# Donkey too fat?



## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

Sounds like wrinkles in fat.
Can you get pictures?


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Donkeys are very "special" in their care and needs met...
I found you a few resources that might help you...









fat deposits in donkeys – The Chances We Take


Posts about fat deposits in donkeys written by Dr. Jennifer Kaufman Walker




chanceswetake.com






https://www.donkeysanctuarycyprus.org/sites/cyprus/files/page/60-1441279133.pdf





https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/imports/fileManager/donkey%20fact%20sheet.pdf










Average donkey weight and issues in overweight donkeys


What is the average donkey weight? That depends on many factors. such as height and build of the donkey. An overweight donkey is at risk.




donkeylistener.com












Monitoring your donkey’s weight


Learn how to manage your donkeys' weight and how to deal with any underweight or overweight donkeys safely with our tips and advice for effective weight management.




www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk





I hope the resources give you some much needed information about all things "donk"...
Happy reading and best of luck with your "special" one.
🐴...


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Never heard of anyone saying that's aDonks 'method' to assess weight, sounds like they don't have much idea. But a neck 'ridge' can indeed give some important things away. Donks can develop MASSIVE crests & if it's lumpy/ridgy, that sounds like hardened adipose tissue from obesity/insulin resistance. If his 'ridge' - meaning the (should be) narrow bit above the bulk of his neck is more than around 2" wide, he is likely too fat/obese. 

Donkeys are evolved for desert environs, tend to suffer more than horses from being kept on rich pasture, especially if it's the 'improved' cattle fattening rich pasture thats so common. I'd keep them off pasture as a rule & feed them only tested low sugar grass hay. And appropriate nutritional supp, including extra magnesium.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Never heard of anyone saying that's aDonks 'method' to assess weight, sounds like they don't have much idea. But a neck 'ridge' can indeed give some important things away. Donks can develop MASSIVE crests & if it's lumpy/ridgy, that sounds like hardened adipose tissue from obesity/insulin resistance. If his 'ridge' - meaning the (should be) narrow bit above the bulk of his neck is more than around 2" wide, he is likely too fat/obese. 

Donkeys are evolved for desert environs, tend to suffer more than horses from being kept on rich pasture, especially if it's the 'improved' cattle fattening rich pasture thats so common. I'd keep them off pasture as a rule & feed them only tested low sugar grass hay. And appropriate nutritional supp, including extra magnesium.


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## modody (Aug 24, 2021)

Thank you guys for all the replies. Though, I am familiar with some of the sources, in which it is said fat accumulates around the neck. But since it lacks a few details I do still require a 3rd party to look at the follow picture for some advice. They are a little more skinny than it looks on this photo. The one that has fat deposits accumulated around the neck is the one on the left.


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## modody (Aug 24, 2021)

A few more pics here, the last pic is not as it seems since he turned his head towards the phone:


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I'm no donkey expert, but that neck looks like it was injured at some point in time and has residual issues forever seen.
🐴...


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## modody (Aug 24, 2021)

Well the neck looks fine in real life, maybe it looks like that because he turned his head towards the phone. Besides, the ridges run consistent across the left/right to the right/left side every cm or so.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

They look fine, lean, just need muscle.


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## modody (Aug 24, 2021)

secuono said:


> They look fine, lean, just need muscle.


Thank you Secuono! That's what I was hoping. I'll start proper training tomorrow I guess.

But what about the neck? The fat.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

modody said:


> Thank you Secuono! That's what I was hoping. I'll start proper training tomorrow I guess.
> 
> But what about the neck? The fat.


I don't really see fat, maybe it's easier to see in person. 🤔


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

The donkeys where I board are fat. They are fat in their stomachs. They are both male and they both look permanently pregnant. And I live in Central Texas, where it is hot hot hot in the summer. So I don't think it's true to say that fat donkeys don't store weight in their abdomen. At least that hasn't been my experience.

When you are talking about fat in the neck, I wonder if what you're thinking about is the same as cresty neck in horses. Here are some pictures of what that looks like:








What Equine Metabolic Syndrome looks like — Safergrass


Pictures of symptoms of Equine Metabolic Syndrome, aka insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, insulin dysregulation, abnormal fat deposits and signs of previous laminitis episodes.




www.safergrass.org





Your donkeys don't look at all overweight to me.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

They do not look obese to me. I do not know why, but donkeys sometimes have those creases on their neck when they are not obese. This photo was one I found where you can see those lines on an obviously rather thin donkey. 








This donkey also looks fine, a little more weight but still not overweight, and also creases on the neck.








Overweight donkeys tend to put fat deposits everywhere. They don't necessarily have a huge belly, but like this:
















If you start seeing lumps anywhere on your donkey, it is definitely time to lose weight.
Hopefully you can see the difference between a fatty, lumpy neck and the normal rounded top of the neck donkeys usually have as seen in this rather thin donkey.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

I'm sorry but I'm a bit alarmed at what I am seeing & reading. Not surprised, because people aren't good at recognising obesity in horses, let alone donks, & there is so much conflicting & inaccurate info around...

Firstly, to OP, yes that is obviously hard fat deposits you're seeing/feeling on it's neck. It is obvious to me he is NOT 'lean'. It's not clear, through his thick coat & with his colour/lighting(perhaps photographing him out in the sun or such?), how overweight he is though. Appears around his shoulder/elbow and around his flank he's rather 'filled in' looking, without any definition. In the close up, his whole neck looks fat & also filled in behind his jaw.

Donkeys are _meant_ to be lean looking, compared to horses. Bit like comparing the shape of a beef bull to a Jersey cow... And westerners with our pampered animals tend to be too used to seeing overweight horses as the norm, so it's even harder to really 'see' a donk for what it is. As for where they store fat, yeah, they do tend to be different to horses _once they're obese_ - horses don't tend to get so overtly... lumpy! But donks do 'fill in' just like any animal, and also keep in mind that like any animal, excess fat is first stored around the organs, unseen, before it begins to be obvious on the outside of the animal.

We are all(whatever animal) able to cope fine with 'good seasons' - getting overweight - but it's when there aren't any regular 'hard seasons' to use up those fat stores, get thin, 'reset' the metabolism, that it creates health issues. Insulin resistance is a normal bodily function, but when an animal remains fat long term, so chronically 'IR', the build up of hard adipose tissue signals there are major problems going on. Ie DON'T wait to see 'fat pads' before addressing weight/diet issues, as that's not just 'overweight' but indicates long term metabolic stress by then! 

**Even when an animal who has this problem slims down, those 'fat pads' are hard to budge, so you can indeed have thin animals with fat pads - so IF the donk has been long term fat in the past & came to you thin but with this neck ridge, it's possible he's not horribly overweight thru his body but is still chronically 'IR'. Nutritional balance, not just calories & sugar effects this too.

I don't get, or agree with HLG's idea that there's obviously been some sort of injury that has caused the neck ridges. Can't see anything at all that would give that idea, doesn't look any different to normal hard fat pads, which do tend to be ridgy on the neck.

Gotta, your pics are indeed helpful - and when OP can see her donks in summer coat, or maybe in 'real life' rather than these pics, she can see now, they will be helpful to compare - at least the first & last, anyway - hopefully there won't be any comparisons between hers & the others you posted!

The first donkey Gotta pictured looks far from 'obviously thin' to me - not terribly fat but quite 'well covered' & the neck ridge is but one indication of that. It's filled in, without definition around shoulders & flank & also looks like there's a bit of a fat pad forming around the spine on the rump.

The 2nd pic is NOT AT ALL fine but a very obviously overly fat donkey - as you can see though, they can indeed just 'fill out' throughout their body like a horse, without having lumpy fat pads. 3rd & 4th pics are NOT just 'overweight' but are egs of donks who have been SERIOUSLY obese, LONG TERM! Donks who have reached that stage have also had their health seriously compromised for quite some time. The last pic you posted Gotta, shows a donkey in good condition - obviously 'well covered' but not overly so - albeit that's 'rather thin' compared to what most westerners are used to seeing. That's the sort of shape they SHOULD be.


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## NachoTheMorgan (Sep 21, 2020)

As a donkey owner, I can tell you that your guy is kinda chunky in the neck. Donkeys are supposed to be a little bit slim looking except for their round little belly.


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