Poor Bitoo wouldn’t have survived his ordeal without the support that people like you give to SPANA.
Thanks to your kindness, his owner was able to find ‘Help in Suffering’ India, a SPANA-funded partnership project working for the benefit of camels in India. Their dedicated vets were able to provide vital treatment and care that saved Bitoo’s life.
In the searing heat of Kanota, in the heart of the the Rajasthan area of India, Bitoo the camel was becoming progressively weaker. Unable to properly eat or drink, he could not regain energy or quench his severe thirst under the beating sun. Bitoo’s future was looking bleak.
A painful mouth infection meant that Bitoo was in constant pain, which his owner Mimla had noticed and was getting increasingly worried about. Her camel is so important to her, and his welfare is vital to the survival of her family. As Bitoo’s health deteriorated, Mimla was just about able to walk him to a SPANA sponsored clinic. There, a team of experts were on hand to put their knowledge to good use.
Normally Bitoo would spend his days transporting bricks around the kilns of Kinota, providing a financial lifeline to Mimla, her husband, and their young daughters and son. Both Mimla and her husband work long hours alongside their animals firing and transporting bricks. During the summer months they survive on as little as three hours sleep and earn only £6 a day, just enough to make ends meet for their family. Without their camel, they simply wouldn’t be able to earn the money they need to survive.
When Bitoo was brought to the clinic, the veterinary team quickly discovered that he was suffering from stomatitis, an excruciating infection of the lining of the mouth. Not only was this causing real discomfort, but Bitoo was also struggling with diarrhoea and bladder problems. The vets initially treated Bitoo with painkillers, an anti-inflammatory injection and a course of antibiotics to combat the stomatitis and tackle the other problems he was facing. They also provided antibacterial mouthwash to soothe her pain quickly, allowing her to take a much-needed drink.
Mimla has been working with Bitoo in the brick kilns of Kanota for nearly six years, and has been using the veterinary services here for nearly as long. She is hugely grateful for their work as well as SPANA’s expertise and funding, saying,
They are doing good work for my camel. I have been to see them since they started here, and without them my camel would not be healthy. They are working well.
Without your ongoing support, SPANA would not be able to fund these hugely important partnership programmes. They allow us to go beyond the reach of SPANA centres and mobile clinics by building trusted partnerships. By working directly with local people who share our commitment to working animal welfare, SPANA can do more to stop the suffering of animals in some of the most difficult to reach communities around the world.
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