Caring for India's Working Animals

AAA partners with the Camel Rescue Centre (CRC) in Bassi, India, which is run by Help in Suffering. They see and treat many camels and other working animals every month, all presenting with various injuries and illnesses.

Two memorable cases recently seen by the veterinary team were a camel who had sustained an eye injury and a mare with severe colic.

Case One:

Recently, an owner called Rajendra Dhobi visited the CRC from the village, Kanota, with his camel. His camel’s eye had been injured by a hook hanging from another camel cart. Fortunately, the hook had not injured the eye itself; the wound was just under the eye, near the lower eyelid. Dr. Jitendar cleaned and sutured the eyelid under sedation. The owner was advised to keep the wound clean and protect it from flies. He was very happy with the outcome for his camel.

Case Two:

Colic is the most common problem seen in horses and can be fatal if not treated in time. One day, the owner of a mare brought his animal to the CRC from a village around 70 kilometres away. The mare was suffering from severe colic and was unable to pass urine. Her owner had tried to treat the colic on his own without success and, by the time he reached the CRC, the mare was dehydrated and exhausted. CRC vet, Dr Jitendar, commenced treatment immediately. Following proper treatment and fluid therapy, the mare finally obtained relief from the colic and began passing urine and drinking water again. The owner was very grateful to Dr. Jitendar for saving his mare.