Kamara gets the help he needs
Kamara the donkey usually transports water around the town of Boghé, in southern Mauritania, supporting the livelihood of his young owner, Cheikh. But for the last three months, Kamara and Cheikh have been unable to find work.
Without an income, Cheikh was struggling to provide a good diet for Kamara. Despite his best efforts to feed Kamara, his donkey started to become weak and lethargic. He lost weight and began suffering from diarrhoea. Kamara needed help before his condition worsened. Luckily, Cheikh knew that Together for Animals member SPANA had a centre in Boghé where his donkey could receive the free veterinary treatment he desperately needed.
At the centre, Kamara was carefully examined by SPANA vets. They diagnosed him as suffering from internal parasites. These parasites, which live in the gut of animals, had been feeding on Kamara, taking vital nutrition and energy from him.
The vets administered Kamara with an anti-parasitic to tackle his internal parasites. He was also started on a course of vitamins to improve his general condition and given a nourishing feed. The vets stressed to Cheikh how important it was that Kamara received a good diet. They asked him to return to the centre the following week, so that they could check on Kamara’s progress and provide further treatment, if necessary.
Cheikh was grateful for SPANA’s help. He said: ‘This is the second time that I have visited SPANA for free treatment for my donkey. I am very poor, so I have not been able to give my donkey everything that he needs. I thank everyone at SPANA for all their help.’
SPANA vets treat thousands of animals every year who are suffering from parasites. Although parasites can’t always be avoided completely, they are usually easily treatable. However, across the world, many working animals are needlessly suffering from the devastating illnesses and complications parasites can cause, without the essential treatment they need.