Donkeys are very hardy and naturally healthy animals. But their genetic makeup as a desert animal adds some special considerations. Used to the harsh conditions of the desert environment, the donkey can't tolerate rich feeds very well, and their feet don't seem to be able to handle severe prolonged dampness. Their longhair can also encourage parasites or fungus and extreme cold can be uncomfortable for them with out shelter and wind breaks.

Be sure and talk with your veterinarian about the differences between a horse and a donkey, though similar, donkeys are not just longeared horses.

A donkey is a another species, similar yes, but he is NOT a longeared horse. For instance, a donkey has different muscle mass, fat distribution, skeletal structure, also there are differences in the the throat making nasal tubing interesting at times.  Hooves are built a little differently inside and out (radiographs can be possibly deceiving to person's used to viewing only horse's), gestation is longer (aprox. 365 days), breeding can be interestingly different as well.  Castration can be exciting because donkeys seem to want to bleed more and sometimes the surgical technique needs to be adjusted.    Gelding donkey foals earlier is sometimes warranted as they seem to get studdy earlier than horse foals (I've had some of mine gelded as early as 16 weeks).  Donkey feet engineered for an arid  climate seem prone to abscesses and white line disease if they live in a moist areas.  Persevere with your veterinarian, assure him your donkey is worthy of his time and you are proud of your donkey and find him a valuable animal and friend - it's never "just a donkey".  Establishing a relationship with your veterinarian is critical if you ever have a 2:00a.m. emergency call - it would be nice for them to know who you are and where you live! 

Donkeys need to be vaccinated like any horse, as they can be susceptible to the same diseases, but note that vaccines are not marked for mule or donkey use. Check with your veterinarian as to what he recommends for your area. Coggins testing is very important. This is especially true when you are purchasing or going to travel with your donkey across state lines. 

After a donkey reaches about 10 years of age (or sooner if you observe chewing difficulties or misalignment), they should have their teeth checked and possibly floated (filed down) by your veterinarian. An equines teeth continue to grow  throughout their lives (actually the teeth emerge from the gum continuously, but the teeth themselves have finished growing upon reaching adulthood). The teeth sometimes need help by having the rough edges filed down as hooks and waves can develop and inhibit the ability for the donkey to properly masticate his feed.
 

Flymasks usually work better when they COVER the eyes!   photo by L. Johnson

Worming is essential. Internal parasites can cause a lot of damage as they burrow around inside your animal. You can use paste purge wormers every 2-4 months or a daily pelleted wormer that you can place in their grain. An Ivermection wormer or something similar should be used spring and/or fall for bot control. Be sure that Ivermection is used orally, and not injected, as there have been documented cases of horses reacting severely and even dying from injected Ivermection. Oral Ivermection is safe, either in paste or liquid form. It is recommended that all wormers be rotated so an immunity to one brand will not be created in your animal.  I also put fly masks on my donkeys. I have cattle pastured around the place and can have a terrible time with face flies in the summer. My donkeys really like their masks, they know what they are for and that the masks help keep the flies and dust out of their eyes and are great sunshades. They look like longeared space cadets. Remember to check your donkey eyes frequently when wearing a mask, as they can hide problems, and any equine has trouble seeing at night when wearing one. Best to remove them in the evening and put them back on in the morning.

 Medicating your donkey - depending upon the drug and it's taste - for example one can hide bute tablets and sulfa tablets in most anything the donkey loves to scarf down.  Apples, cored carrots - strawberry jam sandwiches.  For the picky ones that wouldn't even consider ingesting anything questionable  - I have one of those personal size coffee grinders - I powder the tablets, mix them with molasses or canned cream frosting and load up a large catheter tip dose syringe (similar to the oral past worming tubes) and put it on the back of the tongue.  It's sticky and sweet enough that it normally goes down without any problem.

The best cure for your donkey is to maintain him properly. Prevention is the best medicine and much cheaper in the long run.