A field manual of camel diseases

Traditional and modern veterinary care for the dromedary The one-humped camel, or dromedary, is one of the world’s hardiest domesticated animals. A vital source of transport, meat, milk and income for pastoralists in the Sahel, East Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, the camel can carry heavy loads for days in some of the world’s most hostile conditions. But even camels fall ill. A Field Manual of Camel Diseases is the first practical guide to camel diseases designed for use in low technology environments. The manual details some 80 major camel diseases and conditions, ranging from abortions to wry neck syndrome. For each disease, the authors give the disease signs, its causes, and simple prevention and treatment methods. Both scientific and tried and tested traditional treatments are presented, thus enabling the veterinarian or livestock practitioner to make the most appropriate choice in the prevailing circumstances. A section on procedures explains how to examine a camel, take samples for laboratory analysis and apply various types of medicines.

Sheep husbandry and ethnoveterinary knowledge of Raika sheep pastoralists in Rajasthan, India

This thesis describes the sheep husbandry and healthcare system of the Raikas in south-central Rajasthan. Aspects such as sheep breed diversity, fodder availability, disease prevalence and gender labor division are discussed. Special attention has been paid to traditional and conventional interventions and actors in sheep healthcare. Ethnoveterinary knowledge and practices are described as well as weak and strong points of both conventional and traditional institutions and actors.

Indigenous institutions for managing livestock genetic diversity in Rajasthan (India)

Nagauri cattle, Tharparkar cattle and the dromedary are examples of threatened species in Rajasthan, India. The Raika (a traditional camel-raising group) and other livestock keepers have extensive indigenous knowledge and practices that they have used to create and maintain these and other breeds. These practices are mostly invisible to outsiders. Government attempts to upgrade teh livestock have focused on crossbreeding and have been unsuccessful. It is precisely the reluctance of the Raika and other breeders to give up the old waysthat has conserved what is left of Rajasthan’s indigenous animal genetic resources.