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Ep. 23: Mobile Vet Care In Arusha, Tanzania: From Rabid Lions, To Anthrax, To Fundraising, Humanitarianism, Welfare Education, Spiced Tea, Hot Chocolate, and Banana Wine; Meet Dr. Evarest Maguo With Elang'ata Agrovet
About this Episode
Dr. Evarest Maguo has been a veterinarian for over thirty years, and in 1997 he established his own veterinary practice and mobile clinic, along with his wife, Mrs. Evelyne. They are both experienced in agricultural services, environmental work, and the provision of veterinary care and animal welfare education.
Evarest has been working as a vet since 1990 and holds a degree in Environmental Science and a Masters in Zoology. He is supported by his wife Evelyne, who has a certificate in agriculture and livestock and currently operates their agricultural and vet supply shop.
They also have an on-site shelter that they use to house and treat a range of animals that require specific care. It is their end goal to re-home these animals to good homes. Their clinic and shelter are in Sekai, Arusha and they also offer a mobile clinic service in Arusha and nearby areas.
Interview Answers:
- Ground nuts
- Yes, I was born in Dodoma, but I have been in Arusha for three-quarters of my life. I did my Veterinary training in Arusha as well. There are some other vets in Arusha, but they do not offer a mobile service. We are also very committed to improving animal welfare, whereas most vets in the area are not as passionate as us here at Elang'ata Agrovet.
- The tribe that I originate from in Dodoma is called the Go-go tribe and they are livestock keepers, and with my late brother also being a vet, I became very interested in animals from a young age. As I grew up, I entered a livestock/ agricultural secondary school to pursue my interest in animals. After school, I then went to vet college in Arusha, once I graduated, I was employed by the government in 1990 as an animal welfare inspector for several years. I then decided to retire, and start my own company in 1997, and so Elang'ata Agrovet was born!
- There are two areas to the vet, and mobile clinic and a stationary clinic. Mobile services are beneficial because I can take in my surroundings of the animal, and through this, I am able to gain a better understanding of why the animal may be ill or sick. Sometimes, it is obvious that people that take their animal to eh stationary vet sometimes do not tell the full truth, and so it is difficult to tell why the animal may be unwell. Participation by the whole family of a given client is important because I can educate more people, and more people become accountable for the animal's health at the same time. When funding opportunities are available, we also try to carry out vaccination clinics, outreach programmes, education programmes.
- What is it like being a vet in Tanzania – To be a vet here is challenging because sometimes you want to reach a lot of people, but you can be, and usually are incredibly restricted by the money made available. We get very little government funding which makes it difficult to provide a service. There is also very little awareness of animal welfare in Arusha and Tanzania, so even in the Police, for example, it is very difficult to regulate new animal welfare legislation. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one that knows! Again, some concepts of animal welfare are completely new to Tanzanians, re-homing for example – people are not educated in re-homing of animals and its benefits, so it makes it difficult to re-home dogs at the shelter.
- We treat a range of animals big and small! Day-to-day work usually includes chickens, donkeys, cows, cats and, dogs. I am prepared to answer a call for any animal!
-We sometimes do joint vaccination programmes around the national parks here, including the Serengeti! We vaccinate animals around the national parks, which in turn decreases the transmission rate of diseases like rabies into safari animals.
- Everything! Surgeries such as neutering and spaying, amputation etc, vaccinations, diagnosis, pregnancies, artificial insemination and many more! Rehabilitation, continuous treatment, antibiotics etc.
- In Tanzania, we have a lack of even basic medical equipment that we need daily, not to mention the lack of state of art equipment. We have no x-ray or ultrasounds, which means we must diagnose every single case visually. There is also a lack of specific drugs for specific diseases. This means simple treatment, such as the use of antibiotics, is not as efficient and targeted as we would like.
- As mentioned, there is a lack of general funding and support from the government, which really is the cause of a lot of the issues we have here. There is also a lack of knowledge and education of animal welfare leading to a lack of care and poor animal welfare. This is where outreach and education funding can be so important. Country infrastructure can also make things difficult. There are some very difficult areas to access, and rising fuel costs certainly don't make things easy! Many locals also do not have the money to provide proper care for their animals, and I cannot afford to give out medical treatment for free, unfortunately.
- Question not quite understood – can you please elaborate?
- You must be prepared to work around the clock and be prepared to give up many things.
- You must be prepared to be called out for the mobile clinic, for example, I had to explain to my wife on my wedding day why I had to take the medical bag along with me!
- You must be ready to learn online, we are no longer at university, so you need to stay up to date with new equipment, new techniques etc.
- Being ready to take on a wide variety of animals
- We have an animal welfare trust fund called the Protection of Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). We aim to improve the lives of domestic, farm and working animals in Tanzania through education, advocacy, and on-ground clinics & workshops. On a given day, we can have several groups of volunteers and students coming to learn and gain experience in veterinary practice whilst also getting a cultural experience at our homestay too!
- We have recently joined the Workaway programme, so we can host up to six Workaway volunteers at a time. We provide accommodation and food in return for work at the shelter, and volunteers get the opportunity to see how we carry out surgeries and vaccination clinics etc.
- Spiced tea! But I also like to drink a pint of soured milk before bed! and my new volunteers have me hooked on Cadbury's hot chocolate!
Topics Covered In This Episode:
- What it's like to become a veterinarian in Tanzania
- Mobile veterinary work and why Evarest prefers it!
- Livestock, Zoos and Safaris animals…Oh my! What it's like caring for a wide range of animals including dogs and cats
- Common diseases and viruses amongst the animals in Tanzania
- Vaccine protocols and preventative care
- Volunteer work for vaccine clinics and education
- Animal Welfare Education for the community, politicians and local police
- How to get involved! Donate or volunteer to help the animals of Tanzania!
- Common challenges veterinarians face in Tanzania
Links & Resources for Dr. Evarest Maguo:
- Visit Elang'Ata Agro-Vet Services Website (New website coming soon)
- Email for more information here or Evarest here.
- PAWS (Protection of Animal Welfare Society)
Find them on social media:
The House Call Vet Academy links:
- Download Dr. Eve's FREE House Call & Mobile Vet Biz Plan!
- Find out about The House Call Vet Academy online CE course
- Learn more about Dr. Eve Harrison
- Learn more about the Concierge Vet Mastermind!
- FREE Concierge Vet Starter Kit mini course
- Learn more about SoulShine Space For Vets. Use discount code SHINE15 for 15% OFF SoulShine Space For Vets!
- Learn more about 1-to-1 coaching for current & prospective house call & mobile vets.
- Find out about the next House Call & Mobile Vet Virtual Conference
Music:
In loving memory of Dr. Steve Weinberg.
Intro & outro guitar music was written, performed, & recorded by house call veterinarian Dr. Steve Weinberg.
Thank you to our sponsors!
- Rockin' Pets, Rollin' Vets
- PriVet Pet Care
- First Opinion Veterinary Ultrasound- Online CE courses on ultrasonography & machine selection
Hosts & Guests
No transcript available for this episode.
