Why Did My Mini Donkey Die?

[BlessedWithGoats]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[Bruce]

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]

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]

 

[Lanthanum]

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.

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]

Sorry you lost your donkey. Such a shame.

 

[norseofcourse]

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]

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]

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]