PUNJAB : Has it ever occurred to you that our four-legged friends also deserve top-tier health treatment? Thanks to advancements in veterinary medicine, over 24,000 to 25,000 canines undergo treatment under one roof at the Multi-speciality Veterinary Hospital of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) in Ludhiana every year. From rare heart surgeries, dialyses and eye operations to dental treatment, skin care and general check-ups, this vet facility has got our furry buddies covered. They even maintain a blood bank for dogs.
However, the care is not limited to dogs. As many as 30,000 to 32,000 animals, including canines, get treated at the hospital annually. Many of them report cases of tick fever, dehydration, hairfall, skin problems and parvovirus enteritis, besides other infectious and non-infectious conditions.
Talking to this newspaper, Dr Jitender Mohindroo, Director of Clinics, said that around 80 dogs are treated at the facility for various disorders and fractured or dislocated bones every day. “It is common for canines to sustain injuries in road mishaps or get hurt after falling from a great height,” he says.
But it’s not like misfortune only chases behind dogs. Dr Mohindroo has observed a new trend emerge in the post-Covid years. “An average of four exotic cats are brought here for treatment daily, he says, noting that many of the felines land up here after being attacked by dogs.
Dr Gurpreet Singh Preet of the Medicine Department says, “Around 70 to 80 dogs are brought to the medicine OPD daily.” He adds, “In summers, dogs tend to suffer from skin and tick-borne diseases as well as kidney and liver infections. In winters, they mostly contract viral diseases.’’
Dwelling on the care diseased and wounded animals receive here, Dr Arun Anand, HoD of Veterinary Surgery, shared, “We performed a rare heart surgery on a two-year-old beagle a couple of weeks back as the dog was suffering from patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) — a heart condition in which a blood vessel fails to close shortly after birth.
The dog was examined in the medicine department, where it underwent routine as well as advanced tests, such as echocardiography.” He added, “It was a one-hour-long surgery, after which it was kept under observation for four days at the critical care unit.”
It was, however, not an isolated case. Dr Anand told us, “We also carried out heart surgery on a three-month-old dalmatian belonging to the Ludhiana Police Commissioner that was suffering from persistent right aortic arch.” He beamed with pride, saying, “The animal has recuperated and is healthy.”
So, how many surgeries do they conduct every day? “Around 10 to 12 surgeries on dogs daily,” Dr Anand replied, adding, “We have started operating on cats, too.” The hospital also boasts a one-of-a-kind dialysis facility. Veterinarians generally perform dialysis in dogs in case of acute kidney injury, which can be caused by sudden blood loss, severe dehydration, etc.
Dr Randhir Singh, Assistant Professor at Department of Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, who is also in charge of the dialysis unit, said, “Six or seven cases of renal failure are reported in the OPD every day. While acute renal failure is reversible, chronic cases can only be managed. After the dogs undergo proper screening and advanced diagnostic tests, two or three or four of them can usually be put on dialysis.” He noted that the treatment is not suitable for small dog breeds like pugs or dachshunds, owing to their limited blood volume.
As far as eye problems in canines go, Dr SK Mahajan, Professor at Department of Surgery, explained, “The most prevalent issue is an ulcer on the cornea of the eye. Other common conditions include eyelid problems, cataract, tumours and cherry eye. Around five to 10 such cases land here every day. On average, about two cases require a surgery, which can take anywhere from half an hour to an hour, depending upon the gravity of the problem.’’
Remarkably, the demand for veterinary facilities remains high. “We get dogs from across the country, especially from northern states,” he said. Besides ailing pets, furry members of the Army, Border Security Force, Punjab Police and other state forces are also nursed back to health here.
Dr Jatinder Paul Singh Gill, Vice-Chancellor, stated, “This hospital has state-of-the-art facilities for treatment. And we are constantly improving and updating our services.”