2010 GAWF OUTREACH WORK REPORT by Elisa Geskou
Equine Project visit to Crete, 27th February to 4th March 2010
From 27th of February to 4th of March, Elisa Geskou and Aris Vlachakis visited several areas of Crete to treat working equines in need of help.
We visited new villages as well as those we have been to before and during five days we covered distances of 684 miles/1.100 kilometers.
On Saturday and Sunday we worked in the south east area of the island around Ierapetra (Males, Anatoli, Kalamafka, Episkopi, Vathi, Ammoudara). On Tuesday in the south central area around Moires (Petrokefali, Listaros, Faneromeni, Klima). On Wednesday we travelled up to the north west area around Chania (Chrysopigi, Marmaras, Loutra) and then down to the south west area of Rethymno (Plakias). We visited our last donkey patient at 21.30 at night (the owner was waiting patiently for us) and returned home just before midnight! On the last day, Thursday, we visited the north east area around Agios Nikolaos (Vrouhas, Seles, Pano Louma, Limnes, Hersonisos).
In total, we treated seventy four donkeys, mules and horses. Sixty three of them received dentistry treatment and forty four received farriery treatment.
Regarding dentistry, we found animals with upper premolar hooks (7 of which were big) and animals with ramps, misaligned teeth, severe diastemmas between their molar teeth and food stuck there causing salivation and discomfort. We also observed and cut overgrown molars and found cases of parrot mouth and one mouth with lampas. Lots of old animals were seen with wavy, stepped mouths and missing teeth.
As far as farriery is concerned, forty four animals had their feet trimmed. Twelve of them were treated for long feet and one for distorted feet.
We came across two very sad cases, in which the donkeys were so badly distorted in the hind feet that we had to suggest euthanasia as the best solution, due to severe joint changes and pain. One of the donkeys was putting its weight at the front side of the pasterns and had fused the joints below them, thus making it impossible for the foot to return to the normal position, even after corrective trimming. In the other donkey, the hoof walls of both hind feet turned so that the frogs and soles were covered, causing severe rotation and sinking of the pedal bones inside the hoof. Three animals were found with thrush, two with seedy toe and one with a foot abscess.
Eight equines were wormed, either because they were in bad body condition or they were rubbing their tail area (possible worm infection) or due to hair and skin problems (possible mange).
Seven equines had foundered feet and two had attacks of laminitis. Painkillers and advice were given.
Two old donkeys were found with arthritic carpus and tarsus joints, one with hip arthritis and three with tendonitis.
Four donkeys were treated for tack injuries: two of these had saddle injuries and two others had head injuries from the headcollar.
A horse was diagnosed with possible allergy to washing detergents and a donkey was treated for fly bites on legs.
Two equines were found with cataract and another with corneal opacity and conjunctivitis while a donkey was treated for colic.
The old nervous mule with severe ataxia we had seen last year is still being used by its owner but only to transport items and is not being ridden.
In the area around Ierapetra, Suzanne and Alistair from the welfare group Walk with donkeys distributed new headcollars to all the donkeys that needed them. The headcollars were a donation from two Dutch welfare charities for the donkeys in the Cretan villages.
Another sad case we came across was a donkey with its front feet tethered to each other and to its head. This was done to prevent it from eating the olive trees and the rope tied around its feet had caused severe tendonitis. The donkey received full treatment, its legs were untied and a new headcollar was given as the old one had broken. We explained to the owner how dangerous the rope can be on the legs and that the new headcollar would give the donkey far more freedom to move. Suzanne and Alistair visited again after two weeks to check if the donkey was still wearing its new, more comfortable headcollar and were pleased to report that it was. Now the donkey has been sold to a new owner and lives happily grazing free in a field.
We received an animal welfare report through the Donkey Sanctuary during summer 2009 about the mules working in the Samaria gorge so we paid them a visit. The mules were not working when we visited, so they were full of energy, running and kicking around, and we had to chase them for a long time in order to catch and treat them! Their feet were long as they hadn’t been trimmed since they stopped working in the winter and their body condition was between 4 and 5 (obese). We informed the people in charge how dangerous it is for equines to be obese and advised them on how to feed and generally take care of their animals.
During this visit we had the opportunity to train two vets from Crete, Michalis Kastrinakis from the area of Chania and Michalis Spyridakis from Ierapetra. They both successfully attempted t teeth rasping and we exchanged opinions on equine veterinary and farriery matters. We also met two German journalists from Radio-Creta.De who made a video of us working in Crete and will put this on their website in order to advertise both GAWF and Walk with donkeys.
We would like to thank Suzanne Barbour and Alistair from Anatoli who organised our visit in the area of Ierapetra, Barbara Doulyeraki from Petrokefali who arrange for us to treat various donkeys around her village and finally Ann and Vangelis Adamakis from the welfare group Friends of the Animals in Elounda who did the same in the north-east side of the island. Many thanks to Suzanne and Alistair and to Ioanna Dorovinis from Crete Country-Houses for offering us accommodation for one night in Anatoli. Finally thanks to the horse owner who renewed his subscription to GAWF and to the pharmacist Evita Paterakis for donating various little things needed for treatments (eg saline, cotton etc). And of course many thanks to the Donkey Sanctuary for funding the visit, as without this funding the visit wouldn’t have been possible.
During the trip, lots of aged donkey owners in the Cretan villages showed their gratitude by offering us raki, mandarins, oranges and wine. All of the people we worked with were so grateful for our help and have asked us to repeat the trip again next year, and to stay for longer in order to help even more equines.
From 27th of February to 4th of March, Elisa Geskou and Aris Vlachakis visited several areas of Crete to treat working equines in need of help.
We visited new villages as well as those we have been to before and during five days we covered distances of 684 miles/1.100 kilometers.
On Saturday and Sunday we worked in the south east area of the island around Ierapetra (Males, Anatoli, Kalamafka, Episkopi, Vathi, Ammoudara). On Tuesday in the south central area around Moires (Petrokefali, Listaros, Faneromeni, Klima). On Wednesday we travelled up to the north west area around Chania (Chrysopigi, Marmaras, Loutra) and then down to the south west area of Rethymno (Plakias). We visited our last donkey patient at 21.30 at night (the owner was waiting patiently for us) and returned home just before midnight! On the last day, Thursday, we visited the north east area around Agios Nikolaos (Vrouhas, Seles, Pano Louma, Limnes, Hersonisos).
In total, we treated seventy four donkeys, mules and horses. Sixty three of them received dentistry treatment and forty four received farriery treatment.
Regarding dentistry, we found animals with upper premolar hooks (7 of which were big) and animals with ramps, misaligned teeth, severe diastemmas between their molar teeth and food stuck there causing salivation and discomfort. We also observed and cut overgrown molars and found cases of parrot mouth and one mouth with lampas. Lots of old animals were seen with wavy, stepped mouths and missing teeth.
As far as farriery is concerned, forty four animals had their feet trimmed. Twelve of them were treated for long feet and one for distorted feet.
We came across two very sad cases, in which the donkeys were so badly distorted in the hind feet that we had to suggest euthanasia as the best solution, due to severe joint changes and pain. One of the donkeys was putting its weight at the front side of the pasterns and had fused the joints below them, thus making it impossible for the foot to return to the normal position, even after corrective trimming. In the other donkey, the hoof walls of both hind feet turned so that the frogs and soles were covered, causing severe rotation and sinking of the pedal bones inside the hoof. Three animals were found with thrush, two with seedy toe and one with a foot abscess.
Eight equines were wormed, either because they were in bad body condition or they were rubbing their tail area (possible worm infection) or due to hair and skin problems (possible mange).
Seven equines had foundered feet and two had attacks of laminitis. Painkillers and advice were given.
Two old donkeys were found with arthritic carpus and tarsus joints, one with hip arthritis and three with tendonitis.
Four donkeys were treated for tack injuries: two of these had saddle injuries and two others had head injuries from the headcollar.
A horse was diagnosed with possible allergy to washing detergents and a donkey was treated for fly bites on legs.
Two equines were found with cataract and another with corneal opacity and conjunctivitis while a donkey was treated for colic.
The old nervous mule with severe ataxia we had seen last year is still being used by its owner but only to transport items and is not being ridden.
In the area around Ierapetra, Suzanne and Alistair from the welfare group Walk with donkeys distributed new headcollars to all the donkeys that needed them. The headcollars were a donation from two Dutch welfare charities for the donkeys in the Cretan villages.
Another sad case we came across was a donkey with its front feet tethered to each other and to its head. This was done to prevent it from eating the olive trees and the rope tied around its feet had caused severe tendonitis. The donkey received full treatment, its legs were untied and a new headcollar was given as the old one had broken. We explained to the owner how dangerous the rope can be on the legs and that the new headcollar would give the donkey far more freedom to move. Suzanne and Alistair visited again after two weeks to check if the donkey was still wearing its new, more comfortable headcollar and were pleased to report that it was. Now the donkey has been sold to a new owner and lives happily grazing free in a field.
We received an animal welfare report through the Donkey Sanctuary during summer 2009 about the mules working in the Samaria gorge so we paid them a visit. The mules were not working when we visited, so they were full of energy, running and kicking around, and we had to chase them for a long time in order to catch and treat them! Their feet were long as they hadn’t been trimmed since they stopped working in the winter and their body condition was between 4 and 5 (obese). We informed the people in charge how dangerous it is for equines to be obese and advised them on how to feed and generally take care of their animals.
During this visit we had the opportunity to train two vets from Crete, Michalis Kastrinakis from the area of Chania and Michalis Spyridakis from Ierapetra. They both successfully attempted t teeth rasping and we exchanged opinions on equine veterinary and farriery matters. We also met two German journalists from Radio-Creta.De who made a video of us working in Crete and will put this on their website in order to advertise both GAWF and Walk with donkeys.
We would like to thank Suzanne Barbour and Alistair from Anatoli who organised our visit in the area of Ierapetra, Barbara Doulyeraki from Petrokefali who arrange for us to treat various donkeys around her village and finally Ann and Vangelis Adamakis from the welfare group Friends of the Animals in Elounda who did the same in the north-east side of the island. Many thanks to Suzanne and Alistair and to Ioanna Dorovinis from Crete Country-Houses for offering us accommodation for one night in Anatoli. Finally thanks to the horse owner who renewed his subscription to GAWF and to the pharmacist Evita Paterakis for donating various little things needed for treatments (eg saline, cotton etc). And of course many thanks to the Donkey Sanctuary for funding the visit, as without this funding the visit wouldn’t have been possible.
During the trip, lots of aged donkey owners in the Cretan villages showed their gratitude by offering us raki, mandarins, oranges and wine. All of the people we worked with were so grateful for our help and have asked us to repeat the trip again next year, and to stay for longer in order to help even more equines.