A visit to SPANA’s mobile clinic in Samanko, Mali, saved DJ the donkey from becoming lame.
Djinémoussa the donkey – known affectionately as DJ – helps his owner, Brehima, earn a living as a farmer, so that he can support his wife and family. The 10-year-old donkey works in the fields with Brehima during Mali’s rainy season and has a well-deserved rest during the dry season.
One day, during the dry season, Brehima noticed that DJ was walking awkwardly and occasionally stumbling. Fortunately, Brehima knew that SPANA’s mobile clinic was due to visit his village very soon, so he took DJ along as soon as the clinic arrived to see if the SPANA vets could help his donkey.
At the clinic, our vets examined DJ carefully and found that his hooves were overgrown. As well as being painful and uncomfortable for donkeys like DJ, overgrown hooves can also lead to health issues, such as abnormal or additional strain on tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints further up the leg. The team set about trimming DJ’s hooves with special farriery tools to correct the problem. Each hoof was expertly checked and trimmed to ensure they were all well balanced and in a good condition.
Brehima watched the procedure closely and assisted the vets in keeping DJ calm and still. He listened carefully as the vets told him about the importance of routine trimming – especially for donkeys like DJ who do not work all year round – and encouraged him to bring DJ to the mobile clinic for regular check-ups and farriery when it visited his village.
Brehima was delighted to see DJ walking normally again. He said: ‘SPANA is so important to my family. We have come to your clinic before for treatment for our donkey. Thank you.’
Thanks to your kindness, SPANA vets are able to help donkeys like DJ who are suffering from the pain and discomfort of overgrown hooves. With a Gift of Health & Happiness – for a loved one or as a treat for yourself – you can help SPANA offer essential farriery and hoof care for working animals across the world. There are many more gifts to choose from, and each one makes it possible for our dedicated veterinary teams to provide vital treatment to working animals in need. Thank you so much for your support.
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