I know I haven't been posting lately, but I have some very important exams coming up that I can't afford to mess up. I will get round to talking a bit more about my time in Ghana, but for now I would like to share a video about the trip that pretty much summarises everything. I made the video for a school project where I have to present the trip to the rest of the school - for those that have presented in front of hundreds of people, you will know just how scary that is!
The link for the video is below. I had the most amazing time there. It truly was an experience that I will never forget!!
http://youtu.be/xk43j4uhPHk
Thursday 24 April 2014
Sunday 1 September 2013
Ghana - Kumasi Children's Home
In clinic today ,two dogs came in that had been fighting. They were both male intact dogs that lived together. There were several bite wounds on the first dog as well as eczema on the underside of the neck. Some of the lacerations were sutured with stitches that had to be removed and lidocaine to numb the pain. The man had no leash or collar for the dogs so they started to fight again after they left. The owner had left his small boy in charge of watching over them.A puppy came in with worms and gas. Sometimes dead worms get vomited -this is when there are a lot of worms. The puppy needs to be dewormed every 2 weeks. Toxocara Canis can be passed from the mother to the pup through the milk.
Another dog came in with a bloody nose, probably caused by intoxication from antivitamin K - a rodenticide. It was given vitamin K for coagulation. Antivitamin K could make the dog limp due to blood in the joints, make the dog pale, foam at the mouth, have a lower temperature and have blood in the faeces. Other causes of a bloody nose are foreign bodies, a tumour, trauma or fungus aspergillum. 
We were on outreach today at Kumasi children's home. We were tasked with vaccinating the sheep and goats that were kept there. They were all dewormed and given antibiotics and vitamins. Those that were showing symptoms of mange were also given ivomectine. It was funny watching the children run around trying to catch the animals as they had not been rounded up. at one point the dog was joining in on the chase, although it was not a good idea as it had bitten the leg of one of the smaller goats. After this was complete, we moved on to deworming the turkeys, who were a lot tamer and easier to catch. The outreach vet had tried to deworm the dog, but it had run off with the needle stuck in its hind leg. We also castrated the two puppies. My castration went perfect. The dog's testicles were tiny compared to the pigs, which meant that they were a lot harder to hold. There was a very little blood and the procedure was over quickly. The dog seemed to be happy as it ran around. I was a little worried that it would catch and infection as it sat down in the mud. 
Ghana - Fourth Day at the Clinic
At my fourth day at the veterinary clinic in Amakom, (Monday the 5th of July), we saw some interesting cases. A rabbit with mange was brought in, as well as a dog with a fungal infection on its foot. The fungal infection as treated with copper sulphate, which lowers the pH and cauterizes the wound, and it was given a penicillin injection.
A dog with a wound caused by a cancer treating drug -vincristine - was the next in. It had a tropical disease known as TVT or Granuloma. It also had skin necrosis, which was treated with the vincristine. As the vincristine had gotten out of the blood vessel, it had caused the surrounding tissue to rot, which as the injury that the dog was coming in for treatment for. The sex organ of the dog was also oozing blood previously but it wasn't today. It was clear that the dog was not in a good way, but at least its owners were prepared to do something about it rather than just leaving the dog untreated as I had seen so many of the other owners do.
The goat and her kid was brought back in today for its course of medicine. There was definitely an improvement in the health of the animal. All of the farm animals that get brought to the vets are not allowed into the vet clinic, but instead are treated on a table that it outside, in front of the vet clinic.
A small puppy was the next to see the vet. It had dribbled everywhere as it was so nervous. It was only coming in for its vaccinations and a deworming tablet. Another dog was in soon after as it hadn't been standing properly on its hind leg and it was wobbly when it walked. the vet wanted to assess/palpate the area as the dog had been spayed recently. However, they couldn't muzzle the dog so it had to be taken home. The owners brought a muzzle for five cedes so they could try and muzzle the dog as home where it would be a bit more relaxed. I didn't see the dog back again so either they came back when we were not working or the owners never brought the dog back. The next dog that was brought in was sent to the other branch of the Amakom vets in Catena as it turned out the owners lived closer to the other clinic.
A Chinese man brought in his mastiff next, however, he only spoke Chinese - not one word of English or Twi. From signals and hand gestures we managed to work out that the dog was not eating and it had been vomiting, and after taking its temperature, we found out it had worms - probably hookworms as there was blood on the thermometer. As the dog didn't look too dehydrated, it was not put on a drip/infusion. It was given the standard injections and given a deworming tablet. The vet was not sure how well the man understood him so the dog had to come in for the next two days.
A cute puppy with ears too big for its head was brought in as it was not eating. As it was one month late for its vaccinations, it was more likely to be predisposed to diseases such as parvovirus. It is important that you stick to the vaccination times, unfortunately many of the owners in Ghana didn't seem to understand this.
A dog with an extremely badly swollen paw was next through thee door. It had been in over a month ago with a similar wound and after treatment, the swelling and infection had gone down, but not completely at it had come back even worse. They had only brought the dog in today but it was clear that the infection was not new. The dog was not putting any pressure on its leg as the paw was swollen to double the size. Once squeezed some pus came out. I can't understand why you would leave the dog to suffer for this long! To make matters worse, they didn't have enough money on them so they took the dog back home. They said they would return with more money so that the dog could get treatment, but I not sure I can believe that they say. I asked the vet what he would have done if he had been able to treat the dog and he said he would have put the dog on a course of antibiotics, as well as some anti-inflammatory. He had hoped that this would soften the skin so they could open the wound and remove the infection and pus inside.
A dog with a wound caused by a cancer treating drug -vincristine - was the next in. It had a tropical disease known as TVT or Granuloma. It also had skin necrosis, which was treated with the vincristine. As the vincristine had gotten out of the blood vessel, it had caused the surrounding tissue to rot, which as the injury that the dog was coming in for treatment for. The sex organ of the dog was also oozing blood previously but it wasn't today. It was clear that the dog was not in a good way, but at least its owners were prepared to do something about it rather than just leaving the dog untreated as I had seen so many of the other owners do.
The goat and her kid was brought back in today for its course of medicine. There was definitely an improvement in the health of the animal. All of the farm animals that get brought to the vets are not allowed into the vet clinic, but instead are treated on a table that it outside, in front of the vet clinic.
A small puppy was the next to see the vet. It had dribbled everywhere as it was so nervous. It was only coming in for its vaccinations and a deworming tablet. Another dog was in soon after as it hadn't been standing properly on its hind leg and it was wobbly when it walked. the vet wanted to assess/palpate the area as the dog had been spayed recently. However, they couldn't muzzle the dog so it had to be taken home. The owners brought a muzzle for five cedes so they could try and muzzle the dog as home where it would be a bit more relaxed. I didn't see the dog back again so either they came back when we were not working or the owners never brought the dog back. The next dog that was brought in was sent to the other branch of the Amakom vets in Catena as it turned out the owners lived closer to the other clinic.
A Chinese man brought in his mastiff next, however, he only spoke Chinese - not one word of English or Twi. From signals and hand gestures we managed to work out that the dog was not eating and it had been vomiting, and after taking its temperature, we found out it had worms - probably hookworms as there was blood on the thermometer. As the dog didn't look too dehydrated, it was not put on a drip/infusion. It was given the standard injections and given a deworming tablet. The vet was not sure how well the man understood him so the dog had to come in for the next two days.
A cute puppy with ears too big for its head was brought in as it was not eating. As it was one month late for its vaccinations, it was more likely to be predisposed to diseases such as parvovirus. It is important that you stick to the vaccination times, unfortunately many of the owners in Ghana didn't seem to understand this.
A dog with an extremely badly swollen paw was next through thee door. It had been in over a month ago with a similar wound and after treatment, the swelling and infection had gone down, but not completely at it had come back even worse. They had only brought the dog in today but it was clear that the infection was not new. The dog was not putting any pressure on its leg as the paw was swollen to double the size. Once squeezed some pus came out. I can't understand why you would leave the dog to suffer for this long! To make matters worse, they didn't have enough money on them so they took the dog back home. They said they would return with more money so that the dog could get treatment, but I not sure I can believe that they say. I asked the vet what he would have done if he had been able to treat the dog and he said he would have put the dog on a course of antibiotics, as well as some anti-inflammatory. He had hoped that this would soften the skin so they could open the wound and remove the infection and pus inside.
Ghana - Vet Clinic
The dog that I had seen previously with the wounded elbow came back in today for a check-up. The wound was cleaned with spirit and iodine and it appeared to have chewed at some of the stitches. This dog, like all of the other patients that come in, was not given a buster collar so there was nothing from stopping it from licking or chewing at the wound.Two sheep were brought in soon after as they were not eating. The vet diagnosed the sheep with liver fluke and worms. This results in a lack of albumin and a skin edema around the neck - which makes it difficult for them to eat. The sheep were dewormed and given a prophylactic treatment. They were given antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and vitamins. A goat and her kid were the next patients through the door. The mother had not been eating and had diarrhoea. It was also given vitamins, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory injections, and was dewormed.
A dog was brought in as a repeat patient. It was very skinny and was suffering from icterus - a condition that is similar to jaundice in humans. Its skin and eyes were yellowed. After around half an hour of bargaining over the price of the treatment, the dog was brought in to the vet clinic for treatment. It was put of a saline drip with Pabiovite vitamins added (one of the drugs that they used in Ghana). From what the vet said, it appeared that the dog looked a lot better than it had done the first time that it came in, although it still had a long way to go before it was fully recovered.
A chick with a swollen knee joint was the next patient to be see by the vet, who scrapped at the wound that looked like an abscess. Iodine was added to help it heal. There was also a Rottweiler/cross that came in for a check up. It had eczema - spots- all across its back and down its sides. Antibiotics were sprayed over it as they seemed to had improved a lot since the last time it was brought it.
A goat with eczema on the underside of its neck was next. The owner had noticed the rash three days ago, but only just brought it in. The skin looked very sore and the goat was clearly in a lot of distress. The vet used a blade to remove the outer layer of dead skin. Hydrogen peroxide, iodine and scavon ( a cream used to fight infection) was added to help clear the infection, and then antibiotic spray was added.
Monday 26 August 2013
Ghana - Back to Clinic
It was my second day at clinic today, although I could have gone on outreach due to many of the vets being ill. I arrived just in time to see a dog having a wound on its elbow cleaned and sutured. First it was given a local aesthetic and then the area was shaved using a blade - it would have been a lot quicker with a razor. The area was then scrapped clean using a scalpel to make the wound fresh and remove any dead or infected skin. Suturing occurred next in a broken pattern. It was sutured in two layers, one under the skin and one on the skin. Just before the suturing was complete an antibiotic - penstrip - was added under the skin to stop any infection. The area was then sprayed with antibiotic and iodine was added. In the dogs hind leg, it was given antibiotics and vitamins intramuscular. I was surprised to see that the dog was not given a collar to wear so there was nothing from stopping it licking the wound. In England, the dog would have been given a collar.
The dog with ear ache that I had seen previous in the week was brought back in for a check up. It was on a three day course of treatment and today was the last day. The ear looked much better and the vet was happy with how it was healing.
The day at the clinic was very slow as there were only two patients in the afternoon. One dog was coming in for an anti-rabies injection, whilst the other was a small puppy that appeared dead other than a slight breathe. I couldn't understand what the people were talking about as it was in twi (the local language of the Ashanti region), but a short while later the owner took the puppy away without any treatment. It is just like England in that the cost comes first before the treatment.
The dog with ear ache that I had seen previous in the week was brought back in for a check up. It was on a three day course of treatment and today was the last day. The ear looked much better and the vet was happy with how it was healing.
The day at the clinic was very slow as there were only two patients in the afternoon. One dog was coming in for an anti-rabies injection, whilst the other was a small puppy that appeared dead other than a slight breathe. I couldn't understand what the people were talking about as it was in twi (the local language of the Ashanti region), but a short while later the owner took the puppy away without any treatment. It is just like England in that the cost comes first before the treatment.
Ghana - Clinic
The 30th July, my first day in clinic. I saw a number of different cases being brought in throughout the day. As they don't hand out appointments like they do in England, the clinic could go from being very quiet to being very busy quickly. The owners would just turn up when it suited them.
The first patients that were brought in were a group of puppies that looked very dehydrated. They were also extremely dirty and smelly, and it appeared that they were not that well looked after. They were given their booster vaccinations and dewormed.
Soon after a dog was brought in that seemed dead, however, after a little while I noticed that it was breathing very slightly. It turns out that dog had had a lot of diarrhoea and to make things worse, it had had its since yesterday, meaning that the owner didn't care enough to bring the dog in before it got even worse. The dog was put up onto the table and there is just led still. After preforming a clinical examination, the vet noticed that the dog had injection marks on its arm, which meant that they man had lied that the dog had not received any treatment. The vet couldn't treat the dog as any other injections could kill the dog. In the end there was nothing that the vet could do but make the man leave and take the dog back to the place where it had first been treated.
A well looked after dog was the next patient through the door. It looked to be in good condition - the coat was clean with no sign of ticks or fleas. The owner said that the dog had not been eating, but that it had also not been sick. The vets were about to treat the dog when I saw the same problem that I have seen so many time in England - the owners can't afford to pay for the treatment or they are not willing to pay so nothing gets done to help the sick dog. The dog soon left after receiving no treatment at all.
During the slow times of the clinic, usually around lunch time, everyone occupied themselves by reading, eating or even sleeping.
After a very quiet period at the clinic the well looked after dog returned with more owners. This time the owner brought some deworming tablets and some vitamins before taking the dog back home. It seemed that the owners were going to treat the dog themselves when they got home as it was cheaper that way.
Another puppy was brought in as it was vomiting. it was given antibiotics, vitamins, promethazine and oxy. Soon after another dog that was not eating was brought it. This dog was given Dexa, Penstrip and vitamins. This dog had been vomiting yesterday so it was coming in today as they have to come in for 3 days of treatment.
Just as in England, the table is cleaned between patients, however, unlike England, every dog is made to wear a muzzle. There are also a lot more people in the consulting room as it doubles up as an office. At times it could get very squashed.
A tiny puppy of only a few weeks old was brought in by the owner in the hope of getting it vaccinated. However, the dog was too young so instead they dewormed it and sent it on its way.
A dog with an ear ache was brought in soon afterwards. The owner had tried to help the dog by pouring palm nut oil into its ear and giving it antibiotics. When the vet heard this she burst out laughing. After looking into the dogs ears, she got some cotton wool and dabbed up the rest of the palm oil - thankfully there wasn't too much left! The dog was then given antibiotics and vitamins. As the dog was so scared due to the amount of people in the room at the time, he emptied his bowels everywhere and he growled and wiggled a lot in an attempt to get free.
It seemed that the clinic was busy in the morning and after lunch, which is the same as the clinics in England that I have been to. The only difference is that they are no scheduled operations. During my month stay I didn't see one operation take place at the vet clinic, and neither had many of the other volunteers.
Another puppy was brought in for a check up on a wound it had on its front paw. The wound didn't look infected so it was cleaned and antibacterial spray was sprayed on the wound. It was then given injections before heading home. Soon after a dog came in with scar marks down its back. It was just coming in for a check up and it seemed that the burns were healing well. The owner was hoping to use the dog as a security dog so the vet told his how to go about doing this. She said that you had to limit playtime and its contact with people.
All in all, today had been a rather busy day at the clinic. It was a lot busier than I was expecting after I had heard the others complain at how slow it was.
The first patients that were brought in were a group of puppies that looked very dehydrated. They were also extremely dirty and smelly, and it appeared that they were not that well looked after. They were given their booster vaccinations and dewormed.
Soon after a dog was brought in that seemed dead, however, after a little while I noticed that it was breathing very slightly. It turns out that dog had had a lot of diarrhoea and to make things worse, it had had its since yesterday, meaning that the owner didn't care enough to bring the dog in before it got even worse. The dog was put up onto the table and there is just led still. After preforming a clinical examination, the vet noticed that the dog had injection marks on its arm, which meant that they man had lied that the dog had not received any treatment. The vet couldn't treat the dog as any other injections could kill the dog. In the end there was nothing that the vet could do but make the man leave and take the dog back to the place where it had first been treated. A well looked after dog was the next patient through the door. It looked to be in good condition - the coat was clean with no sign of ticks or fleas. The owner said that the dog had not been eating, but that it had also not been sick. The vets were about to treat the dog when I saw the same problem that I have seen so many time in England - the owners can't afford to pay for the treatment or they are not willing to pay so nothing gets done to help the sick dog. The dog soon left after receiving no treatment at all.
During the slow times of the clinic, usually around lunch time, everyone occupied themselves by reading, eating or even sleeping.
After a very quiet period at the clinic the well looked after dog returned with more owners. This time the owner brought some deworming tablets and some vitamins before taking the dog back home. It seemed that the owners were going to treat the dog themselves when they got home as it was cheaper that way.
Another puppy was brought in as it was vomiting. it was given antibiotics, vitamins, promethazine and oxy. Soon after another dog that was not eating was brought it. This dog was given Dexa, Penstrip and vitamins. This dog had been vomiting yesterday so it was coming in today as they have to come in for 3 days of treatment.
Just as in England, the table is cleaned between patients, however, unlike England, every dog is made to wear a muzzle. There are also a lot more people in the consulting room as it doubles up as an office. At times it could get very squashed.A tiny puppy of only a few weeks old was brought in by the owner in the hope of getting it vaccinated. However, the dog was too young so instead they dewormed it and sent it on its way.
A dog with an ear ache was brought in soon afterwards. The owner had tried to help the dog by pouring palm nut oil into its ear and giving it antibiotics. When the vet heard this she burst out laughing. After looking into the dogs ears, she got some cotton wool and dabbed up the rest of the palm oil - thankfully there wasn't too much left! The dog was then given antibiotics and vitamins. As the dog was so scared due to the amount of people in the room at the time, he emptied his bowels everywhere and he growled and wiggled a lot in an attempt to get free.
It seemed that the clinic was busy in the morning and after lunch, which is the same as the clinics in England that I have been to. The only difference is that they are no scheduled operations. During my month stay I didn't see one operation take place at the vet clinic, and neither had many of the other volunteers.
Another puppy was brought in for a check up on a wound it had on its front paw. The wound didn't look infected so it was cleaned and antibacterial spray was sprayed on the wound. It was then given injections before heading home. Soon after a dog came in with scar marks down its back. It was just coming in for a check up and it seemed that the burns were healing well. The owner was hoping to use the dog as a security dog so the vet told his how to go about doing this. She said that you had to limit playtime and its contact with people.
All in all, today had been a rather busy day at the clinic. It was a lot busier than I was expecting after I had heard the others complain at how slow it was.
Ghana - Back to Genesis Pig Farm
I thought today, Monday the 29th July, was going to be my first day at the clinic. I had now been in Ghana over two weeks but never been to the vet clinic. However, due to the new outreach timetable that they had devised, I was back on outreach and back to Genesis pig farm to preform two more castrations each. 
The castrations were a lot better than the previous ones as there was a lot less blood. It also helped that the pigs were calmer and the testicles were a lot smaller. We also injected a number of the smaller piglets with vitamins and dewormed them. Some of the injections were given under the skin (subcutaneous) whilst other injections were given directly into the muscle (intramuscular). When the injections are given intramuscular you must make sure that you aspirate, pull back, to make sure that you haven't hit a blood vessel. Whilst we were there one of the piglets went into shock after it had been given an intramuscular injection. The needle had gone into the blood vessel so the syringe had been emptied into the blood, rather than the muscle. We quickly noticed the problem and sprayed the piglet with water to try and bring it out of shock. Thankfully it was soon back up on its feet and wandering around with the rest of the piglets.
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