Saving Salha the mule foal

Tabj had walked 23 kilometres from his home so that he could find the best possible veterinary care for his mule foal, and it was so important that he did. Salha had a large bulge under her abdomen, and had her owner not sought treatment, it could have been life threatening.

On arrival, the first thing the SPANA veterinary team did was to fully investigate the cause of the bulge and the condition of poor Salha. They determined that she was suffering from an umbilical hernia, caused when the muscles around the naval don’t properly come together after birth.

SPANA vets carried out an ultrasound on Salha, to investigate the bulge under her abdomen, which helped inform the best course of action. Unfortunately, the only way to treat the little mule involved a relatively major operation, called a herniorrhaphy, to repair the muscle defect. This was carried out under general anaesthetic.

Thankfully, the surgery was a complete success, and after three week’s recovery at the SPANA centre, and supportive care from our veterinary team, Salha was fully recovered.

When she was returned to her grateful owner, he said:

‘Thank you for having treated my mule. I was told by my neighbours that hernias can be a fatal situation for any animal and SPANA vets confirmed this. May God bless you. Without your help, I would have lost Salha.’