Management, health, and veterinary care of donkeys in Switzerland: A cross-sectional study

Limited information currently exists concerning donkey husbandry and health in Switzerland. Within the framework of this study, Swiss donkey owners, veterinarians, and official veterinary offices were surveyed online to obtain information on current husbandry and feeding practices, health care, and status of Swiss donkeys and to clarify the need for further education in this area. A total of 705 owners with 1463 donkeys, 141 veterinarians, and 19 official veterinary offices were included in the study. Most owners kept their donkeys in run-in shelters (73,9 %) with access to pasture (98,3 %). Of all donkey owners, 42,7 % kept their donkey without direct contact with a conspecific. One in three donkeys (32,8 %) were reported to be overweight with age, breed, and certain husbandry conditions significantly associated to this condition. Only 15,9 % of all donkeys received regular preventive healthcare (including tetanus vaccination, deworming, routine preventive dental maintenance, and hoof trimming). Laminitis and hoof abscesses were among the most frequently observed diseases by owners (7,3 % and 12,1 %, respectively, based on individual animal observations), veterinarians (76,6 % and 68,1 %, respectively, based on an estimate of the frequency of the disease in the patient population) and official veterinary offices (63,2 % and 15,8 %, respectively, based on an estimate of the frequency of the disease on the farms inspected). In contrast, dental disease and asinine metabolic syndrome were less often reported by owners (2,5 % and 0,7 %, respectively) compared to veterinarians (56,7 % and 34,8 %, respectively) and official veterinary offices (26,3 % and 26,3 %, respectively), possibly due to underrecognition of these conditions by owners. Most donkey owners (54,0 %), veterinarians (85,1 %), and official veterinary offices (79,0 %) were interested in more education opportunities relating to donkey husbandry and medicine. Targeted education will be the most efficient way to raise awareness of species-appropriate husbandry and medical care and should be encouraged more in Switzerland.