It is always best to check with an equine veterinarian for any specific needs in your area.

At PVDR, we use the following:
Vetera Gold XP + VEE is a combination vaccine for use in healthy horses 4 months of age and older as an aid in the prevention of disease caused by: Equine Influenza Virus (type A2), Equine Encephalomyelitis (Eastern, Western, and Venezuelan), Equine Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and EHV-4), Tetanus, and West Nile Virus. Vetera Gold XP + VEE aids in the reduction of severity of clinical disease caused by West Nile Virus. It protects against the Ohio/03 (Clade 1), Richmond/07 (Clade 2), and Kentucky/95 Equine Influenza Virus strains. Available in 1 dose/1 ml syringe or 10 dose/10 ml vial.

While necessary vaccines differ depending on management system and part of the country, the Core vaccines are:

• Tetanus (tetanus toxoid)
• Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis (EEE and WEE)
• Equine influenza (this is different from horses where influenza is not necessarily a core vaccine. “Flu” is a much more serious disease in donkeys.)
• West Nile Virus (WNV) (in most parts of the country)

Note: all vaccines should be properly started with a single injection, followed by a second (‘booster’) injection 2-3 weeks later. Failure to do this may result in incomplete immunity. Further booster vaccinations should be given on a yearly basis. EEE, WEE, and WNV should be boostered before the spring mosquito season starts. In parts of the country where mosquitos are active year around, repeating the EEE, WEE, and WNV vaccines every 6 months may be a good idea. If donkeys are transported frequently, or exposed to a large, transient horse population influenza vaccine may need to be given more than once a year.

Other vaccines that may be important:

Streptococcus equi or “strangles” : donkeys are susceptible to this equine disease. Control methods are controversial and should be discussed with your local veterinarian. Quarantine and Hygiene will generally keep this contagious disease out of a herd. Both live and killed vaccines exist, but they are associated with complications and should only be used in special situations.

Rabies: in some parts of rural USA rabies is common in the raccoon, skunk, fox, or bat populations. In these areas equines, including donkeys should be vaccinated for local rabies recommendations.

Potomac Horse Fever : donkeys are theoretically susceptible to this disease and in parts of the country where the disease is common (east and south east) vaccination should be considered. This vaccine can be purchased as mixed with rabies vaccine.

That depends on the state. I believe you can no longer do that in California, for instance. As to what vaccines (“shots”) to give, it also depends on the part of the country. The basic and most important vaccine is for Tetanus. Donkeys, like all other equines, are very sensitive to the tetanus bacterium and its toxins. In other parts of the country, Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis, Rabies, West Nile Virus, or Lymm’s Disease may also be necessary. Because donkeys are very susceptible to Equine Influenza, which should be included, as it occurs everywhere. Equine Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1 and EHV-4) is not protective in donkeys and should not be used. When it all shakes out, the best thing to do would be to consult with your local veterinarian, as it is their job to know these things. It would also be good to establish a relationship with a local veterinarian, at least so you know their level of comfort with donkeys.

There is no problem with deworming or vaccinating her at 5 months of pregnancy. In fact, you should do that right away. I would add that in the last (12th) month of pregnancy, I would give her another booster shot (you are going to do 2 now, about 3 weeks apart). That will maximize the immunity that she will pass to her foal in the colostrum milk. Good luck!

Great! Glad you have a well handled mini, and you are getting her hooves trimmed. The basic vaccines are similar to those used for horses: Tetanus (this is probably the most critical), Eastern and Western Equine encephalitis, and influenza (which is a much more serious disease in donkeys than it is in horses). These come in a mixed vaccine, which decreases the number of shots that your donkey will need. In some areas, West Nile Virus is also recommended. If you are in a rural area, particularly in the northern half of the USA, rabies is a good idea. Some owners vaccinate for Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1), but it is unclear as to whether or not donkeys make a response to this vaccine. Unless your donkey is exposed to a lot of horses, it is probably not necessary. You will need to go through an initial two-shot series (spaced 2-4 weeks apart) to establish initial immunity if your donkey has not previously been vaccinated or if the vaccination history is unknown. Then you can do a yearly booster, usually in the spring or at the start of mosquito season (these insects are the vectors for EEE, WEE, and West Nile). For deworming, it is best to have some of her manure checked for parasite eggs; in fact, doing this at least every spring is best for all your donkeys and horses. Checking every 3 months is better. It is difficult to give accurate worming advice without knowing the geographic location and exposure to pasture. However, the minimum is usually deworming in the spring after frosts stop and grass is growing, and then again after the last frost in the fall to get the “bot” (Gastrophilus) larvae in the stomach. Ivermectin, Fenbedazole, and Pyrantel Pamoate are all effective dewormers in donkeys. They are also very safe, so if you overestimate her weight a little, it won’t hurt anything. You can get a good estimate of donkey weight by using a weight tape and a chart provided by The Donkey Sanctuary (look at their website for weight estimation). I hope this helps

IF you gave the penicillin injection at the lower border of the neck muscles or over the cervical (neck) vertebrae, you could cause your donkey to have a stiff neck, which you would have noticed soon after the injection. These will resolve with hot compresses and an analgesic like phenylbutazone (“bute”) or Flunixin (“Banamine”). Very occasionally, an injection between two vertebrae can enter the vertebral artery and cause severe neurologic damage. Neck injections should not be given more than 4 finger widths below the top of the neck in a standard donkey. You should also learn to palpate the cervical vertebrae to be sure that you are in the right place, because the widest part of the neck is not where injections should be given. Your local veterinarian can help you learn to feel the exact position of the vertebrae.
Do you know why your donkey was coughing? Some causes will respond to penicillin treatment, but many will not. Some common reasons for a cough are the influenza virus, lung worms, and a dental problem. None of these will respond to an antibiotic, like penicillin, and besides problems associated with injections in the wrong place, using antibiotics is not a “no downside” approach. Using antibiotics when they are not absolutely necessary promotes antibiotic resistance in bacteria and may also cause changes in the intestinal microflora that can result in diarrhea or endotoxemia. Generally, to be successful as a treatment, penicillin needs to be given twice daily for 5 days to two weeks. That is only if the cough is caused by bacteria that are sensitive to penicillin. We would recommend getting a diagnosis of the cause of the cough before using antibiotics.

The basic vaccine for all equids is Tetanus Toxoid, and this should be given as a two-shot series, spaced 2-4 weeks apart. After that, the particular diseases are somewhat location-dependent. For instance, in Northern California, where I used to practice, or in the northern tier of Midwestern states, Rabies is also a necessary vaccine. Further south, the risk of rabies in equids is lower. Donkeys should be vaccinated yearly or even twice a year for influenza, because it is a more serious infection in donkeys than in horses. So donkeys that live in a group, especially if that includes horses that travel to shows or trail rides, must be regularly vaccinated for influenza. All the virus encephalitis diseases: Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis, and West Nile Virus should all be part of a vaccination program in Florida, which is far south and has mosquito vectors that these diseases require for transmission. Finally, Equine Herpes virus 1 and 4 are a consideration. They can infect donkeys, though donkeys have their own Herpes viruses, for which there are no vaccines, and occasionally cause disease in stressed animals. The efficacy of Equine Herpes vaccines in donkeys has not been studied and may or may not give any protection. So that is controversial. In summary: In Florida, I would make sure that donkeys are vaccinated for Tetanus, Influenza, EEE, WEE, VEE, and WNV yearly after an appropriate two-shot initial series spaced 2-4 weeks apart. Vaccination for EHV-1 and EHV-4 is a consideration, but you should ask your local veterinarian about their opinion. In ‘high traffic’ situations, vaccinating twice a year for Equine Influenza is a good idea. All these vaccines come in a mixed “shot”, which minimizes injections and, therefore, donkey unhappiness. There is absolutely no evidence that multiple antigen vaccines “overload” the immune system. Do not pay attention to misinformation in this area.

The foal does not need its initial vaccinations until it is 6 weeks old (some would say 8 or 10). So you have some time. It will be harder to train the jennet with a foal, but it can be done. It will take time and patience. You will need to herd her into a pen that is maybe 12’x20′ or 20’x20′. You can set that up with some panels from the feed store. Then you need to start by “hanging out”: just be in a corner of the pen until the jennet or foal or both start taking an interest in you. Have some treats (we use slices of carrot) so that you can offer them if they come close. The foal will probably be easier, because you don’t know the jennet’s background, and she may have had traumatic experiences with humans. It may be necessary to feed carrot slices in a rubber pan with you further away until she figures out that they taste good. Depending on the animal, this can take a long time, but we have used the slow approach with some really wild donkeys, horses, and mules, and you can get there. Eventually, you will want to just carry a halter and a rope. Don’t try to put them on, though, until they are really comfortable with you. We recommend Ben Hart (hartshorsemanship.com) as an advisor. He has a lot of good training plans and a ton of experience with difficult animals. If you can get the foal to eat out of your hand, it will be easy to catch, but you should have somebody with experience handling foals to help you. There is a technique for holding them without a halter, which will allow vaccination, and you can easily get that done in 6 weeks. You then need to go ahead and get the pair trained to catch, halter, lead, and allow hoof trimming. None of this is “rocket science,” it just takes time and patience….and what could be better than hanging out with donkeys?

IF your donkey has been regularly vaccinated for tetanus, he can probably skip vaccination at his age and still be protected. Equine Influenza would be the other concern, as this is a more severe disease in donkeys than in horses. If you do not take the mare to places where she might become infected (and she is vaccinated) or have “horse traffic” on your premises, the donkey should be pretty safe. The other diseases of concern are transmitted by mosquitoes ( encephalitis and West Nile Virus). If your area is arid and mosquitoes are not a problem, you would, again, be pretty safe. When we have a donkey that gets sore from vaccinations, we treat them ahead of time with flunixin (Banamine). This prevents the soreness from developing. So a little NSAID pre-treatment can make vaccination a lot easier.

You can administer vaccines remotely by blow dart or a capture dart gun. These are used for wild animals and in zoo environments. It may be a short-term solution. However, your donkey really needs to be trained to accept vaccines and medical handling. Relying on darts for the rest of the donkey’s life is not a good idea and will not endear you to them. Further, if there is an emergency or if the dart equipment is unavailable or malfunctioning, there will be negative consequences. Assuming your donkey is basically trained (leads, ties up, and accepts hoof care), start by pushing into their neck with your finger and giving them a reward (we like carrot slices). Do this harder and harder until the donkey is used to pressure. Then take an empty syringe (without a needle) and do the same thing. You may have to just touch the donkey’s skin the first time, but be patient, use rewards, and gently increase pressure until the donkey accepts the syringe tip pushed into its skin. Then you need to get other people to do the same thing so that the donkey generalizes the fact that it does not need to fear the syringe and procedure. Eventually, using proper injection technique, a veterinarian will be able to vaccinate your donkey. We do this all the time, and it works quite well. If this sounds like a lot of work, it is! However, if you figure that your donkey will likely live another 30 years, this training will alleviate a lot of potential problems and welfare issues. Donkeys can be restrained more easily than horses. Using two panels or gates to “pin” them against a fence and just giving them a quick injection will also work, as will simply “snubbing” them to a strong post so that they cannot rear or back up, and can be done without injury. One would NEVER do this with horses. However, this sort of force should only be used in emergency situations, when there is no time to do the training. We really encourage you to work with your donkey. It will get over its aversion to vaccines given patience and enough time (“donkey time”). This has worked with donkeys and mules that are absolutely wild. We hope to get a video up in the next month demonstrating the technique.

It would be helpful to know what brand of rabies vaccine was used. GENERALLY, rabies vaccine (which in all cases is a killed vaccine, that is, there is no living virus in the vaccine) is one of the ones that are least likely to cause a reaction. I would not say that vaccines of any kind make the immune system “work overtime”. They do expose the immune system to a foreign material that may, in the animal’s future, pose the threat of infection, thus readying the immune system for a normal response. When reactions to vaccines occur, it is because the donkey (human or any animal) has developed a hypersensitivity (or allergy) to some part of the vaccine. This could be the killed virus, the carrying agent, or the adjuvant (something that is added to improve the normal immune response). You can test the donkey for its level of immunity to rabies. This would be a good idea rather than repeating the vaccination (usually done in 1 year). Vaccine reactions are very rare, but any animal can develop a hypersensitivity to just about anything. The reason for this is the subject of a large amount of research, and the causes are controversial. The most important vaccinations for donkeys are tetanus and influenza, followed by virus encephalitis (West Nile, EEE, and WEE) in some parts of the country.

For mules, you need to go with 1 1/2 to 2x the dose of Detomidine (Dormosadan). We would use 0.02 -0.08 mg/kg in a horse. So I would go at least 0.08 – 0.12 mg/kg IM or orally in a mule. Then you need to wait 40 minutes without ANY stimulation. Acepromazine will never adequately sedate a significantly scared animal. It just ‘takes the edge off’ and prevents wind-up anxiety. Detomidine gel is available and can be mixed with grain. Some will eat it, some won’t. As with any sedation in a really wild or frightened animal, you may get what appears to be profound sedation, only to have it spook and run off when approached. Personally, i would construct an alley with a side gate chute, as you see at rodeo arenas. Then habituate the mule to this restraint with feed. Allowing the mule to walk through the chute for several days. Once that is done using treats and calm words (and maybe a little Detomidine in the feed), you can slip the halter off or readjust it. You can also use the chute to help gentle the mule. The chute can be made with four 6″ posts set in concrete so that the top rail is 5-6 feet high. Use 2×6 planks for the sides and put them together with screws, not nails. You will need a gate at the front, one at the back, and on at least one side, and a V-shaped alley at the back to make it possible to get the mule into the chute. All this minimizes trauma to the animal and makes it possible to quietly restrain them.

There are protocols for dart immobilization of mules, donkeys, and horses. As with any sort of drug-based approach, there are always going to be risks

PVDR performs fecal parasite studies before dewormer to determine what is required. We then retest a few weeks after application to ensure we have a “good kill”.

It is always best to check with a veterinarian in your area.

At PVDR, we deworm twice per year in the Spring and the Fall as the weather changes.

The most important part of a deworming program is the analysis that you do by running a fecal analysis, from time to time, on your animals. Worming every month may be too much or just right, depending on the microenvironment of your pasture. This is almost impossible to evaluate in every individual case. So, collecting a few fecal samples and having them analyzed for worm eggs (which are microscopic) is essential to getting parasite control right. You should be able to get with your vet about doing the analysis. The analysis does not require expensive equipment: basic microscope (the kind they use in elementary or HS biology labs will do), some glass slides, and kitchen salt (and a few measuring tools).a

Ivermectin is an appropriate wormer for a 6-month-old donkey. Be sure and make an accurate estimation of its weight and follow the dosage directions on the paste or liquid that you will be using. In young animals that have not been previously dewormed, it is sometimes recommended that ½ doses of wormer be given daily for 2 days, then wait for 5 days before giving a full dose. The idea is to kill the large ascarid worms (Parascaris equorum) more slowly so that they do not create a small intestinal impaction. Also, because benzimidazoles like Fenbendazole (Panacur) do not paralyze ascarids as rapidly as ivermectin, you might consider using this approach. However, in general, both ivermectin and fenbendazole are equally safe and effective. It is a good idea to have a fecal egg count done to get some idea of the actual parasite load, both before and after treating for parasites. These are easily done and inexpensive. Just get a fresh fecal ball from each donkey in a plastic bag to your veterinarian. If you need to, they can be refrigerated overnight to prevent destruction of the microscopic worm eggs that the test is made to detect.

Ivermectin, Pyrantel Pamoate (Strongid), and Fenbendazole (Panacur, including the Panacur “power pack”) are all safe and effective in donkeys. Unfortunately, this is not based on the same sort of research as has been done in horses, but that would require killing experimental animals and counting worms in their intestines, which I will not do. This is based on a lot of experience doing the next best thing: counting parasite eggs in the manure after deworming. Remember that deworming programs only work if you take the environment, climate, and individual immunity of the donkeys into consideration. This is best done by fecal analysis and good manure control, followed by the use of dewormers when necessary.

We recommend swat, continue fly spray and use external measures such as fly bait (we use fly strike) and we use clarifly tubs to prevent flies from breeding in the manure

You are right that there is an association between general health and lice infestations. It is a “rich get richer and the poor get poorer” syndrome. So it would be a good idea to investigate the “big three” of weight loss. These are: 1) diet in general (which could be a problem with a nursing jenny not getting enough protein and the foal not getting enough milk as a result) 2) teeth (dental problems will absolutely cause weight loss in an adult but is unlikely to affect a foal), 3) parasites. I cannot tell from your question in what environment your donkeys live, but if they are getting any pasture doing a fecal egg count for intestinal worms would be a must. Also, since donkeys are susceptible to Parascaris equi, which does not require pasture for transmission, there could still be a worm problem. There are two kinds of donkey lice and it makes a difference which one you are dealing with. Werneckiella equi is a biting louse that causes itching but would not be expected to affect weight unless they were so infested that the donkeys didn’t eat due to distraction. Haematopinus asini is a sucking louse which has the potential to cause actual blood and weight loss, in addition to itching. So, it is possible that the lice themselves could be the cause of weight loss. Beyond these causes there are a host of less common things that can affect donkey’s health. So, In any event an effort should be made to determine which type of lice you have. This is pretty easy, all you need is a strong magnifying glass or a microscope. Catch one of the lice on a piece of clear Scotch tape, stick it on a microscope slide, and examine it. A picture of the two lice is attached to this answer. As far as treatment goes, do not assume that anything will kill enough of the nits to stop the infection. This includes oils or pesticides. You need to repeat your treatment in a week, allowing the current crop of nits to hatch into adults. We recommend Neem oil, which you can buy at any garden store. Us the most concentrated dilution on the label and soak the entire donkey with the solution. You have to get right down to the skin, which is difficult in the coarse hair of a donkey. This requires either a pressure livestock sprayer (which donkeys really don’t like) or sponging the solution on by hand and rubbing or brush it into the hair. Neem oil is non-toxic but if you don’t want your hands to smell like Neem oil, wear gloves. Then repeat in a week and again a week after that. We have had to follow this up with two more treatments at two week intervals in cases of severe infestation. Diatomaceous earth, despite what you may read on social media, does nothing for parasites, based on controlled research. Tea tree oil and lavender may or may not have any effect, but they will not kill the nits. We would recommend the Neem oil, and diligent application.

I would definitely go with the mineral oil, rather than diesel. The fuel oil has additives, is flammable, and really smells bad, making the donkeys unlikely to use it, even if it wasn’t poisonous. They do make Permethrin liquid for livestock repellent oilers which you can buy premixed. We have also used Neem Oil, which is a non-permethrin or pesticide, and non-toxic product that works on lice and may also work on flies.

It sounds like your donkeys have developed an allergy or hypersensitive reaction to something in their environment. There are a lot of possibilities, and they are not always easy to track down. I would start by looking at the hay. Have you gotten a new batch recently? Is there any mold in the hay? Then I would consider insects. These can vary a lot from one geographic location to another, and because California rarely had serious freezes to kill insects (were are in the Sacramento Delta and that is certainly true here) the bugs are never completely gone. Are there changes in their bedding or any kind of excavations nearby that might be producing irritating dust? The good news is that these sorts of irritants are usually seasonal. Antihistamines or mild steroid medications may be necessary to get the hypersensitivity under control. Finally, look very closely at their mane and chest hairs for lice, which are about the size of a pen point and move. Their eggs or “nits” stick to hairs, again, often in the main. They are also tiny, but if you notice a lot of hairs with similar sized oblong bodies sticking to them, you probably have lice. Lice can be treated with Equispot (a pyrethrin) or Neem Oil baths. These need to be repeated in a week after the initial dose to kill the new lice when the hatch. Your veterinarian can look at donkey hair with a microscope to diagnose lice.

We use Fenbendazole power packs on donkeys that may have heavy parasite loads and encysted small strongyles. This is when the worms infect the donkey, but instead of completing their life cycles and laying eggs, they burrow into the mucosa of the intestines and form cysts that antihelminthics (dewormers) penetrate poorly or not at all. This protects the parasite and they “hide” there until environmental conditions are right, usually spring increase in pasture quality, and “de-encyst” causing mucosal irritation and the production of eggs that contaminate the pasture. Fenbendazole is probably the safest of all antihelminthics and power packs are safe for donkeys. The biggest concern is that overuse and administering at sub-therapeutic dosages can result in the development of parasite resistance to the agent. For this reason we use other antihelminthics for most deworming, keeping Fenbendazole “in reserve”. Using once as a “power pack” would not be a problem, however.

Glad you are enjoying your rescue donkey, and I admire your willingness to worry about and care for him. The baldness pattern that you describe does sound like lice. So I would look again, very closely, combing through the hair on the sides of his neck and in his mane, under good light, because the little buggers can be very hard to see. However, there are certainly other things that could cause this condition. Making sure he is on a good diet, with a trace mineral supplement designed for donkeys, and maybe a tablespoon of flaxseed once a day would be a good place to start. Simply grooming can help, too. Getting rid of broken hairs that may be the result of previous poor nutrition and care will improve how he looks,, and the brushing will stimulate circulation in the skin. Also fly control, using a good repellent like Piranha or a fly sheet (if the flies are really bad), would be a good idea. Finally, donkeys do tend to have sensitive skin. If bald areas persist or if you actually get ulcers on the skin, having a biopsy taken will determine if there is an allergic condition going on that might require anti-inflammatories, such as an anti-histamine

Tick sprays (like fipronil) used on dogs will kill ticks on donkeys. You can also put liquid Ivermectin on individual ticks and it will kill them and make them drop off. While these are all safe for donkeys, even young ones, you might also consider sponging a Neem oil solution on your donkey. You can buy Neem oil in the garden section of the hardware store. Follow the dilution directions for insects on plants and saturate the hair coat.

The first thing that you need to rule out is lice. These are very common in donkeys because of their thick, coarse hair coat. They can be hard to find, but if you look in the hair over the main and on the sides of the neck, you will be able to see either the adult lice or their eggs (nits). The lice are about half the size of a small ant and do not move very much. You may need a magnifying glass to see them. If something looks suspicious, pick it up with some clear scotch tape and look at it under a glass or a microscope. The eggs are smaller still, but can be identified by finding small dark bodies attached to hairs. You can tell them from dandruff particles because they will all be exactly the same size. Mites are much rarer and are smaller still. They require a skin scraping or biopsy to identify them. In donkeys, the hair loss from scabies mites is usually on the sides of the legs. The reason for making a diagnosis before treatment is that you may waste a lot of time, money, and energy treating for something that is not the problem. Lice respond to a topical agent called “Equispot”, Ivermectin given orally, or Neem Oil baths. You would have to repeat the treatment in 1 week, three times, to be sure that you get rid of all the eggs, because these treatments only kill the adults, and you will have to wait for the remaining eggs to hatch. Mites are killed by giving oral Ivermectin paste or liquid (1 ml of 1% Ivermectin per 100 lbs), but this may need to be repeated. Another common cause of hair loss in donkeys is insect bite allergies. For whatever reason, donkeys seem to be more susceptible to this problem than horses. If that is the case, fly repellents or a fly sheet, along with anti-inflammatory ointments on the itchy/bald areas, is the treatment. It was just a matter of keeping the flies off, and his skin healed up

While Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) is safe for all species, including donkeys, in a dilute form, in water, I think it should be pointed out that its effectiveness against influenza viruses is as a cleaning agent, usually in the activated form with Peroxyacetic Acid. Simply mixing H2O2, as one might buy at a pharmacy, with water, is going to lead to a reaction that releases H2O (water) and O2 (oxygen gas), without having any residual virus-killing effects. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (AHPIS) of the USDA recommends peroxides for cleaning, watering, and feed facilities for poultry, not as a feed or water supplement. If you do decide to use it in water, it will not hurt your donkeys.

Ultrashield, most Pyrethrin/Permethrin insecticides, are pretty non-toxic (do NOT use it on cats, though….). So your mini grooming himself after being treated will not be a problem. If he is itching because of lice, you should be able to see the lice and lice eggs (nits) on his main region. You may need a magnifying glass to see them. Look for a bunch of pinhead-sized structures that are all the same size. Of course, if they are also moving, they are the actual lice. We have used a product called Equispot or Neem Oil to treat lice. One reason for actually identifying the lice is that if they are NOT there and he is itching, it may be due to a skin allergy to something else, which would require a different treatment. Minis are especially prone to skin allergies.

Lice can be really hard to get rid of. We are struggling with an infestation in some research donkeys that we are going to re-home. You can apply diluted Neem oil by sponging it on or by spraying. The hardest part is that donkey hair is coarse and dry, and it is really hard to get the solution down to the base of the hair. I would seriously scrub it in and get them as wet as you can, once a week. You could also use a dog flea shampoo that contains pyrethrin. Similarly, get the shampoo scrubbed into the skin thoroughly. There are pyrethrin-resistant lice. So if you are not making progress, you may have to do Neem Oil too. Your donkey did not get the lice from the hay or chickens. Lice are “species specific,” so donkey lice only infect donkeys and chicken lice only infect chickens. They would have to have come from another donkey, pony, or horse. It is possible to have animals carry lice for a long time and not show symptoms. Then the population can build up and start causing symptoms. They are not easy to see and are often missed until there are many.

It is possible that your donkey has an obstruction of the bowel, which could be an impaction or constipation. It could also be that she has some irritation of the intestines as a result of killing a lot of intestinal parasites with the ivermectin. There are also a number of other possibilities. If she has not been eating that long, she really needs a veterinary exam. To give mineral oil requires the placement of a tube through the donkey’s nose into the stomach. The problem with giving mineral oil by mouth is that it does not stimulate a swallowing reflex and you will not be able to give enough to actually reach an obstruction of the colon. If you force it, the mineral oil can go into the lungs and cause real problems. If you want to try to lubricate the bowel, we would recommend feeding a mash of pellets soaked in a gruel with warm water and a cup of psyllium bran added to it. You can buy psyllium at health food stores or at a pharmacy, where it is sold as Metamucil. Again, a veterinary diagnosis would be the best idea.

It is true that donkeys are adapted to an arid climate, and generally, humidity and tropical moisture can cause a variety of health problems, ranging from hoof problems to excessive weight gain in a verdant pasture. I would be very interested to know what species of mites are in your donkey’s ears and if your veterinarian diagnosed the problem with a skin scraping, ear swab, or biopsy. In North America, mite infestations are very rare in equines, including donkeys. You could send me the diagnostic information and a picture of your donkey’s ears if possible. I have a colleague here at UCD who is a dermatologist with an interest in donkey skin problems, and he might have an idea on how to successfully solve this problem. It could also be that your donkey has a hypersensitive reaction to insect bites and, if so, would respond to anti-inflammatory medications, insect repellent, and a fly mask with ear coverings. It would be worthwhile to look into these options before trying to re-home your donkey to Arizona.

Besnoitia is difficult to diagnose, and the mode of transmission is unknown. Probably the best one could do would be to biopsy one of those skin lesions to see if the parasite could be found there. Most cases have been reported in the North East rather than Texas or the desert west. So, while I cannot be sure this is not a case of Besnoitia, it seems less likely, given this donkey’s recent arrival in Massachusetts. I would suggest repeating the blood count and including either a measurement of Fibrinogen or Serum Amyloid A (SAA). These are more sensitive indicators of inflammation and between transport and abortion it is very possible that this donkey has a pleural or uterine infection. I know it is getting TMZ but this antibiotic has a lot of bacterial resistance problems and will not necessarily protect the donkey. It would also be interesting to know what blood work was run, particularly in reference to liver function. The donkey’s behavior may also be a result of separation, especially if it is not able to directly interact with other donkeys or horses. I understand that Besnoitia transmission is a concern, but as we don’t know the way this parasite transmits anyway, you might be just as well off to put the new donkey in with others.

Before I thought about mites, I would think of lice. Bovicola equi is common in donkeys and can cause considerable itching. The parasite is hard to see and often lives in the mane and on the ears. There are a number of treatments that range from Equispot to Neem Oil. Flea sprays that are used on dogs and cats will also work. You can look for the lice eggs in the mane and on the hair. They are tiny (pinhead-sized) grayish ovals that are attached to the hair. Whatever treatment you use, repeat in 1 week, or a new “hatch” of lice will come right back again. Also, if one donkey has lice, they probably all do. Mites (Sarcoptes) can occur in donkeys. If you swab the inside of the ear or take some crusts off the skin to your veterinarian, they can identify these rare parasites. In some parts of the country, there is also a “spinous ear tick” (Otobius megnini) that can live and reproduce down in the ear canal. This is easy to treat with a commercial tick spray, Neem oil, or a pyrethrin. To find these, you would need an “otoscope” to look down into the ear canal. I have never seen ear ticks in donkeys, but they do occur in horses and cattle, and there is no reason why they might not get into donkey ears. Again, these are rare and usually cause a little head shaking and no itching.

This does sound like a severe hypersensitivity to insect bites. However, it could also be a number of other autoimmune conditions. A couple of questions: What was the response to the steroid injections (and can you tell me which steroid was used and how much)? Was a skin scraping done to identify the presence of fungus, since he is being treated for that now? I know these skin conditions in donkeys can be very frustrating to treat, and you seem to be doing everything that you can to prevent the insect exposure. The problem is that there just isn’t a repellent that is 100% effective, and, in a hypersensitive animal, it just takes one little bite. It also seems paradoxical that this sort of condition can develop when the donkey did not have the problem in the past. However, allergies can develop over time, and there is a myriad of interactions between the animal, its immune system, other creatures, and the environment that can make skin lesions come on without an apparent reason. I would recommend a careful skin biopsy (this should include samples from several different lesions that include the overlying hair and dry skin layers). The first thing is to be sure what you are dealing with, and microscopic analysis of the lesions, with the need to do special stains to identify the type of reaction, is the only way that I know of to decide on a therapy. Trying to save money without doing the diagnostics will result in more being spent on unsuccessful treatment, not to mention prolonging the misery that your donkey is experiencing. There are several medications that can quell these hypersensitivities, though they may take some time to work. We can also arrange to have a dermatologist expert in donkey skin issues consult on the samples. Good luck, and, as one who has a donkey like this himself, I completely understand your frustration.

Edible fly control products are safe for the donkey, but likely not too good for other insects and nematodes in the environment. We use Piranah Wipe and Spray for flies, and it works well. However, those who are particularly sensitive may require leg protection, such as “pants” in the attached picture. We always use fly masks on our donkeys in the fly season, as their eyes are much more sensitive than horses’. We have used Equispot for lice and ticks, though the latter is not that common in our arid area. Other things that may work for ticks are sulfur powder or a rinse. I use this on myself when in the tropics for ticks and chiggers. It does not smell great, but it is very effective. Some research has demonstrated that Neem oil, which can be mixed 50:50 with some other light oil (vegetable, corn, peanut) and used as a wipe on tick-prone, areas. Neem oil can be used full strength on the ticks themselves as can Ivermectin liquid, to get them to release.

If worms are causing the problem, they would be “Pin Worms” , Oxyuris equi. They live in the colon and cause itching when the females migrate down the rectum and out through the anus where they lay their eggs. We used use Scotch tape to pickup the eggs by a horse or donkey’s anus, for diagnosis. However, with modern wormers Oxyuris is rarely found. Other causes of itching (which usually involves the tail) are lice (Damelina equi or Haematopinus asini) or insect bite hypersensitivity (common in minis). The lice are very small and can be found, along with their eggs, most easily in the mane. You can tell the eggs (nits) because there will be very tiny bodies attached to the hairs, which are all the same size. It may be necessary to have a magnifying glass to see them. With patience you can see the adult lice move, though you may need a magnifying glass. Lice in donkeys can be treated with Carbaryl, Equi Spot, or Neem Oil baths. Anything that will cause skin hypersensitivity can cause them to itch, and, again, this is common in minis. That can be treated with antihistamines or anti-inflammatory steroids. We have one mini here that requires a fly blanket in the summer, because any amount of fly contact sets off a serious scratching episode which can cause her to lose all the hair on her rump. I would start by ruling out the lice, and then considering treating her for skin allergy.