Welfare and health assessment of cart mules at Bahir Dar town, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2013 to April 2014 to assess general health problems and welfare concerns of cart mules at Bahir Dar town, North West Ethiopia. Both direct (animal based) and indirect (owner interview) assessment methods were used. Out of the total 300 examined mules; depression (45%), mucus membrane abnormality (31%), lameness (13.3%), dental abnormality (13.3%) and wound (30.7%) were the major problems of health and behavioural response. Wound had significantly association with body condition score (p=0.041) and work activity (p=0.024). Similarly dehydration, mucus membrane, dental abnormality and behaviour had significantly association with body condition score. However, all other health problems had no significantly association with age except behavioural response (p=0.001). Distribution of wound on the mule body showed high occurrence on back (19.3%) and breast (8.3%). This book is mainly written for developing countries who have poor animal management and welfare on cart mules and owners of the animals, those are the target populations that mainly concerned.