The Veterinarian’s Point of View
Matthew Walker
January 28, 2006
The first day of actual veterinary practice took place on Tuesday, January 23. We are now into the routine, in terms of farm visits. The farms are very small with the average Kenyan farmer having two cows. The cattle are raised primarily on Napier grass which is cut daily. There is usually little or no grain fed. Housing for cows in Kenya consists of dirt stalls surrounded with a wooden building with a tin roof. We have been able to visit four to five farms daily. The cattle are small in comparison to Canadian cows. The Guernsey breed appears to be the most popular breed. In Canada, this breed makes up less than one percent of the total cow population.
The roads leading to the Kenyan farms are quite bumpy and hilly, with no pavement to be seen. The farm families come out to greet you with enthusiasm, saying "Jambo Jambo" (Hello Hello!!) and shaking your hand to make sure you feel welcome. They are extremely pleased that we have come to visit their cows. These animals are truly their lives. We held information sessions on various farms involving topics such as mastitis prevention, nutrition, and most of all disease control. Farmers would walk for many kilometers to attend these sessions. They absorb every word that leaves your lips, giving us the extreme feeling of warmth and respect.
We have seen several foreign diseases that I have had to review, especially East Coast Fever, a fatal tick borne disease. Ticks, although not a common problem in Canada, are an issue to Kenyan farmers and must be dealt with on a daily basis. They must dip their animals every seven to ten days with a parasiticidal treatment. So needless to say, I am getting good at identifying ticks and other "exotic" creepy, crawlers. Another major difference in disease pressure, compared to Canada, is the high occurrence of blood borne diseases. Diseases like Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis are more common here. Those are enough technical details for now. We are beginning to adjust to the challenges of working and participating in a rural African community. Hope all is WARM in the Maritimes.
January 28, 2006
The first day of actual veterinary practice took place on Tuesday, January 23. We are now into the routine, in terms of farm visits. The farms are very small with the average Kenyan farmer having two cows. The cattle are raised primarily on Napier grass which is cut daily. There is usually little or no grain fed. Housing for cows in Kenya consists of dirt stalls surrounded with a wooden building with a tin roof. We have been able to visit four to five farms daily. The cattle are small in comparison to Canadian cows. The Guernsey breed appears to be the most popular breed. In Canada, this breed makes up less than one percent of the total cow population.The roads leading to the Kenyan farms are quite bumpy and hilly, with no pavement to be seen. The farm families come out to greet you with enthusiasm, saying "Jambo Jambo" (Hello Hello!!) and shaking your hand to make sure you feel welcome. They are extremely pleased that we have come to visit their cows. These animals are truly their lives. We held information sessions on various farms involving topics such as mastitis prevention, nutrition, and most of all disease control. Farmers would walk for many kilometers to attend these sessions. They absorb every word that leaves your lips, giving us the extreme feeling of warmth and respect.
We have seen several foreign diseases that I have had to review, especially East Coast Fever, a fatal tick borne disease. Ticks, although not a common problem in Canada, are an issue to Kenyan farmers and must be dealt with on a daily basis. They must dip their animals every seven to ten days with a parasiticidal treatment. So needless to say, I am getting good at identifying ticks and other "exotic" creepy, crawlers. Another major difference in disease pressure, compared to Canada, is the high occurrence of blood borne diseases. Diseases like Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis are more common here. Those are enough technical details for now. We are beginning to adjust to the challenges of working and participating in a rural African community. Hope all is WARM in the Maritimes.
posted by Admin at 12:59 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home