Dr. Ilona Otter

How to close the loop? And why it matters? BY ILONA OTTER |September 16, 2026 How can we close the loop? “All the vets in our program have left, and now we have to again train new ones.” Have you faced something like this before? As per my experience, this is a very common scenario that is hindering the smooth functioning of many ABC programs in India. Vets are leaving the job after a couple of years, sometimes just after 6-8 months. Amidst

Beyond the benchmark of surgical speed: De-commoditising the veterinarian in the ABC sector BY ILONA OTTER |May 2, 2026  For decades, the success of Animal Birth Control (ABC) programs has been measured by a single, cold metric: The number of dogs operated per day (or by week/month/since the agency begun working in an area). This method of measuring success has made the ABC-program -sector to fall into a dangerous habit: valuing the veterinarian only for the mechanical speed of their hands.   The “per-dog”

How many dogs are left to do? BY ILONA OTTER | April 7th 2026 “How many dogs are left to do?” This common question exposes a fundamental misunderstanding of rabies control and humane dog population management in India. The question stems from the idea that the ABC program – animal birth control, that is, surgical sterilisation of dogs, would be the same or equal to rabies control. This is not exactly the case, even in the scenario where dogs are also vaccinated

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

Spectrum of Care in Veterinary Surgery BY ILONA OTTER | APRIL 08, 2025 Recently, a Finnish veterinary colleague and Chairman of the Commission of the Finnish Veterinary Association shared on social media how she had operated a GDV surgery in her very basic primary care practice far up north in the Finnish Lapland with her 17-year-old daughter and the owner assisting in anesthesia monitoring as per her instructions. The reason she shared this was to encourage young veterinarians to try and do

What is there for private sector vets to get involved in high-volume spay/neuter work? BY ILONA OTTER | February 20, 2025 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)

Flank or midline spay – where is it best to cut? BY ILONA OTTER | February 20, 2025 Flank or midline approach for female cat/dog spay? Welcome to the world of spaying and neutering! February is officially recognized as Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, culminating in World Spay Day on the last Tuesday of the month. During this time, lots of amazing non-profit organizations, programs, and private vet clinics join forces to share valuable information and organize spay/neuter campaigns. Many of these efforts continue

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.