The Role of Weather Conditions in the Occurrence of White Line Abscessation in Donkeys in the UK

Aims: Hoof disorders are very common in donkeys in the UK and include white line disease, laminitis, seedy toe and onchomycosis. This study seeks to evaluate the role of environmental moisture levels in the development of white line abscessation (WLA). Prolonged exposure to water, urine and faeces has previously been shown to cause damage to the hoof wall in horses. We hypothesise that increased environmental moisture will be associated with an increase in the occurrence of WLA in donkeys in the UK. Methods: This study correlates the occurrence of WLA in a population of donkeys at the Donkey Sanctuary, Devon, with local levels of rainfall and sunshine. The hoof wall moisture content in healthy and diseased animals in the UK was assessed for forelimbs and hindlimbs and for healthy individuals in the arid environment of Luxor, Egypt. Results: A positive correlation between rainfall and incidence of WLA was found and a negative correlation between incidence of WLA and levels of sunlight. In forelimbs the hoof wall moisture was significantly higher in diseased (mean ± s.d. 35.7 ± 1.71%) compared to healthy hoof samples (mean ± s.d. 29.9 ± 3.47%). In hindlimbs there was no significant difference between the hoof wall moisture content of healthy (mean ± s.d. 39.4 ± 1.60%) and diseased (mean ± s.d. 34.0 ± 7.35%) samples. The moisture content in the hindlimbs was significantly higher than that in the forelimbs. Samples from Egypt had a significantly lower level of hoof wall moisture (mean ± s.d. 25.0 ± 5.38%) than UK samples. Conclusions: This study concludes that increased environmental moisture plays a role in the development of white line problems in the donkey amongst other predisposing factors. Practical significance: The control of environmental moisture levels may provide a way to reduce the occurrence of white line problems in the donkeys in the UK.