Citation: Fesseha H, Ayele A and Goa E. Assessment on Ocular Problems of Cart Donkey in and Around Wolaita Sodo, Southern Ethiopia. Austin J Vet Sci & Anim Husb. 2020; 7(1): 1067. Austin J Vet Sci & Anim Husb - Volume 7 Issue 1 - 2020 ISSN: 2472-3371 | www.austinpublishinggroup.com Fesseha et al. © All rights are reserved Austin Journal of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry Open Access purchase and maintenance of donkeys, their relatively small size, ease of training and handling, highly efective digestive system and their ability to withstand thirst has endeared them to small scale farmers and the poor living in peri-urban, remote and hostile environments [5,11-13]. Cart donkeys play an important role in rural communities providing power and transport at low cost. Tey can be used for various agricultural operations including ploughing and transporting such as carrying water, building material, agricultural products, and people. Te efcient use of working animals depends on how they are connected to the instrument they are pulling or the materials they are carrying and how well they have been trained and are managed [14]. According to diferent studies, working equidae have various roles in the communities of developing countries [15]. Donkey and Horse carts are a source of sustainable income for a signifcant number of Ethiopian families and provide afordable transportation services in many towns [16,17]. Ocular problems are a frequent problem in working equidae in developing countries. According to assessment on the welfare working equines in several countries by Pritchard et al. [7], 66.4% of horses had an ocular abnormality, and this was higher in donkeys (86.4%) and less common in mules (58.5%). Te common ocular problems include mild ocular discharge, ocular abscess, corneal ulcer, keratoconjunctivitis, thelazia infestation and end-stage blindness [7]. Wounds and ocular injuries were the most frequently recorded health concerns in Gondar and ocular injuries due to ill-ftting blinkers and tack were reportedly common [2]. Besides, a survey on 250 cart horses was conducted and 21% had an ophthalmic condition with greater Introduction Equidae is the mammalian family comprising the single genus Equus consisting of domestic and feral horses, donkey, mule, and zebra [1-3]. Donkeys are an important farm animal species that descended from the African wild ass (Equus africanus asinus) and early-domesticated equines that have been around as long as mankind [4]. Donkeys have been used principally as working animals for at least 5000 years. Donkeys are adapted to dry and mountainous conditions with limited access to water and poor quality sparse vegetation [5,6]. An estimated 60% of the world’s horse population and over 95% of all donkeys and mules are found in developing countries [7]. Te world donkey population is estimated to about 44 million; half is found in Asia, just over 25% in Africa and the rest mainly found in Latin America. Over 32% (approximately 6.21 million donkeys) of African donkeys are resident in Ethiopia and 10% of the world population, which makes Ethiopia harboring the largest population of donkeys in Africa and the second largest donkey population in the world afer China. In Ethiopia, the majority of donkeys are found in highland areas, even though they are widely distributed in all agro- ecological zones of the country widely distributed in the dry and mountainous areas [8,9]. Te use of equines in Ethiopia for transportation will continue for the coming many years because of the rugged terrain characteristics inaccessible for modern road transportation facilities as well as the absence of well-developed modern transport networks. Hence farmers use alternative means like drought animals especially donkeys and mules to overcome transportation problems [10]. Te low cost of Research Article Assessment on Ocular Problems of Cart Donkey in and Around Wolaita Sodo, Southern Ethiopia Fesseha H 1 *, Ayele A 2 and Goa E 3 1 School of Veterinary Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, P.O Box 138, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia 2 Faracho Veterinary Clinic, Abela Abaya Woreda, Wolaita Zone, Ethiopia 3 College of Veterinary Science, Mekelle University, P. O. Box 2084, Mekelle, Ethiopia *Corresponding author: Haben Fesseha, School of Veterinary Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, P.O. Box 138, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia Received: January 02, 2020; Accepted: January 25, 2020; Published: February 01, 2020 Abstract Ocular problems are frequent conditions in cart pulling donkeys. A cross- sectional study was conducted from October 2018 to April 2019 in Wolaita Sodo city to assess ocular problems in cart pulling donkeys and associated risk factors. Accordingly, 384 randomly selected cart pulling Donkeys were examined. Out of the total, 40.7% of donkeys were suffering from ocular discharge due to improper harness than properly harnessed donkeys (11.5%). Among the different risk factors, 22.6% of the cart donkeys were affected with entropion and/or ectropion due to whipping and harness touch. According to the study, there was a statistically signifcant (p<0.000) association between ocular discharge and traumatic wound. However, there is no signifcant (p>0.05) association between factors like regular cleaning, whipping, working at night and working in the bush and keratoconjunctivitis. In addition, most of the respondents (85.7%) do not regularly clean the eyes of their donkeys. From identifed ocular problems, a higher proportion (13.5%) of ocular discharge was found followed by a traumatic wound (7.6%) and cataract (6.3%). In conclusion, ocular problems were major health problems in cart pulling donkeys in the study area. Hence, comprehensive awareness creation on welfare and health management of donkeys should be designed to improve these problems. Keywords: Wolaita sodo; Cart donkey; Ocular discharge; Ocular problems