Dr. SARASI S WVS ITC, OOTY REPORT WVS intern! It was like dream come true to get this opportunity to work with WVS, since I always wanted to work as a Shelter veterinarian. I use to volunteer for an animal NGO during my free time for rabies vaccination and basic first aid for the stray dogs in Mumbai while I was pursuing my bachelors in veterinary science. I came as a participant for the Animal Birth Control coarse of WVS in Ooty in month of April, 2016. Ever since then I liked the environment of work amongst the trainer veterinarians and the set of protocols followed at WVS. Therefore, I decided either to join WVS or Vets beyond borders (VBB). To give it a try I volunteered at S.A.R.A.H project of VBB for its ABC camps, during my post graduation course. After completing my M.V.S.c, I saw the post of WVS intern on facebook and was interested as well as excited to join WVS. I emailed Dr. Ilona mam immediately. I had an interview to give and she asked me to join as soon as possible.
My journey in WVS started from 21 st of October, 2017. I was overwhelmed and at the same time nervous about the new job. I was clueless about the practices and management at WVS ITC, Ooty when I joined as a new junior veterinarian. My colleagues Dr. Amulya and Dr. Shruti guided me regarding the basic management protocols and practices followed at WVS ITC Ooty. Every day there was something new to learn, although my duties on the rotation chart remained the same for two weeks. To begin with I had a good start as new junior veterinarian, where I got an opportunity to teach routine neutering surgeries to different veterinarians from all over the country which was challenging. 3 rd week after joining, I was allotted the duty of kennel veterinarian. Bandaging of the wound, especially wet to dry (tie-over bandage) was my favorite part as a kennel veterinarian. After doing the kennel rounds, assisting in surgeries gave me a new platform to enhance my surgical skills bit by bit routinely. I was also been given the opportunity to work at the
clinic, where I could apply my knowledge learnt and used so far. This opportunity re-boosted my confidence in terms of treating many patients for various health problems as well as it improved my communication skills with the pet owners of different temperaments. By the end every day, my work, zeroed down to either assisting or doing surgeries, which I was glad about. Taking lectures for the participants is a part of routine work in WVS. I was always apprehensive on delivering lectures. I first started by heading the group discussion on antibiotics based on PROTECT poster (by BSAVA) by involving the participants in team discussion for two batches, after which I switched to delivering lectures. My first and my favourite lecture until today is on trauma and wound management.
Apart from the routine ABC surgeries, I got to do other special surgeries. My first special surgery was a cystotomy, in an 8 year old Daschund dog (Jingle) who had small gravels of yellow uroloiths in his bladder. Dr. Ilona was a firm encouragement and helped me throughout the surgery, while Dr. Vinay sir monitored the anesthesia of the patient, whose renal system was almost compromised. The uroliths were sent for diagnosis, after the surgery, which were reported to be calcium oxalate. The patient was managed by fluid therapy for few days and good diet management. Current update about jingle is that he is all happy, eating good amount of food, without any urinary tract obstruction. Other than cystotomy I developed the confidence of doing reconstructive surgeries for wound closure, disarticulation of joint (limbs) and enucleation of eyeball. In December 2017, for a brief period of a week, my colleague Dr. Shashank and I got an opportunity to enhance our skills in surgeries as
well as to help Dr. Chahat in Bylakuppe (Tibetian Settlement, sourthern part of state of Karnataka) in animal birth control surgeries. I would like share an experience with, Dr. Chahat, who came across an unusual distended stomach in a female stray dog. It was filled with gas and which was manually decompressed. On further manipulation, he found that there was as slight twist at the fundic region of the stomach and was attempted to resolve by rotating it manually. Looking at the symptoms, we diagnosed it to be a case of gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV). I had read about GDV and only treatment I knew was the use of belt-loop gastropexy method to solve this problem, which was not practical in this case. I quickly opened the textbook of surgery by Fossum (e-book) and read through the procedures. We finally came to a conclusion of using muscular flap gastropexy method to solve the problem. This dog recovered well by 2 nd day after the operation.
During my stay at WVS ITC in Ooty, we also got to teach of foreign participants, which were from Australia and the UK. As a part of their coarse vaccination drive on Saturdays on the streets of Ooty was an accountable fun event. I also got a lot to learn from the amazing veterinary volunteers, Dr. Johanna (anesthesiologist), Dr. Lisa, Dr. Alison and Dr. Cathrine who from the UK.
I had 3 months of fabulous stay while working in the amidst beauty of Ooty, its serene nature and enjoyed mouth watering food cooked by Renu akka. Ending on a happy note, I shall miss dancing on Badaga, Macarena and Nut push on party nights. I will also miss my beauty queens Jasmine, Gabbu (gabbar) and other puppies (Sticker, abbra, ka, dabra and micropore) who are a part of my best memories spent in my first 3 months at WVS ITC Ooty. I still look forward to continue serving helpless animals, with a wish list of performing more and more neuters, orthopedic surgeries and hernias repairs.