Comparison infrared thermography of Balkan donkeys
Petar Stamberov
, Kalin Hristov
, Aleksandar Stoimenov
, Viktoria Marincheva
, Mina-Maria Marinova
Abstract: Infrared thermography is an increasingly popular diagnostic method in equine veterinary medicine, while its application in donkeys remains relatively limited. The aim of this study was to determine the surface body temperature of six clinically healthy female donkeys of the breed Balkan donkey. The donkeys` bodies were divided into the following regions: neck, shoulder, thoracic limb, back, thigh and pelvic limb and were laterally scanned on both the left and right sides. Only the abdomens of the donkeys were scanned individually from the ventral side of the body. The mean surface temperature of each region was calculated revealing approximately bilateral thermal symmetry in the donkeys' bodies. Similar studies may be useful for donkey health and welfare given the renewed interest in donkeys as milking and companion animals.
Keywords: Balkan donkey; body surface temperature; infrared thermography; welfare
Citation: Stamberov, P., Hristov, K., Stoimenov, A., Marincheva, V. & Marinova, M.-M. (2025). Comparison infrared thermography of Balkan donkeys. Bulgarian Journal of Animal Husbandry, 62(1), 38-41.
| References: (click to open/close) | Baloš, M. Z., Pelić, D. L., Jakšić, S. & Lazić, S. (2023). Donkey Milk: An Overview of its Chemical Composition and Main Nutritional Properties or Human Health Benefit Properties. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 121, 104225. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104225.
Čebulj-Kadunc, N., Frangež, R. & Kruljc, P. (2020). Infrared thermography in equine practice. Veterinarska Stanica, 51, 109–116. DOI: 10.46419/vs.51.2.1.
Domino, M., Romaszewski, M., Jasiński, T. & Maśko, M. (2020). Comparison of the surface thermal patterns of horses and donkeys in infrared thermography images. Animals, 10, 2201; doi:10.3390/ani10122201.
Faye, B. & Konuspayeva, G. (2012). The sustainability challenge to the dairy sector - The growing importance of non-cattle milk production worldwide. International Dairy Journal, 24, 50–56. doi: 10.1016/j.idairyj.2011.12.011.
Jodkowska, E. & Dudek, K. (2000). Study on symmetry of body surface temperature of racehorses. Przeglad Naukowej Literatury Zootechnicznej, 50, 307–319.
Kaskous, S. & Pfaffl, M. W. (2022). Milk Properties and Morphological Characteristics of the Donkey Mammary Gland for Development of an Adopted Milking Machine-A Review. Dairy, 3, 233–247. https://doi.org/10.3390/dairy3020019.
Lagos, J., González, I. & Tadich, T. (2023). Use of thermography and pressure sensors to evaluate the effect of load on pack mules. Austral Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 55(1), 69–75. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0719-81322023000100069.
Mijatović, B., Pavlović, I., Živković, S., Trailović, I., Ćirić, J. & Trailović, D. (2022). Prevalence of Endoparasites in the Balkan Donkey (Equus asinus) from Serbia. Comparative Parasitology, 89(2), 115-121. doi: 10.1654/COPA-D-22-00005.
Redaelli, V., Bergero, Zucca, D. E., Ferrucci, F., Costa, L., Crosta, L. & Luzi, F. (2014). Use of thermography techniques in equines: principles and applications. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 34, 345-350. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2013.07.007.
Šarić, L., Premović, T., Šarić, B., Čabarkapa, I., Todorić, O., Miljanić, J., Lazarević, J. & Karabasil, N. (2023). Microbiological Quality of Raw Donkey Milk from Serbia and Its Antibacterial Properties at Pre-Cooling Temperature. Animals (Basel), 13(3), 327. doi: 10.3390/ani13030327.
Soroko-Dubrovina, M. & Morel, M. C. G. (2023). Equine thermography in practice. Wallingford: CAB International 2nd Edition. doi: 10.1079/9781800622913.0002.
Stanisic, L. J., Aleksic, J. M., Dimitrijevic, V., Simeunovic, P., Glavinic, U., Stevanovic, J. & Stanimirovic, Z. (2017). New insights into the origin and the genetic status of the Balkan donkey from Serbia. Animal Genetics, 48(5), 580-590. doi: 10.1111/age.12589.
Raspa, F., Cavallarin, L., McLean, A. K., Bergero, D. & Valle, E. (2019). A review of the appropriate nutrition welfare criteria of dairy donkeys: nutritional requirements, animal-based indicators. Animals, 9, 315. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9060315.
Turner, T. A. (1991). Thermography as an aid to the clinical lameness evaluation. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice, 7, 311–338.
Valle, E., Raspa, F., Giribaldi, M., Barbero, R., Bergagna, S., Antoniazzi, S., Mc Lean, A. K., Minero, M. & Cavallarin, L. (2017). A functional approach to the body condition assessment of lactating donkeys as a tool for welfare evaluation. Peer J., 5, e3001. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3001.
Zakari, F., Ayo, J., Rekwot, P., Kawu, M. & Minka, N. (2018). Daily rhythms of rectal and body surface temperatures in donkeys during the cold-dry (harmattan) and hot-dry seasons in a tropical savannah. International Journal of Biometeorology, 62, 2231–2243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-018-1626-z. |
|
| Date published: 2025-02-26
Download full text 
