Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2025
Surgical Closure of Equine Abdomen, Prevention, and Management of Incisional Complications
Published on: May 10, 2024
Outcome following emergency laparotomy in 33 UK donkeys: A retrospective multicentre study
Mathilde S Merridale-Punter1,2, Jamie S W Prutton1, Darko Stefanovski3
1Liphook Equine Hospital, Liphook, UK.
Background:
Emergency laparotomies in donkeys are infrequently performed and there is limited literature on the subject.
Objectives:
To determine findings and associated outcomes of exploratory laparotomies in donkeys.
Study Design:
Descriptive retrospective study.
Methods:
Donkeys undergoing emergency exploratory laparotomy for investigation and treatment of colic at seven UK referral hospitals between 2005-2017 were included. Data were retrieved from available hospital records. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistical analysis of outcomes of interest was performed in three steps.
Results:
Thirty-three cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Clinical signs on presentation were available for 32 donkeys, of which 53.1% (17/32) presented for investigation of colic while in 46.9% (15/32) the presenting complaint was non-specific. Primary lesion location included small intestine (42.4%, 14/33), large colon (39.3%, 13/33), caecum (6.1%, 2/33), stomach (6.1%, 2/33) and 6.1% (2/33) had multiple abnormal findings without a clear primary lesion. Overall survival to discharge was 54.5% (18/33). Five donkeys (15.2%, 5/33) were euthanased at surgery and of those recovering from general anaesthesia a further 35.7% (10/28) were euthanased or died prior to discharge. Six donkeys (21.4%, 6/28) required a second laparotomy of which 4 (66.7%, 4/6) survived. Post-operative complications occurred in 82.1% (23/28) of cases and included hyperlipaemia (42.9%, 12/28), incisional complications (21.4%, 6/28), ileus (21.4%, 6/28) and persistent colic (17.9%, 5/28). When adjusted for other complications, donkeys with primary gastric lesions were less likely to have presented with severe colic compared with those with primary small intestinal lesions (OR: 0.07, 95% CI 0.01-0.95, p = 0.05). Only age was positively associated with death prior to discharge (OR: 1.18, 95% CI 1.03-1.36, p = 0.02).
Main Limitations:
Small sample size and retrospective design.
Conclusion:
Donkeys with abdominal lesions may present with a range of signs often not including colic. Surgical findings were diverse and survival to discharge appears to be lower than in horses.
