Why Did My Mini Donkey Die?

[Lanthanum]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

"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]

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.

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]

"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]

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]

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