Colic: Management in Working Donkeys by SPANA-MALI

Colic represents the most common manifestation of digestive pathology in equines with over 70 possible aetiologies. Data from the clinics of SPANA-Mali between 2007 and 2010 show that colic has a prevalence of 68% in the digestive problems which presented for treatment at veterinary clinics. Horses with abdominal pain may show many clinical signs, such as flank watching, pawing the ground, rolling, kicking at their abdomen and sweating. By contrast, colic in donkeys very rarely manifests as overtly outward signs of pain, and when it does it usually indicates the condition is in a more advanced stage. Clinical presentation in donkeys may include dullness, with or without anorexia. The population of working equids treated by SPANA-Mali is largely composed of male donkeys, aged between two and ten. In the capital city, Bamako, donkeys are used to collect household refuse and bring it on carts to rubbish dumps. Here, they wait around for their carts to be emptied and scavenge what food they can find amongst the rubbish; consequently they often ingest indigestible material. They have no access to water during the hours which they are working, commonly between 02.00-10.00. This potentially increases their susceptibility to foreign body impaction colic. Other potential causes of colic may include dental problems and intestinal parasites. Given the frequent involvement of foreign bodies as a cause of colic in the working donkeys in Mali, this paper describes how these cases are managed with limited resources. […]