B-mode and color Doppler ultrasonography of normal external jugular vein in donkeys (Equus asinus).

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Jugular Vein Ultrasonography in Donkeys Establishing baseline ultrasonographic measurements for the external jugular vein in donkeys has been surprisingly overlooked in veterinary literature, despite the vessel's clinical importance for vascular assessment, catheterisation, and diagnosis of thrombosis or other pathology. Awad and Ahmed performed B-mode and colour Doppler ultrasound examinations on 20 healthy adult donkeys, evaluating both left and right jugular veins whilst investigating whether examination side, sex, or body condition score influenced the measurements obtained. The findings provide critical reference ranges for normal jugular vein diameter, blood flow velocity, and Doppler characteristics in donkeys—measurements that currently lack standardisation in clinical practice. For practitioners working with donkeys, these normative values enable more confident interpretation of abnormal venous findings and may improve diagnostic accuracy when assessing cases of jugular thrombosis, infection, or haemodynamic compromise. Given donkeys' distinct anatomical and physiological differences from horses, this species-specific baseline data is essential for evidence-based clinical decision-making rather than extrapolating equine standards.

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Key Findings

• •Reference ranges for B-mode ultrasonographic indices of external jugular vein established in healthy adult donkeys
• •Doppler ultrasonographic parameters (blood flow velocity and hemodynamic measurements) characterized for normal donkey jugular veins
• •Effect of examination side, gender, and body condition on jugular vein ultrasonographic measurements determined

Conditions Studied

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