# Why Did My Mini Donkey Die?



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

Recently I woke up to find my cherished miniature donkey chomping down on my pygmy doe's leg with no intention of letting go. He was a very friendly three year old and had NEVER done anything to hurt a single being on the farm. We had to spray him with the water hose to let my Bonnie go. We seperated him and things got much worse from there. He was biting everything and anything that touched him and it seemed it wasn't out of aggression, but from fear. He had went blind we think because there was a haze over his eyes and they weren't responding. He started to headbutt the walls and fence, and it seemed he couldn't lift his head. I had no choice but to wait it out, but the very next day he couldn't even stand when he fell during the night. He had used the bathroom on himself and his neck was twisted a weird angle that he couldn't lift it from. We put him down and buried him that evening when it seemed things were only getting even worse. He didn't respond to any sounds or movements, he couldn't even move a single muscle when I tried to adjust his head. His breathing was very labored and his eyes were very wide with fear. Does anyone know what might have happened? I am very shaken at what happened and would like to know what happened to my precious Ollie Boy. Here are pictures a few hours before we put him down. Tears were running down his face and it left absolute heartbreak for all of us


----------



## Bunnylady (Dec 18, 2016)

I am terribly sorry for your loss. Long ears are just so adorable.

Just a question - was this little guy up to date on his rabies shot?


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

Bunnylady said:


> Just a question - was this little guy up to date on his rabies shot?


That was a consideration we took, because he never had any shots at all so that chance is high due to the myriad of bats and rabid rodents in southern Georgia. The people who came and looked at him though said it seemed like a nervous issue instead of rabies, and Bonnie never showed any signs of rabies since he bit her so we ruled that out. Then again I couldn't afford a medical professional to look at him so these were just family members that had experience with other animals


----------



## Baymule (Dec 18, 2016)

It sounds like it could be meningeal worm.

http://goatconnection.com/articles/publish/article_126.shtml

http://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Pages/Meningeal-Worm.aspx

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parelaphostrongylus_tenuis

I am so sorry about your donkey.


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

Bunnylady said:


> I am terribly sorry for your loss. Long ears are just so adorable.
> 
> Just a question - was this little guy up to date on his rabies shot?


Yeah my heart aches for him. Here is a picture of happy healthy Olliver


----------



## Bunnylady (Dec 18, 2016)

"Nervous issue?" Rabies_ is _a "nervous issue;" it's a virus that attacks the nerves, so the symptoms can be very different depending on just which nerves are affected. How long ago did this happen? The incubation period (the time between infection and the onset of symptoms) is related to where the bite occurred; animals bitten on the face generally show symptoms faster than those bitten on the leg, for example. While the usual "rule of thumb" is to quarantine for 2 weeks after a suspected exposure, it may take longer than that for symptoms to appear; I have heard of a case of a horse bitten on a hind leg that actually took months before it showed symptoms.

The next best candidate would probably be West Nile Virus, or possibly something like Eastern Equine Encephalitis (though animals with EEE or WEE are more likely to act sleepy and dull rather than being aggressive).  All of these can be prevented by vaccination; some horse owners buy the vaccines and give the shots themselves.


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

Baymule said:


> It sounds like it could be meningeal worm.
> 
> http://goatconnection.com/articles/publish/article_126.shtml
> 
> ...


Those sound exactly like the symptoms he had, before he started falling and not moving he was wondering aimlessly and very slowly around the yard bumping into anything in his way and I put him back in his own pen so he wouldn't get hurt and then all that happened. No way to know for sure I'm afraid. There wasn't a way I could afford an autopsy or anything of that nature. I was hoping someone else may know what had happened to lay some resolve to my beloved Ollie's death. Thank you, I do miss him so.


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

Bunnylady said:


> "Nervous issue?" Rabies_ is _a "nervous issue;" it's a virus that attacks the nerves, so the symptoms can be very different depending on just which nerves are affected. How long ago did this happen? The incubation period (the time between infection and the onset of symptoms) is related to where the bite occurred; animals bitten on the face generally show symptoms faster than those bitten on the leg, for example. While the usual "rule of thumb" is to quarantine for 2 weeks after a suspected exposure, it may take longer than that for symptoms to appear; I have heard of a case of a horse bitten on a hind leg that actually took months before it showed symptoms.
> 
> The next best candidate would probably be West Nile Virus, or possibly something like Eastern Equine Encephalitis (though animals with EEE or WEE are more likely to act sleepy and dull rather than being aggressive).  All of these can be prevented by vaccination; some horse owners buy the vaccines and give the shots themselves.


I know rabies is a bervous issue I just meant in relation to a seizure or tumor not a disease. This happened in September, and where he bit Bonnie didn't break the skin as far as I know because he fur is white and would've shown blood, where there was none. I am getting my goats all vaccinated within the next month along with checkups and tests so they should show any issues


----------



## Bunnylady (Dec 18, 2016)

Baymule said:


> It sounds like it could be meningeal worm.



Baymule, a quick look around doesn't find anything that indicates that equines are susceptible to meningeal worm - did you find something to indicate otherwise? The only animals mentioned are all ruminants, a class of animals which doesn't include horses and donkeys.


----------



## Baymule (Dec 18, 2016)

I understand about not being able to afford an autopsy, it doesn't change his dying. The only way it would make a difference is if he had a communicable disease, and it could be spread to other animals. I would quarantine the goat he bit just to be on the safe side. Since you likely got saliva on yourselves, trying to get him off your goat, you have been exposed too.

Just read your latest post, so I guess you don't have rabies, LOL


----------



## Baymule (Dec 18, 2016)

Bunnylady said:


> Baymule, a quick look around doesn't find anything that indicates that equines are susceptible to meningeal worm - did you find something to indicate otherwise? The only animals mentioned are all ruminants, a class of animals which doesn't include horses and donkeys.


Yes horses and donkeys can get meningeal worm. I once subscribed to a donkey/mule magazine and there was a heart breaking story of a mammoth donkey that died of meningeal worm.


----------



## Baymule (Dec 18, 2016)

Cattle can also get it. The best preventative is a trio of Muscovy ducks. They will eat the snails that carry meningeal worm and liver flukes as well. Muscovies will set and brood their own young and are, from what I can gather, quite tasty. The lady we got our sheep from has cattle, sheep, goats, muscovies and Great Pyrenees to watch over them all. She has trained her muscovies to come up every night to the barn, where she gives them corn and closes them up for the night and lets them out in the mornings. Certain sections of her fence is a cow panel, which the ducks can scramble through the large holes to access her pastures and lake.


----------



## Bunnylady (Dec 18, 2016)

How long a period was involved between the time you first knew something was wrong and the time you put Ollie down? The symptoms you describe are consistent with viral infection. A rapid onset of symptoms, and the rapid progress of those symptoms, would point more to a virus than a tumor or meningeal worm; horses usually die in about 3 days when infected with EEE, for example. Since infection by meningeal worms is much more common in goats and sheep, I'd be interested to know if there has been any sign of anything like this in the goats?


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

Bunnylady said:


> How long a period was involved between the time you first knew something was wrong and the time you put Ollie down? The symptoms you describe are consistent with viral infection. A rapid onset of symptoms, and the rapid progress of those symptoms, would point more to a virus than a tumor or meningeal worm; horses usually die in about 3 days when infected with EEE, for example. Since infection by meningeal worms is much more common in goats and sheep, I'd be interested to know if there has been any sign of anything like this in the goats?


The goats have shown no signs of anything wrong, they have been very healthy as far as I know. 

As for the elapsed time of symptoms and death, he was great when I put him up for the night and in the morning he showed agression/fear, about thirty minutes into the morning he was running into things and being extremely lax, about forty five minutes after he started collapsing, he stayed on the ground only able to get up about once every hour for twenty minutes at a time at most, then the following night he showed complete paralysis and inability to eat, drink, or move so we put him down about an hour into the morning because it was very obvious he was suffering a great deal. So I'd say he went from healthy to death in 20-24 hours


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

Baymule said:


> Cattle can also get it. The best preventative is a trio of Muscovy ducks. They will eat the snails that carry meningeal worm and liver flukes as well. Muscovies will set and brood their own young and are, from what I can gather, quite tasty. The lady we got our sheep from has cattle, sheep, goats, muscovies and Great Pyrenees to watch over them all. She has trained her muscovies to come up every night to the barn, where she gives them corn and closes them up for the night and lets them out in the mornings. Certain sections of her fence is a cow panel, which the ducks can scramble through the large holes to access her pastures and lake.


I am trading a yellow buff hen for 4 mallards here soon, do they do the same?


----------



## luvmypets (Dec 18, 2016)

How was his walking before he went down, was there any wobble to it? With meningeal worm it is the back legs that go first. It would have most likely appeared he was drunk with his walk.

ETA: Any significant weight loss before his symptoms started?


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

luvmypets said:


> How was his walking before he went down, was there any wobble to it? With meningeal worm it is the back legs that go first. It would have most likely appeared he was drunk with his walk.
> 
> ETA: Any significant weight loss before his symptoms started?


He seemed to willingly slow and lay down and not get up, more like going to sleep instead of collapsing. And I was asking people for month about "Do you know why Olliver is losing so much weight? I'm giving him extra feed but he won't gain any" 
But my only response since he wasn't showing any other symptoms was "He's just losing his summer weight"
I didn't think it could be linked to his death but now that I think about it. It got to where you could see his hip bones and ribs clearly, about just enough to keep him standing even though I was feeding him the same amount you'd feed a rescue that needs to gain, not too much but more than you'd feed a healthy one


----------



## luvmypets (Dec 18, 2016)

Lanthanum said:


> He seemed to willingly slow and lay down and not get up, more like going to sleep instead of collapsing. And I was asking people for month about "Do you know why Olliver is losing so much weight? I'm giving him extra feed but he won't gain any"
> But my only response since he wasn't showing any other symptoms was "He's just losing his summer weight"
> I didn't think it could be linked to his death but now that I think about it. It got to where you could see his hip bones and ribs clearly, about just enough to keep him standing even though I was feeding him the same amount you'd feed a rescue that needs to gain, not too much but more than you'd feed a healthy one


Sounds like m-worm, im so sorry


----------



## Hens and Roos (Dec 18, 2016)

so sorry to hear


----------



## Bunnylady (Dec 18, 2016)

Progressive weight loss without any obvious cause (like a lack of feed) does sound more like a parasite problem.


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

Yes Ollie Boy was a very friendly amd cherished part of my herd, I miss him dearly. It's good to have an idea of what happened to him though, thank you all


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

Here he is before all that happened. In Memory of my sweet Olliver


----------



## Kaye (Dec 18, 2016)

I'm so sorry. This is horrible to hear. If it is indeed a parasite you could test his 'freshest' poop and try to find out. This is relatively not expensive and if you have a friend with a scope it would be even cheaper


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 18, 2016)

Kaye said:


> I'm so sorry. This is horrible to hear. If it is indeed a parasite you could test his 'freshest' poop and try to find out. This is relatively not expensive and if you have a friend with a scope it would be even cheaper


This happened back in September, I'm afraid no more is left in the yard. Thank you a lot though


----------



## luvmypets (Dec 18, 2016)

Even if it was m-worm, you cannot find it in feces/fecals. It is one of those things you look for posthumous.


----------



## Kaye (Dec 18, 2016)

luvmypets said:


> Even if it was m-worm, you cannot find it in feces/fecals. It is one of those things you look for posthumous.


Ohhhhhhhh!!! How?? I have had No experience with this, so I don't know ANYTHING about it. Has anyone done an article??


----------



## Goat Whisperer (Dec 18, 2016)

M-worm migrates to the spine/brain, it doesn't reside in the intestinal tract like worms/cocci. 

Lots of articles on it. Just search the interwebs and look for real articles…


----------



## Goat Whisperer (Dec 18, 2016)

@Lanthanum I'm so sorry for your loss 

I didn't know equines could get M worm. 
Hate to hear about your guy.


----------



## Simpleterrier (Dec 18, 2016)

We had a horse that got west nile sounds like the same symptoms he had losing weight then kinda went crazy the went down. My dad missed one vaccine he bought the wrong multi shot one year and his horse got it. Was nasty to see horse died while vet was testing. He took out the paddock fence and a good section of corn by staggering around before we put him down. Bad night


----------



## Baymule (Dec 18, 2016)

Lanthanum said:


> I am trading a yellow buff hen for 4 mallards here soon, do they do the same?


Yes, ducks will eat snails and help keep the diseases they carry away from your livestock. I don't know if the ducks you are getting will brood and raise their own young.


----------



## BlessedWithGoats (Dec 18, 2016)

So sorry for your loss.


----------



## Bruce (Dec 19, 2016)

I'm really sorry your donkey died. Heartbreaking I can tell and very understandable.

Note that M-worm has a 'natural' 2 host cycle. White tail deer and snails/slugs. If you have white tail anywhere near your pastures, even if they never get in the areas where your animals graze, you have the possibility of infected snails/slugs coming into their area. They are usually eaten along with the grasses they climb on.

My understanding is that once you see symptoms, there is little that can be done. Here is a link to a page referencing it in goats:
http://www.sheepandgoat.com/deerworm

If your donkey did indeed die from M-worm, I would vaccinate every susceptible animal you have and see if you can do anything to keep them away from areas where snails/slugs might be, especially if there are "border areas" where the deer can not cross but the snails/slugs can. I have NO idea how far a snail/slug will travel though.


----------



## Bunnylady (Dec 19, 2016)

Unfortunately, nobody will ever know what caused this donkey's illness. All of the conditions mentioned on this thread, from rabies to brainworms, cause inflammation of the brain, so the range of possible symptoms is pretty much identical. Since this animal hadn't been vaccinated, any vet that had seen him would have had to rule out encephalitis caused by the much more common viral infections before he started working on something that would still be considered uncommon or rare, like meningeal worms. What's also sad is that there are vaccination and worming protocols (like the fenbendazole 5-day treatment) that might have prevented the donkey's death, had they been employed.

I'm not "blaming" the OP; Heaven knows, I've had animals die preventable deaths, and I know all too well the feeling of kicking myself. The best thing one can do in a situation like this is learn from it, and move on.


----------



## TAH (Dec 19, 2016)




----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 19, 2016)

Bruce said:


> I'm really sorry your donkey died. Heartbreaking I can tell and very understandable.
> 
> Note that M-worm has a 'natural' 2 host cycle. White tail deer and snails/slugs. If you have white tail anywhere near your pastures, even if they never get in the areas where your animals graze, you have the possibility of infected snails/slugs coming into their area. They are usually eaten along with the grasses they climb on.
> 
> ...


Oh dear, I live in dense whitetail land where MANY whitetails eun around, and I've been outside many times to see a deer sniffing through the fence to see what these "tiny white and brown animals" are, hence the goats.


----------



## Latestarter (Dec 19, 2016)

Sorry you lost your donkey. Such a shame.


----------



## norseofcourse (Dec 20, 2016)

I'm so sorry you lost your donkey.  I admit, the first thing I thought was rabies, but that was before the info about the weight loss.  I don't know much about the other diseases mentioned, but I do have deer around here, too, so I'll be doing some reading.  Hope your other critters all stay ok.


----------



## Goat Whisperer (Dec 20, 2016)

Bunnylady said:


> Unfortunately, nobody will ever know what caused this donkey's illness. All of the conditions mentioned on this thread, from rabies to brainworms, cause inflammation of the brain, so the range of possible symptoms is pretty much identical. Since this animal hadn't been vaccinated, any vet that had seen him would have had to rule out encephalitis caused by the much more common viral infections before he started working on something that would still be considered uncommon or rare, like meningeal worms. What's also sad is that there are vaccination and worming protocols (like the fenbendazole 5-day treatment) that might have prevented the donkey's death, had they been employed.
> 
> I'm not "blaming" the OP; Heaven knows, I've had animals die preventable deaths, and I know all too well the feeling of kicking myself. The best thing one can do in a situation like this is learn from it, and move on.


I was thinking rabies too. Don't know anything about donkeys but several in our area turned up rabid along with many cows and goats


----------



## Lanthanum (Dec 20, 2016)

Yes I miss my Ollie Boy very much, one of the best animals I've ever had and losing him was devastating. I can't bear to lose my goats too so I very much hope that he didn't have a communicable disease


----------



## Goat Whisperer (Dec 20, 2016)




----------



## Kusanar (Dec 21, 2016)

Goat Whisperer said:


> I was thinking rabies too. Don't know anything about donkeys but several in our area turned up rabid along with many cows and goats


The area around my farm has rabid groundhogs... they chase people out of their own yards and attack cars going down the road...


----------

