistent with hair fibre shortening was indicative of pediculosis and the amount of this type of rubbing a donkeys coat displayed was positively correlated with louse burdens. However, more severe dermal rub lesions, such as alopecia, showed no association.
4.  Clipping was found to have no significant effect (P=0.15) on louse abundance 2 weeks or more after clipping in the winter;  however, in the summer months clipping did have a detrimental effect on louse populations.
5. Tea tree and lavender essential oils were investigated and identified as clinically and statistically significant (P<0.05) methods of louse control used at 5% concentration as a topical grooming spray.

After 2 applications, the groups groomed with lavender or tea tree oil suspensions had a significant reduction in louse intensity, with a mean decline in louse abundance of 78% (95% confidence interval 76–80%). Louse numbers in the groups groomed with excipient only either did not change or increased significantly. Donkey hair length had no effect on the decline in louse numbers.