Dental health and management practices of donkeys in the UK: What should we be considering?

Abstract

Background: Several studies have shown dental disease to have a high prevalence and severity in donkeys. Limited studies have assessed the possible relationships between poor dental health and the management and health care of donkeys. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify relationships between dental health and current management of donkeys in the UK and to provide recommendations to improve practices to help donkey welfare. Study design: Observational cross-sectional survey. Methods: A total of 596 donkeys surrendered to The Donkey Sanctuary (TDS) over a period of 30 months were included. Analysis was performed on three categories of information: entrance information submitted by previous owners and welfare professionals, pre-admission clinical examination records and arrival medical examination data. Results: No statistically significant differences were identified between dental health and provision of bedding, or diet types. Agreement between external professionals and experienced TDS staff was weak in reference to recognition of dental pathology, age and body condition score (BCS). Over 25% of donkeys with severe dental pathology also had poor BCS (1–1.5). The majority of donkeys had no indication of previous dental examination. Main limitations: Entrance information was not gathered and recorded in a structured manner. Conclusions: Regular prophylactic dental care seems to have poor uptake amongst the owners of the study population, but this is perhaps, in part, aligned to the nature of the sanctuary. Owners are yet to take dental health into consideration when allocating a diet or bedding types to their donkeys, presenting a risk of colic/choke in those fed long fibres with an inability to process them adequately. The Donkey Sanctuary should continue to offer accessible means of education to reach both professionals and owners alike, and this may be well served by the implementation of the new, online, Donkey Academy.