ANIMAL SURGERY IS BACK IN Somali ecosystem

Somaliland has approximately 19 Million of livestock (camel, cattle, sheep and goat), and livestock contribute about 60 % GDP of the country. Therefore livestock is main source of income for Somali people. Unfortunately, the collapse of former Somali government resulted abandoned veterinary service and depletion of skilled veterinarians and veterinary surgeon.

Introduction of IGAD SHEIKH TECHNICAL VETERINARY SCHOOL(ISTVS), a regional veterinary institution revived  livestock veterinary services in Somali ecosystem by providing well trained veterinary personnel throughout Somali ecosystem.

Recently, ISTVS clinic section performed several surgical operations including Rumenotomy, caesarean section, hernia repairing and castration to livestock especially on goats.

These kind of activities were absent in the country for nearly three decades but today ISTVS has skilled personal and materials needed to carry out these major surgeries.

Plastic bags and consumption of foreign materials is common problem among the livestock in Somali ecosystem and the most suitable treatment intervention is by removing plastic bags from the rumen (stomach) hence Rumenotomy (stomach surgery) is best option. Therefore, ISTVS can now save animals from the tragedy of plastic bags and foreign material in their stomach.

Previously, livestock were dying for dystocia (difficult of birth) because there were no skilled Veterinary surgeon who could help deliver fetus through surgery luckily ISTVS has got a competent veterinarian who can perform such operations.

Apart from the importance of these operations to the community, ISTVS students were also participating and grasping these activities.

Dr Abdideeq Mohamed Yusuf (one of the ISTVS-Makerere Graduate who recently joined back to ISTVS) was the lead surgeon of these operations.

In case you have any medical or surgical problem in your animals kindly contact to ISTVS

DR ABDIDEEQ MOHAMED YUSUF
ISTVS Junior Tutor In clinics and Therapeutics
Sheikh, Somaliland
+252634407871
Abdideeq.mohamed@stvs-edu.org

 

Giving back to the community – Healthy sheep and goats in Somaliland

Read story here: https://igadstvs.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/somaliland-smallruminants/

Small ruminant respiratory diseases and diarrhea have been problems among the goat keeping pastoralists in Somaliland and especially in Sheikh District. Pastoral types of farming expose pastoralist livelihoods when animals move in search of fresh pastures and water and they, the animals, are exposed to Viral, Bacterial and parasitic diseases.  In some cases, 25% of the animals died of these diseases.

To tackle these problems, pastoralist in Sheikh district asked the ISTVS (IGAD Sheikh Technical Veterinary School) for help. The school mobilized its students and staff to work with them.

After examining the sick animals, the animals were treated with Tylovet (Tylosin) and Ivermectin and farmers were advised to undertake preventive measures to cut disease management costs and the spread of the disease. These were:

• Separate the sick animals from the healthy animals and avoid mixing the animals with those of different owners. This reduces the spread of the disease.
• Keep the sick animals around the house to avoid respiratory distress which happens when the animals move.
• Give the animals enough feed and water to get improved the body condition and raise the immunity of the sheep and goats.
• Report progress of the treatment after seven days to ISTVS.

Results and feedback

The treatment worked and no further disease occurrences were reported. Some 80 animals were treated by the students at a total cost to the farmer of around 8 USD for the drugs only.

Feedback from the community was very positive.

To avoid this happening again, the farmers called on the government to support this type of community service provided by ISTVS which strengthens the extension work of the students.