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Campaign Against the Abuse of Animals
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Cooperation, Honesty, Education, Responsiblity Working for a better world |
August 20, 2008 The first visit by vets to the village |
With the help of a group of veterinarians specializing in equines, we were able to facilitate care for more than fifty animals throughout the day. The vets came from Martinez de la Torre, a city about three hours away from our village, through a program organized by the University of Mexico (UNAM) and sponsored by the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) and Donkey Sanctuary. During their visit, they treated wounds and injuries, did dental work, and dewormed horses, mules and donkeys free of charge to the community. Here are some photos of the visit - at the moment, the vets continue to offer their services to the community at least once a month.
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This kind of wound is typical of the region and is caused by badly fitted saddles and overly heavy loads. On this occasion we saw relatively few cases like this, due to the fact that the owners were reluctant to bring their animals for treatment for fear that they would be fined or have their animals confiscated. However, over time we have gained the confidence of these owners and currently more than half of the wounds treated are of this type. Treatment includes saddle adjustment and occasionally surgery. |
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This little guy had never had his hooves trimmed, which caused his tendons to become hyperextended. These are the corrective shoes he got as a first step in the healing process. |
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Another example of the all-too-common saddle wounds. This horse was in bad shape, overworked and somewhat malnourished due to dental deformations. Aside from treating her wounds, the vets also dewormed her and did some dental work (yes, even horses need dentists!)
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More dental work! Many of the horses that came had teeth that were deformed or had sharp edges, causing wounds in their mouths and preventing them from chewing properly.
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Many people came just to watch, especially children.
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This is the first time that this one-year-old donkey has had his hooves trimmed. Luckily it was early enough to prevent the stretching of the tendons. Notice the wound left by the rope halter - ouch!
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