Couple of weeks ago when preparing my slides for a World Rabies Day Webinar by the Veterinary Association India, I was reading through the document ‘Rabies-Free City Initiative – Operational Guidelines’ – published by the Indian Government under the National Action Plan for (dog mediated) Rabies Elimination by 2030.
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in humane dog population control – utopia or possibly the essential next step towards a sustainable solution? BY ILONA OTTER | April 29, 2025 The journey of my thoughts over the last year One year ago, around World Veterinary Day, I wrote my first post for this blog , noting that while writing or reading blogs was not anymore the popular thing to do, for my old-fashioned brain, it provided a way to structure and express my thoughts. Writing
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in humane dog population control Read More »
India faces a significant challenge with its roaming dog population and the associated threat of rabies. This issue has received a lot of attention at all governmental levels, leading to the development of a national rabies control program (NRCP). A critical aspect of this plan is the canine component, which primarily involves sterilizing and vaccinating stray dogs at approved Animal Birth Control (ABC) centers. I refer to this initiative as the ‘traditional ABC program’ approach.
What is there for private sector vets to get involved in high-volume spay/neuter work? Read More »
One frequently asked question in the spay/neuter community is whether vets prefer the flank or midline approach for surgery and why.
Historically, the lateral flank approach was more common in the earlier decades of animal birth control work in India. This preference was largely due to the ability to easily view the surgical site from afar, and because of the reduced risk of intestines falling out if there was a surgical site infection or wound dehiscence. Back then, surgical techniques and materials weren’t quite what they are today, leading to more post-operative complications.
Flank or midline spay – where is it best to cut? Read More »
At the beginning of the year – (end of Jan still counts as beginning of the year, right?) we are often faced with a question like:
What was your biggest takeaway or learning from the previous year?
What did you learn in the previous year that you want to take with you to the new year?
I have seen questions like that coming up multiple times on my social media feeds as well as in the new planner-cum-journal I got for myself. When it comes to my profession, I have a clear answer to that question:
Spectrum of Care and its application in veterinary medicine.
Spectrum of Care – How to redefine gold standard in veterinary medicine? Read More »
For over 15 years through my work with WVS, I have been involved in programs that focus on guiding and coaching veterinarians in India in basic surgical and anesthesia skills. My goal has never been to make them the world’s best neurosurgeons (as if I would be even qualified for that!!!) but to get them off the starting line—to instill in them the belief that they can perform surgery and, with consistent effort, continue to improve. With a foundation in surgery, anesthesia, and analgesia, a world of possibilities in clinical veterinary medicine opens up.
Happy New Year – Are You Ready to Get Off the Starting Line? Read More »
A study by Purdue University (US) scientists published in January 2024 reviewed the existing literature concerning access to veterinary care, in order to understand how “access to veterinary care” has been defined in the literature, map a broad list of potential barriers that may influence access to veterinary care, and identify how access to care impacts the welfare of animals, both companion as well as livestock species.
What is in a name – Access to veterinary care? Read More »
When most of your work is with your laptop in the office; writing reports, going through accounts, planning projects and budgets and addressing staff recruitment needs, there is nothing better than a little adventure in the form of a field work trip.
Over the last couple of years with the WVS India team, I have been focusing on developing the concept of owned dog spay/neuter campaign clinics as way of complementing the traditional, shelter-based and stray-dog focused ABC program approach. The reasons why we have taken this approach are multiple and some of them have been explored in my previous posts.
Outreach adventures to spay/neuter clinics Read More »
The suffering of abandoned kittens and puppies seems so unnecessary when we have a good solution to prevent unwanted pregnancies and unwanted puppies and kittens. Surgical sterilisation continues to be the best and most recommended and life-long solution for population control in cats. And by the fact that such appeals for help as just this one from Sushmita are so common, it is clear that there is huge need for cat owners to be able to have better access to spay/neuter surgery services.
Just keep spaying – CATS!!!! Read More »
Twenty years ago, as I was getting ready to start my life as a veterinarian, a big part of the process was to plan what instruments, equipment, medicine and materials to buy, and from where to order them. Among my friends we would compare lists and supplier details and consider how much equine work and how much cattle and how much small animal practice we were likely to be seeing in our first jobs. Medicine and equipment supplier companies arranged specific events for the graduating batch of students to get them to know the industry representatives and from where to order what.
Investing To Your Veterinary Identity Read More »