Gare the taxi horse needed help for a painful eye injury caused by ill-fitting blinkers. Vets provided the care he needed to help him recover and prevent future injury.
Gare is a seven-year-old ‘gharry’, or taxi horse, who helps his owner Abdisa transport members of the local community to the market in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Without Gare, Abdisa could not earn a living to support his wife and two children.
Abdisa noticed that Gare’s eye looked cloudy and inflamed, so he took him to a veterinary centre run by SPANA’s local partner, Addis Ababa University College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, for help.
At the centre, the vet team carefully examined Gare’s eye and diagnosed him with a corneal ulcer, a painful yet unfortunately common eye problem. Gare was treated with antibiotic eye drops as well as medication to relieve pain and inflammation. The team demonstrated to Abdisa how to administer the eyedrops, so that he could continue Gare’s treatment at home. They asked him to return in a week to ensure the ulcer was healing.
The vets also inspected Gare’s blinkers, which had been brushing against his eyes and causing him injury. Abdisa was shown how to adjust the placement of Gare’s ill-fitting blinkers to prevent future wounds.
Abdisa said: “I know SPANA, as my horse was here for about one month without any cost. What I can say is thank you.” It’s thanks to your kind donations that the teams at our veterinary centres can help working animals like Gare whenever they need us.
Our supporters enable our vet teams to act quickly and prevent easily treatable eye problems from developing into debilitating illnesses, often saving the sight of working animals. Your continued compassion makes this work possible and is transforming the lives of working animals – Thank you!
Very soon we’ll be introducing some exciting changes at SPANA, which will enable us to expand our work helping working animals like Gare – but our mission to drive lasting change remains the same. With your regular support, you will continue to offer working animals hope for a brighter future.
