It’s a serious question. Morris spends quite a lot of his time standing around with his tongue hanging out. This is not new behaviour but something I have been observing for some time. It is not particularly associated with the expectation of food, although he does tend to have his tongue out more while I am preparing their food.
On the occasion shown above, which was earlier today, I had just given the donkeys a treat: they were under the fig tree and all the ripe figs at their level have been removed, so I found four from the other side of the tree which they can’t access, and I gave them a fig each. (Figs have to be limited because the sugar content is too high.)
That seems to have prompted Morris to poke his tongue out, but he can be seen with his tongue out at all times of the day, whether lolling about sunbathing or standing around admiring his mother and the other two female companions. It would be nice to know if anyone else has a donkey that does this.
Equus Asinus 
Have you had his teeth checked?
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Ah, good point. I didn’t think of that. I shall look into it straight away.
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I shall consult my vet about Morris’s teeth. They look OK to me: very healthy, but there might be some advantage in getting a professional eye on the situation. The Donkey Sanctuary provides a very good PDF file on all aspects of donkey dental care: I have added this to my Donkey Welfare page which is still being developed.
https://equusasinus.net/welfare/
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I just acquired a donkey and noticed he does that as well. No clue why.
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Hi Barbara,
You’re responding to a very old post there, two years ago. In fact, Morris is much more in control of his tongue these days. I can’t remember seeing Morris with his tongue out for a very long time! I never did get a good answer to the question though!
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Yes, I have recently purchased a mini-donkey, and she does this as well. I would like to know if it is cause for any concern.
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Hi Michelle, and long after I posed that question I still have no answer. Morris keeps sticking his tongue out! I had his teeth checked by the vet and the farrier and they both say there are no dental problems: unlike two of the females who need none urgent routine tooth filing eventually.
It is probably less of a concern for your mini-donkey as presumably it is a smaller tongue. I have never seen a mini donkey but I am sure they must be great fun. It was a shame when my two foals grew up and I couldn’t put them on my lap and stroke them any more. 😉
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Yes I have a donkey that constantly sticks his tongue out and I must say it concerns me. Any good answer would be appreciated.
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