On 18th December, our Equine team made a one-day visit to Paralion Astros in Arcadia to provide veterinary, dental and farriery care to the rescued equines of the local animal welfare association Arcadia Animal Care.
Arcadia Animal Care were one of our Local Partners in 2022, they played a huge role in the rescue and treatment of small animals, farm animal and equines during the recent wildfires in the Peloponnese. Veterinarian, Kostas, equine dental technician, Alkis, and farrier, Vaios, offered their services to 11 equines at their shelter – 6 donkeys, 5 horses and 1 sheep and all were in very good condition. They were joined by Elisa Geskou, veterinarian in charge and Coordinator of the Equine Care Programme.
Due to the lack of a specialised veterinarian and farrier in the area, most needed dental treatment for sharp enamel points and farriery treatment for long hooves. Due to their rescue backgrounds, most of the animals were not used to handling from humans, so our team showed to the organisation’s volunteers several practical ways for their everyday handling and care. One οf the 12 equines with long hooves had never been handled in the past and was impossible to be caught by anyone without the risk of being hurt, so advice for safe training on handling was given to the volunteers, who will do their best so it can be treated at our next visit.
Antiparasitic pastes were also administered, and all animals were electronically microchipped. Our team had the opportunity to meet Pyrimahos, a donkey that had been saved from last year’s wildfires with many severe burns, who had survived thanks to the amazing efforts of the Arcadia Animal Care volunteers. Pyrimahos, who has now completely recovered from his burns, received the dental care he needed without complaint, as well as a farriery treatment, he seemed very sociable and gladly accepted to be photographed with the team! It may not be an equine, but Tina, the female sheep that had also been rescued from the wildfires, received hoof trimming by Vaios, as her nails had grown and become very deformed, making it difficult for her to walk.
Also very important was the veterinary care of the wounds of Poulagris, a young donkey who had been found the previous days with deep, severe wounds in various parts of his body, wounds that were consistent with being attacked by a wild animal, possibly a wolf. We administered a sedative, treated the wounds, gave antibiotics and instructions to the volunteers on how to continue the treatment, while Poulagris had already been moved from the remote mountainous area where he had been attacked to a safe place inside the shelter. A month later and his ‘after’ photo shows how much progress he has made thanks to the injectable antibiotics and wound healing creams, the wounds have now healed completely!
The volunteers of the organisation had questions and queries regarding equine nutrition, veterinary matters, such as colic and laminitis, and general equine care, to which we answered in detail, while at the same time we trained them on how and where to use injectable medicines, medicines for ectoparasites etc. They thanked us and renewed our appointment for the next time they need our help!
