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Anesthesia of Donkeys and Mules: How They Differ from Horses

Nora Matthews and, Tex Taylor (2002)

Summary

The purpose of this review paper will not be to provide an exhaustive review of all the methods for anesthetizing donkeys and mules but will be an overview of some of the ways they differ from horses. Behavioral and anatomic differences have been well covered elsewhere.1–3 The first warning a practitioner has is that donkeys and mules don’t look like horses! They don’t act exactly like horses either (which is why they have been given the reputation of being stubborn). In many ways, they are more like cattle: stoic about not showing distress and pain and easier to restrain with hobbles or ropes, if securely applied. Many procedures could probably be performed in donkeys with sedation and appropriate use of local anesthesia as is common in cattle. It is, however, a major mistake to underestimate their intelligence; they are very capable of fighting effectively when not out-numbered, and they are very canny about recognizing when they are.