Severe Skin Lesions Caused by Persistent Bites of the Stable Fly Stomoxys calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae) in a Donkey Sanctuary of Western Spain.

Animal sanctuaries are important organisations that promote animal welfare and health as well as social awareness. Following the appearance of several donkeys with severe and distinctive skin lesions in a sanctuary from western Spain in 2021, a multicomponent study was performed to rule out the possible causes. The lesions were mainly concentrated on the extremities and, to a lesser extent, on the face and/or chest. The use of cotton leggings on their extremities as an external barrier to prevent them from bites and treatments with antiparasitic, antiseptic washes and dermatitis lotion showed to be effective measures to improve the donkey lesions. Skin scraping was negative for any relevant causative agents. Histopathological examination of the lesions showed an inflammatory infiltrate at the superficial dermal level, compatible with diffuse chronic dermatitis. A field entomological study was conducted from May to October 2021 to ascertain if any Diptera was responsible for these lesions. Considerable numbers of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans were recorded in both sticky traps and decomposing straw bedding. Several species of hematophagous Diptera were also recorded in lower numbers in other traps placed on the farm facilities. According to the entomological data, the location of the bites and clinical signs, it was concluded that S. calcitrans was the main cause of the skin lesions in the donkeys. To our best knowledge, this is the first clinical case of donkeys affected by the stable fly in Spain. For differential diagnosis, a brief discussion of the evidence caused by other biting Diptera groups is provided.

Demography, preventative healthcare and reason for relinquishment of donkeys to an equine charity in the UK (2013-2015).

BACKGROUND: In the UK, there are thousands of donkeys being cared for by charities; however, little is known about the reasons for relinquishment or their previous health status, with even less information available in published literature. Such information could help to identify factors contributing to poor equine welfare and guide the development of appropriate educational resources. OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of the relinquished donkeys and to better understand the current preventative healthcare status of donkeys relinquished into The Donkey Sanctuary. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational survey. METHODS: A total of 596 donkeys were admitted during a 30-month period. Each had a health check at arrival; and previous management information was provided by the owner. Data were retrieved from The Donkey Sanctuary database, inputted into a specific Microsoft Access 2016 database then exported for analysis in IBM SPSS 19.0 for Windows® . Mules and ponies were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Many donkeys arrived without a valid passport (32.3%) or microchip (49.7%). Only 23.2% were fully protected against influenza and tetanus and 21.0% of the donkeys had no previous anthelmintic treatment history. Geriatric donkeys often suffered from moderate to severe dental disease in need of advanced treatment, and 43.9% had received no dental treatment within the last year. Overall 26.3% of donkeys were classed as overweight and 8.6% were obese. The median time since the last hoof trim was 10 weeks. MAIN LIMITATION: The health status of the studied donkeys may have been affected by the reasons for relinquishment, and associations require further investigation. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the need for improving preventative healthcare in donkeys to ensure better welfare within the population.