A Cross Sectional Study on Risk Factors Associated with Lameness of Working Donkeys in and around Hawassa, Ethiopia

Abstract

| A cross sectional study for risk analysis was undertaken on randomly selected working donkeys (n = 384) at the city Hawassa and its surroundings to estimate the prevalence of lameness. Among the lameness examined donkeys, all the lamed donkeys were subjected towards veterinary clinics for detailed characterization. Focus group discussion was carried out in 10 study sites with 60-70 donkey owners and cart-drivers. Locomotion scoring was recorded on a scale of (0-4; sound-non weight-bearing) at a walk of about 20 meters distance. From the total examined donkeys, 19.53% were found with lameness, in which 72% were of low-grade lameness, 17% moderate grade followed by highgrade lameness (9.33%). Multiple chronic pathological abnormalities within each limb were associated with different lameness types, in which sole bruise (3.64%) was on the peak that followed by puncture wound (3.12%) and subsequently by thrush, sub solar abscess, and hoof cracking with 2.34% each. Moreover, the risk factors associated with older donkeys were noted with significantly higher (p<0.05) than donkeys. Likewise the donkeys used to work with poor body condition had higher (p<0.05) prevalence of lameness. These results should assistthe implementation of interventions to reduce the prevalence of lameness in working equids.

Occurrence of Anthrax Spores in Small Ruminants Hair/Wool in District Tharparkar, Sindh

“…In agreement to our results previous studies have also indicated the non significant associations of age for prevalence of bacterial diseases in farm animals (Kiros et al, 2016;Leghari et al, 2016). Shabbir et al (2015) have also reported no association of risk factors with prevalence of B. anthracis DNA in soil samples analyzed from Lahore, Pakistan.…”

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Working Equid Lameness in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…While lameness is one of the most common health and welfare concerns in sport and pleasure horse populations [ 7 , 8 , 9 ], with significant implications for performance and survival [ 10 ], it is also a major issue in working equids in low- and middle-income countries [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Various factors associated with the presence or severity of lameness and gait abnormalities in working equids have been identified.…”

Using Qualitative Methods to Explore Farrier-Related Barriers to Successful Farriery Interventions for Equine Welfare in India

“…As in other low and middle-income countries (LMICs), equid ownership is an important livelihood strategy for many families and therefore these animals’ health is paramount [2,3]. Lameness is one of the most common health problems observed in working equids, with a prevalence of up to 100% [4,5,6]. Independent of the initial aetiology of lameness, often first-line treatment involves rest and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine.…”

“…However, this medical management in working equids is often compromised because they must work hard every day without the opportunity for time off and have limited access to animal healthcare services. Therefore, lameness is a major source of pain and compromised welfare in working equid populations [4,5,6,7]. In equids, lameness is often caused by foot pain; this is where the proverb “no foot, no horse” originates from.…”