Find out how SPANA’s veterinary team in Tunisia helped a mule with a painful eye condition.
Beji the mule transports goods around the desert town of Douz, in southern Tunisia. The nine-year-old mule helps his owner, Abdalla, earn a basic income to support his family.
Recently, Abdalla had become increasingly concerned for his mule as he had noticed that small sores had developed around Beji’s eyes. When SPANA’s mobile veterinary clinic made its next visit to Douz, Abdalla took Beji along for a check-up.
At the clinic, Beji was examined by SPANA’s veterinary team. They told Abdalla that Beji was suffering from habronemiasis – a parasitic condition transmitted by flies that affects the area around an animal’s eyes. Although habronemiasis is common, it can be extremely painful and irritating for animals. To treat the problem, the vets administered antiparasitic medication and carefully cleaned the affected areas.
Our vets also gave Beji a full health check. They noticed that the mule was wearing a makeshift harness made of old rope that was rubbing against his skin. The vets gently removed the harness, cleaned Beji’s wounds and applied some soothing cream.
They took some time to explain to Abdalla about the importance of comfortable harnessing and gave Beji some soft padding for his noseband to prevent his harness from rubbing again. Abdalla was advised to avoid using harnesses on Beji until his wounds had healed completely and the team showed him how to keep the wounds clean during the healing process.
Abdalla thanked our vets for their help. He said: ‘I am very grateful to SPANA’s team for the treatment they gave to my animal.’
Thanks to your support, SPANA’s mobile clinics are able to provide essential treatment to working animals like Beji. Our mobile clinics operate across the world, giving working animals living in rural communities and hard to reach areas access to professional veterinary care. Thank you so much for making this vital work possible.
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