Echocardiographic Findings of a Donkey (Equus asinus) Jenny with Suspected Mitral Valve Dysplasia.
Authors: Xue Cynthia, Cavanaugh Sarah M
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Echocardiographic Findings of Mitral Valve Dysplasia in a Donkey Ante-mortem diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in donkeys remains poorly documented in the veterinary literature, making this 2022 case report from Cynthia Xue and Sarah M Cavanaugh a valuable contribution to our understanding of donkey cardiac pathology. A 3-year-old Nevisian donkey jenny presented with a grade III/VI left-sided systolic murmur underwent transthoracic echocardiography, which revealed suspected mitral valve dysplasia characterised by double mitral regurgitant jets and an abnormal tissue bridge connecting the septal and mural mitral leaflets. Despite these structural abnormalities, the degree of cardiac remodelling was mild and the animal showed no clinical signs of heart failure, leading the clinicians to manage the condition conservatively without pharmaceutical or surgical intervention. Follow-up echocardiography at 10 months post-diagnosis demonstrated no progression in mitral regurgitation severity or cardiac remodelling, suggesting a stable long-term prognosis in this case. For equine professionals working with donkeys, this case underscores the importance of thorough cardiac auscultation and the diagnostic value of echocardiography in identifying structural heart disease, even when clinical signs are absent—findings that may guide management decisions and inform realistic expectations about an individual animal's working capacity and lifespan.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Donkeys with cardiac murmurs warrant echocardiographic evaluation despite the rarity of reported cardiovascular disease in this species, as structural lesions may be present without clinical signs
- •Mitral valve dysplasia can remain stable long-term in donkeys with mild remodeling; regular monitoring is appropriate for asymptomatic cases rather than immediate intervention
- •Auscultation combined with echocardiography is an essential diagnostic approach for detecting congenital or acquired heart disease in donkeys presented to practice
Key Findings
- •A 3-year-old donkey jenny presented with a grade III/VI left-sided systolic murmur caused by suspected mitral valve dysplasia with double regurgitant jets and abnormal tissue bridge between mitral leaflets
- •Echocardiography revealed mild cardiac remodeling with no clinical signs, deemed not requiring therapeutic intervention
- •Follow-up echocardiography at 10 months showed no significant progression of mitral regurgitation or cardiac remodeling