VETERINARY TREATMENT
SPANA sees certain injuries on a regular basis at its centres
Injury from tack
Perhaps the most common injuries seen are harness or saddle wounds, caused by ill-suited equipment. Over time, the constant rubbing of a poorly fitting saddle or tight harness can lead to nasty sores. Blinkers and blinders with sharp edges can also cause eyelid lacerations and corneal ulcers — both are particularly painful. These types of wounds can take a long time to heal and may become infected, placing the animal at risk of further health complications.
Vehicle collisions
Injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents are also regularly treated by SPANA vets. In many countries, horses, donkeys and mules share busy city roads with motorcycles, cars and trucks. They are very vulnerable and collisions are common. Animals in rural areas are also at risk. In Zimbabwe many hundreds of untethered donkeys are seriously injured each year after wandering onto highways and being struck by trucks. Motor vehicle accidents often result in facial wounds or burns, as well as broken bones. These kinds of injuries can be difficult to recover from and are extremely painful for the affected animal. In many cases, without the intervention of SPANA vets, the animals would certainly die. The treatment varies enormously from case to case and depends on the severity of the wounds, the level of infection and the age of the animal. Vets may seal and protect the wound with stitches, a light dressing or extensive bandaging. Preventing infection is vital and, where appropriate, antibiotics are provided, either orally or through injections. Ongoing wound care is also critical to ensure effective healing, so vets will often spend a significant amount of time instructing owners on how to care for their animal as they recover. This might include regularly cleaning wounds, replacing dressings or administering antibiotics.
Colic
Another condition that affects working equines in virtually all of the countries in which SPANA works is colic. The majority of cases seen are impactions caused by ingesting sand or plastic bags, but colic can also be caused by a poor diet lacking in roughage. Mild cases can be cured medically with drugs to relieve pain and
encourage motility, but in severe cases surgical intervention may be necessary.
Malnutrition
SPANA’s vets regularly see cases where animals have simply not received the care they need, and have been given insufficient and inappropriate feed. It can be distressing to see animals presenting with visible ribs and protruding hipbones and yet they are still required to work.
Its vets treat many other illnesses and injuries too, which vary by country and region. For instance, epizootic lymphangitis (EZL) is a potentially deadly fungal infection that is prevalent in Ethiopia, but it is seen only occasionally in other parts of Africa. SPANA is also heavily engaged in proactive veterinary care, such as providing routine farriery and dental care, as well as regular deworming treatments.
In Marrakech it oversees a licensing scheme for the calèche horses who are used to transport tourists around the medina. The horses must be regularly inspected and passed as fit and healthy by SPANA vets before they can be worked.