Summer Sores in Donkeys

During the summer months, donkeys deal with a skin condition called summer soars, also known as Habronemiasis. This skin irritation is caused by house and stable flies. The condition starts in the donkey's own bodies. Donkeys inhabit stomach worms, also called habronema nematodes, inside their stomachs. The condition manifests from there.

  1. The Cycle

    • Female stomach worms lay eggs inside the donkey's stomach. The eggs then move through the rest of the digestive tract and are eliminated in the donkey's bowel movement. Flies then land on the feces and ingest the larvae. The fly becomes a host to the parasite. When the fly lands on the donkey and bites it, the larvae is deposited in the skin. According to Arizona Equine Medical and Surgical Centre, the sore develop from an allergic reaction to the deposited larvae.

    Season

    • While summer sores are possible in the winter months, they are most likely to develop in the spring and summer due to the increase of flies in those seasons.

    Symptoms

    • Open skin wounds around the mouth, penis, sheath and eyes are common symptoms of summer sores. According to Arizona Equine Medical and Surgical Centre, the sores itch and tiny yellow granules can be seen inside the wound. Donkeys who have sores on the eyes may squint and the eye may weep. Sore on the penis may make urinating difficult for the donkey.

    Diagnosis

    • Any donkey, male or female, can be affected. Summer sores are easily mistaken for a skin cancer called sarcoids. The only way to accurately diagnosis summer sores is by having a veterinarian do a biopsy of the infected area.

    Treatment

    • Most likely your veterinarian will de-worm the donkey with an oral does of Ivermectin and prescribe topical or oral steroids to help speed up the healing process of the sores. If the sores are not taken care of promptly, it can take longer for the sores to heal, so veterinarian assistance should be sought as soon as you believe summer soars are an issue. Sores that do not respond to medication may have to be surgically removed.

    Prevention

    • The best way to prevent summer sores is fly control. Use of fly repellents and fly covers can help protect the donkeys. Also using a fan in the doorway and fly strips can help decrease the amount of flies in the area. If you see a sore on your donkey, put ointment on the wound so flies can not deposit the larvae inside the wound. Keep the stall and bedding as clean as possible.