Researchers Review Types of Tumors Found in Donkeys
The researchers confirmed that donkeys, like horses, are commonly diagnosed with sarcoids. Other common horse tumors, however, are not prevalent in donkeys. | Photo: iStock
Horses and donkeys both belong to the genus Equus; however, they have many anatomic and physiological differences. For instance, donkeys’ oversized ears and a bray rather than a neigh make it easy to visibly and audibly distinguish them from horses.

In medical settings, though, the similarities seem to outweigh the differences, and donkeys are often treated similarly to horses.

But, said Corrine Davis, DVM, “if we take the time to stand back and look closely, we find subtle differences that slip past us if we generalize too much. Appreciating similarities and differences can help us better understand why some diseases affect horses but not donkeys and may shed light on disease processes.”

Through a recent study on the topic, Davis, a pathologist from Maupin, Oregon, determined that neoplasia (tumors) and the occurrence of specific types of tumors is one area where donkeys differ from horses

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