CHENNAI: It’s no longer enough to get a basic veterinary degree. With more pet owners seeking out specialists for everything from skin problems to renal failure, veterinarians opting for a speciality are now in huge demand, said Gagandeep Singh Bedi, secretary to the government, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.
“Veterinary medicine is also becoming more specialised, with clients expecting their animals or pets to be referred to a specialist for treatment or surgery,” Singh said, addressing the eighth clinical case conference on farm and companion animal practice for veterinary students conducted at the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) in Vepery on Friday.
This comes close on the heels of a proposal by the Animal Husbandry Department to set up a multi-specialty hospital for animals in Solarpudur, Erode with departments covering everything from physiotherapy to dentistry under one roof.
What’s more is that the facility to be operated by TANUVAS will also have a critical care and surgery unit. This will come as a big relief to pet owners in districts across the state as currently dogs that require surgery need to be transported to the Veterinary College and Research Institute Teaching Hospital, Namakkal.
P Balakrishna Reddy, Minister for Animal Husbandry, who was present at the event, highlighted rural schemes such as distribution of free milch cows and goats or sheep to the poor. He also spoke about offering veterinary assistance to farmers at their doorstep via the Free Mobile Medical Ambulance scheme announced on a budget of `6.33 crore in five districts in 2015. This was further extended to 27 districts more this year. To improve and provide uniform facilities in the teaching hospitals of various veterinary colleges of TANUVAS, the State government sanctioned `3.25 crore this year to help the students with improved diagnostic facilities.
The two-day conference had participants from more than 350 undergraduate and postgraduate students from veterinary colleges across the country, including students from abroad. Each student was set on a timer of five minutes each to present their clinical cases. These covered farm and companion animals in three different disciplines - surgery, medicine and obstetrics and gynaecology.