Dermopathies in working donkeys (Equus asinus) in rural areas of Córdoba (Colombia)

Abstract

A retrospective study was performed of the clinical histories of dermopathies diagnosed in working donkeys in the Ambulatory Medical Service of Large Animals of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Universidad de Córdoba, from January 2008 to December 2015. The objective was to determine the frequency of skin diseases in donkeys (<em>Equus asinus</em>). A total of 238 cases of dermopathies were treated, but the most frequently diagnosed cases were: traumatic wounds (26.4%), tick ectoparasitism (19.7%), dermatophytosis (16.3%), sarcoids (8.9%), habronemiasis (7.1%), pythiosis (6.3%), scabies (5.4%), myiasis (4.6%), abscesses (2.9%), dermatophilosis (1.7%), papillomatosis (0.4%), melanoma (0.4%), photosensitization (0.4%), and burns (0.4%). The most affected age group was between 5 and 10 years (60.3%), followed by young animals under 5 years old (20.8%), and those older than 10 years of age (19.2%). The major skin diseases diagnosed in donkeys were traumatic wounds, tick ectoparasitism, and dermatophytosis. This work is a significant contribution on the epidemiological status of different dermopathies, with their respective importance for management and control.