By Nia-Joelle Weinzweig
Veterinary student Nia, reports on her experiences volunteering with ACE
ACE has a centre on the outskirts of Luxor and provides free treatment for working horses and donkeys. It has 25 stables for in-patients, a treatment room, an outpatient clinic and a washing facility for the patients to have a much-needed shower!
At ACE I helped the vets with their day-to-day work. Every day started with the rounds; checking on the progress of the in-patients and giving the morning medications. Once this was done, a plan for the treatment of each in-patient for that day is written on the wall of the treatment room. These treatments range from cleaning and re-bandaging wounds to taking blood samples for testing to x-rays and operations.
During the day, one of the vets works in the outpatient clinic, seeing all the horses, donkeys and the odd camel or dog that comes through the gates. Most of these cases have minor treatments at the clinic or are sent home with advice, medication, altered tack, anti-parasite treatment etc. Serious cases or those requiring long term care are admitted to hospital where they are treated with the best possible care until they can be sent home and back to work.
The most common problems seen at ACE are bite wounds, sores from ill-fitting tack and work-related injuries including road traffic accidents. Fever, anaemia and parasitic infections, often inter-related are also common complaints.
Working at ACE was a valuable learning experience from a vet student’s point of view but also a great life experience for me. I’d love to return to Luxor as a qualified vet in the future to contribute some more to ACE’s amazing work which I hope will continue making such a huge difference to the lives of Luxor’s working animals for many years to come.
