Maun Animal Welfare Society (MAWS) is the group that organizes free spay/neuter, vaccinations, deworming and medical treatment as needed for local people with financial constraints. Website: www.maunanimalwelfare.com
It's been an interestingly different way of surgery here compared to the States. There is no gas anesthetic used in surgeries here because of the cost, but all of the dogs are intubated to maintain a patent airway. Xylazine, ketamine and diazepam appear to provide enough anesthetic time for surgery, with the occasional top-up of thiopentone as needed. All pets receive an injection of meloxicam for pain control. Despite not having opioids for additional pain control, these dogs are remarkably hardy, recover comfortably, and are ready to eat as soon as they wake up!! Many of the dogs also have tick bite fever (Ehrlichiosis), which causes delays with normal blood clotting, which then causes increased bleeding intraoperatively...I was initially a bit worried about this, but I found that I adjusted to expect a "new normal" level of bleeding quickly enough. Ehrlichiosis also can cause significant anemia, and I've definitely operated on dogs I would not have touched before doing a full blood panel and likely blood transfusion if I were in the States! I've also discovered that the amount of lighting I THOUGHT I needed for surgery was waaaaaay more than what I ACTUALLY need. Finally, "surgical sterility" acquires new meaning when that includes having to blow flies away from an incision and pick ants off a surgical drape to keep them from crawling into an open abdomen. :-!
It's been an interestingly different way of surgery here compared to the States. There is no gas anesthetic used in surgeries here because of the cost, but all of the dogs are intubated to maintain a patent airway. Xylazine, ketamine and diazepam appear to provide enough anesthetic time for surgery, with the occasional top-up of thiopentone as needed. All pets receive an injection of meloxicam for pain control. Despite not having opioids for additional pain control, these dogs are remarkably hardy, recover comfortably, and are ready to eat as soon as they wake up!! Many of the dogs also have tick bite fever (Ehrlichiosis), which causes delays with normal blood clotting, which then causes increased bleeding intraoperatively...I was initially a bit worried about this, but I found that I adjusted to expect a "new normal" level of bleeding quickly enough. Ehrlichiosis also can cause significant anemia, and I've definitely operated on dogs I would not have touched before doing a full blood panel and likely blood transfusion if I were in the States! I've also discovered that the amount of lighting I THOUGHT I needed for surgery was waaaaaay more than what I ACTUALLY need. Finally, "surgical sterility" acquires new meaning when that includes having to blow flies away from an incision and pick ants off a surgical drape to keep them from crawling into an open abdomen. :-!
The MAWS clinic...the little sign to the left of the door states that the clinic is by appointment, but this seems to be wholly ignored. :-)
No beer in here! Just vaccines and medications...I just liked the application of this particular fridge :-P
Another volunteer veterinarian, Mary-Anne, and myself spaying 2 dogs on the surgery table. Mary-Anne and her long-term partner Richard (both are originally South African but currently living in London) are here volunteering for 3 weeks as well, and it's been great to work with them!
Since the table height doesn't adjust, these bricks are what I stand on for particularly "tall" dogs. Occasionally disconcerting when I unintentionally step off of them during surgery (!), but they do the job!
An overview of an assortment of newly spayed and neutered Botswanan dogs, all apparently enjoying their drug cocktails!
All dogs gets their nails clipped and treated for fleas, ticks and flies right after surgery...then off to home for a good meal and a snooze!!
I was extremely heartened to hear from a local person this week that the work that MAWS does has noticeably decreased the number of stray dogs out in the streets; this in turn improves the health of the wild animal population here by preventing outbreaks of transmissible canine distemper and canine (& feline) rabies, and a healthier wild animal population = healthier human livelihoods via a robust tourism industry. (For those cat people out there, cats are less commonly treated here, as many fall prey to dogs and other animals... :-( ).
I'll try to take some pictures of hospitalized patients and cats in the next 2 weeks. I just sent home a parvovirus puppy (suspected parvo based on symptoms, as we don't have tests here to confirm) yesterday who was extremely cute and also a troublemaker...as soon as he felt better, he chewed out his IV catheter and took a long nap!!
No comments:
Post a Comment