Acute recumbency associated with necrotizing pancreatitis in a donkey
Viju V Pillai1, Cassandra Powers1, Zineb Kotbi2
1Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA; Willie M. Reed Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Journal of Comparative Pathology
|May 6, 2026
Summary
This case report details a donkey with acute necrotizing pancreatitis and pulmonary fibrosis. Equine pancreatitis presents non-specifically, emphasizing the need for post-mortem diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Equine Pathology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Acute pancreatitis is challenging to diagnose in equids due to non-specific clinical signs.
- Donkeys can present with recumbency, inappetence, hypothermia, and tachycardia, mimicking other conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of necrotizing pancreatitis and pulmonary fibrosis in a donkey.
- To highlight the diagnostic difficulties and the importance of post-mortem examination in equine pancreatitis.
Main Methods:
- Clinical case presentation of a 22-year-old female donkey.
- Physical and clinicopathological examinations, including post-mortem and histopathological analyses.
Main Results:
- The donkey presented with acute recumbency, inappetence, metabolic acidosis, and systemic inflammation.
- Post-mortem examination revealed pancreatic enlargement, edema, and pulmonary fibrosis.
- Histopathology confirmed severe necrotizing pancreatitis and chronic interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.
Conclusions:
- Necrotizing pancreatitis in equids is difficult to diagnose antemortem.
- Post-mortem examination is crucial for definitive diagnosis of pancreatitis in donkeys.
- Pulmonary fibrosis was a concurrent finding, suggesting potential chronic inflammatory processes.
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