Open Access Research Article Assefa et al., J Vet Sci Technol 2017, 8:2 DOI: 10.4172/2157-7579.1000427 Volume 8 • Issue 2 • 1000427 J Vet Sci Technol, an open access journal ISSN: 2157-7579 *Corresponding author: Birhanu Abera, Asella Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Asella, Ethiopia, Tel: +251913333944; E-mail: birhanuabera27@ yahoo.com Received January 22, 2017; Accepted February 27, 2017; Published February 28, 2017 Citation: Assefa G, Abera B, Nur A, Lemma D, Keno L, et al. (2017) The Major Cause of Lameness and Associated Risk Factors in Working Donkey in and around Hawassa Town, Ethiopia. J Vet Sci Technol 8: 427. doi: 10.4172/2157-7579.1000427 Copyright: © 2017 Assefa G, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The Major Cause of Lameness and Associated Risk Factors in Working Donkey in and around Hawassa Town, Ethiopia Guluma Assefa 1 , Birhanu Abera 2 *, Ahmed Nur 1 , Diriba Lemma 2 , Lamessa Keno 1 , Eyob Eticha 2 , Gebeyehu Chali 3 and Mahammed Hussen 4 1 East Shoa Zone Livestock and Fishery Resource Office, Adama, Ethopia 2 Asella Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Asella, Ethiopia 3 Ilu Aba Bor Zone Livestock and Fishery Resource Office, Mattu, Ethioipia 4 Buno Bedelle Zone Livestock and Fishery Resource Office, Bedelle, Ethiopia Abstract Across sectional study survey of the major work related lameness in donkey in and around Hawassa was under taken to determine the main causes of lameness in working donkeys and associated risk factor s. A total of 205 lame donkeys have been examined and their owners were interviewed to assess the possible cause of lameness and the type of management conditions. The result reveal that donkeys found in study area mainly cart pulling donkeys (96.5%) and about 99.5% of working donkeys are male. The result of questioner survey and visual study reveal that the main causes of lameness in donkey are ;28.3% is muscular and tendon problem,21.5% is joint problem,5.4% is bone problem, 20.0% is tendon problems,13.2% is hoof problem and 27.0% is other associated risk factor were shown to cause lameness in working donkey with the extreme significant (p<0.0001).the major types of lameness encountered during the study was supportive leg lameness (47.3%) and with the least of non weight bearing lameness were encountered with the significant of (p<0.0001).the result of this study suggested that in spite of varies use of donkey; they are confronted by series of health and welfare problem. Joint problem, tendon problem, hoof problem, bone problem and other relative risk factor; abusing, over loading, over working and unnecessary neglect and general maltreatment that are causing lameness are still prevalent health and welfare problem. The public veterinary clinic is almost lacking medical equipment and medicine; meant foot treating of lame donkey, therefore, further study on lameness and welfare constraints hindering the efficient use of donkey in region is of paramount importance. Keywords: Donkey; Lameness; Risk factors; Hawassa; Ethiopia Introduction e equine population of the world was reported to be 122.4 million with 40 million donkeys, 15 million mules and 43.3 million horses. In the distribution pattern, 98% of all donkeys, 97% of all mules and 60% of all horses were noted to be found in developing countries [1]. e number of equines in Africa was in the range of 17.6 million comprising 11.6 million donkeys, 2.3 mullion mules and 3.7 million horses. Ethiopia possessed approximately half of Africa’s equines population with 37%, 58% and 46% of all Africa, donkeys, horses and mules, respectively [2]. According to recent CSA (2014), there are about 2.03 million horses, 7.43 million donkeys, 0.4 million mules, and about 1.16 million camels in the sedentary areas of the country [3]. In Ethiopia the use of donkeys as pack animal or for pulling cart has enabled small scale farmers to participate in the market economy. Donkeys are used for fetching water, for household shiſting, for carrying the sick to hospital, for carrying sick calves, for transportation, hoping and for pulling materials needed for construction [4]. Despite their remarkable contributions, donkeys in Ethiopia are the most neglected animals accorded low social status [5]. Although, equine play a significant role in the economy of the country, the government livestock development programs and those of aid agencies are aid toward increasing milk, meat, egg and wool production. Equines have been completely neglected and omitted from the agricultural system and their role in production is not yet well recognized and magnified. In country where there is less developed modern transportation and communication services. e natural choice rest on the use of human and pack animal mode of transport and it has been the case in the some part of the world. is is still remains true in Ethiopia context [6]. e donkey (equusasinus) is a domesticated race of African wild ass. e term ass is normally used for animal found in the wild where as the term donkey is used for domesticated animals. e donkey performs hard work under variable agro climate condition and withstands scarcity of feed. hardiness, little maintenance and low purchase price have made the donkey the cheapest and suitable means of transport over the centuries [7]. Generally the mountains and rugged trials of Ethiopia land scrape has treble time consuming and difficult which made equides remain the only means of transportation [8]. e donkey considered a better than other draught animals because of in heritance tolerant for dehydration, low sweat rate and good thermo ability. Donkeys are harder than mules and ponies under short term feed stress. Donkeys have been used to catty arms and ammunition to the different terrains that mechanized vehicles cannot reach easily [7]. Despite all this equids receive less attention in terms of feeding, health and management cares [9]. Equines assume an important place and act as multipurpose animals in the rural and urban society. however, management constraints like J o u r n a l o f V e t e r i n a r y S c i e n c e & T e c h n o l o g y ISSN: 2157-7579 o J r u n l a o f V e t e r i n a r y S c i e n c e & T e c h n l o g o y ISSN: 2157-7579 Journal of V Journal of Veterinary Science & eterinary Science & Technology echnology