Electrocardiographic and Echocardiographic Parameters in Pega Breed Donkeys: A Descriptive Study.

Summary

# Editorial Summary Pega breed donkeys, increasingly used in commercial and breeding contexts across South America, have received minimal scientific characterisation of their cardiovascular function—a notable gap given their working demands. Researchers evaluated 50 Pega donkeys (mean age 3.4 years; 20 males, 30 females) using standardised resting electrocardiography and two-dimensional echocardiography with Doppler capability to establish baseline normative values for the breed. The study generated detailed electrocardiographic tracings and echocardiographic measurements (including chamber dimensions, wall thicknesses, and flow parameters) that describe the breed's cardiac morphology and electrical activity at rest, providing the first documented reference ranges for these parameters in Pega donkeys. These baseline values are essential for veterinary practitioners assessing whether intensive work, breeding stress, or performance demands create pathological cardiac changes, enabling evidence-based decisions about workload management and early detection of cardiac compromise. For farriers, physiotherapists, and coaches working with Pega donkeys, this research underpins more informed pre-purchase or pre-competition cardiovascular screening and allows meaningful interpretation of future individual assessments against breed-specific rather than assumed equine or generic donkey standards.

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Key Findings

• •Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic reference parameters were established for 50 Pega breed donkeys (20 males, 30 females) with mean age 3.4 years
• •Study provides first standardized cardiac assessment data for Pega donkeys used in reproduction
• •Baseline parameters established to enable future detection of changes from excessive effort

Conditions Studied

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