Hate going to the doctor? So do goats! But it’s good for them, and good for their owners too.
Many poor Nepali farmers can’t afford veterinary fees to keep their animals healthy, and they dread losing valuable animals to disease. So Animal Health Camps organised by UMN’s partners are a great way to ensure goats and other livestock are regularly immunized and checked at a recent camp in Rupandehi. The lucky patients included 575 goats and 129 pigs from 111 households. The goats were basically treated for liver fluke, tape worm, fever, vitamin and mineral deficiency and external parasites. Some were castrated, and wound dressing supplied for others. Pigs received vaccination for foot and mouth disease through household visits.
Seventy-five-year-old Man Kumari Bogati of Bhupu Sanik has been rearing goats for over two decades – her main source of income. Recently, she lost a he-goat from an unknown disease. She has never been to an Animal Health Camp before, but is thrilled that her animals have received medicines. This makes her confident that she won’t lose any this year – a real reason for hope.