Welfare Issues of Camels
1) Most commonly encountered welfare issues in working camels are harness/ saddle wounds. As the hump of camel is not well supplied with blood healing takes a long time, therefore padding of the harness is important.
2) The camel’s nose may be torn and may be infected because of the method of
using the nose peg. Usually the camel owners use long wooden nose pegs with which the ropes/ reins are attached for leading the camels. These wooden pegs due to constant friction sometimes tear the nasal septum, which may get infected and may also get infested with maggots causing further tissue damage.
3) Mange, a parasitic skin infestation is another common issue in camels for which preventive management practices and timely treatment are necessary.
Camel Nose Pegs-Potential Health Risks and Safer Alternatives
The traditional wooden nose pegs can splinter and even break. This can lead to the camel’s nose becoming infected which, if left untreated, can dangerously lead to septicaemia which may be fatal in some cases. Even if the nose peg is not splintered or broken, bacteria can continuously reproduce (multiply) in the pores of the wood / bone of the traditional style nose pegs, which, can continue to infect the camel even if the camel is undergoing a course of effective antibiotics. Only if the infection is fully removed from the pores of the wooden / bone nose peg or, the nose peg is totally removed and a new sterile nose peg is inserted in conjunction with a course of effective and specific antibiotic.
The nose pegs made from polycarbonate have a removable end tip resulting in the nose peg being easily removed from the camel’s nose should the need arise without distressing or hurting the camel. These removable tipped nose pegs are also easier to insert into the nose piercing than the traditional solid ended nose pegs as there is no stretching of the flesh when being inserted into the nose. These are inserted by a veterinarian and under anaesthetic.
Safer Alternatives for Camel Nose Pegs: Modern materials such as polycarbonate can be used to make excellent nose pegs which are unbreakable and do not allow the bacteria to grow on the surface or inside (Fig. 14.8). These removable tipped nose pegs are also easier to insert into the nose hole than the traditional solid ended nose pegs as there is no stretching of the flesh when being inserted into the nose.
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