HICKS INTERNATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE - GOA MONTHLY REPORT JANUARY 2019 Dr. Karlette Anne Fernandes New beginnings. The WVS Hicks ITC have had a great start to the new year with multiple projects rolled out for the YEAR 2019. In JANUARY 2019, The teams have started with a bang with 518 dog sterilications, 81 cat sterilizations, 100 rescues, 411 clinic treatments, 718 vaccinations, 21 special surgeries and 45 adoptions this January 2019. Well Done Team Goa!!! WVS Hicks ITC Participants graduating from the Animal Birth Control Surgery Course, with Chester the WVS Resident Dog in Assagao
WVS Hicks ITC ABC Surgery Training Courses - Dr. Amanda Fernandes Congratulations to the Batches of the WVS Hicks ITC Trainee Vets January 2019
We have just completed the first two courses here at WVS HICKS ITC, for the New Year 2019. Course no. 1-7 th to 18 th of January saw us train a mixed batch of 8 students, which also happened to be the first time we were training 8 students. The first course had three vet students from the James Cook University- Australia, two from the UK, one from the University of Dublin - Ireland, one from Pondicherry University and a vet wanting to change his field to small animal practice from Bulgaria but currently working in the UK. Course no. 2 21 st January to the 1 st of February had students from almost the whole of Europe! Portugal, Austria, Germany, France, Norway and Ireland and a very special Vet Nurse from the UK. Dr. Akshay, Dr. Sarasi and I were in training for the first two weeks followed by Dr. Anahita, Dr. Sachin and Dr. Mukesh training the next batch of students. Initially the participants were not confident about their surgical skills but as the course progressed they picked up speed and efficiency and were able to do the surgeries by themselves soon into the second week. We did have space constraints and adjusting with the additional participants but we overcame that all and had 16 well trained vet. Students and a vet. Assistant by the end of both courses. The students were so enthusiastic that they all got a chance to do extra dogs!
ABC Surgery Training Course for Vets and Vet Assistants COURSE NO 1 2 DATES MALE DOG SURGERY 7th Jan 18th Jan 21st Jan 1st Feb 65 67 GRAND TOTAL FEMALE DOG SURGERY 68 62 TOTAL 133 129 262 WVS Volunteer Trip to Mission Rabies Vaccination Project in Goa On the Saturday of the course, like always our students were taken on a field day vaccinating with our sister charity Mission Rabies. They had an amazing experience and thoroughly enjoyed vaccinating dogs on the streets of South Goa.
On the second Thursday of both the courses the students were taken to visit the Mission Rabies truck (mobile veterinary clinic) which is fondly known as the beast among the WVS staff. They enjoyed exploring the truck and also had a lecture delivered on Rabies by our very own Dr. Karlette.
International Vet students training in Spay-neuter surgery at Hicks ITC
Graduation of WVS Trainee Vets at the Hicks ITC
ADVANCED TRAINING COURSE For the first time here at HICKS ITC we had an Advanced Training Course in which we had three past participants from Singapore who graduated from the Murdoch University in Australia. Dr. Joy, Dr. Averyl and Dr. Beng were here for two weeks during which they alternated between the Mission Rabies truck and HICKS ITC. They got to spay and neuter a number of dogs and cats, be part of many special surgeries and experience shelter medicine here at the rehabilitation kennels for rescued dogs, all this under the guidance of Dr. Akshay, Dr. Sarasi and myself. Sr # Doctor Name Dogs Cats Special Surgeries - At HICKS ITC - 1. Joy Wee 12 4 Wound closure 2. Averyl See 6 5 Scrotal ablation, aural haematoma 3. Beng Leong Chua 9 3 Hind limb amputation Total 27 12
Feedback from Hicks ITC Training Course Participant I enjoyed the course and learnt a lot, there were some difficulties at the accommodation regarding hot water and internet but both were quickly resolved. Vets were all helpful and supportive and overall it was an amazing experience I will be recommending to as many people as I can. Dr. Jackson Kyle Little I really enjoyed the course it was well run and organised and helped me improve my surgical skills dramatically. Dr. Amanda and Dr. Anand were particularly supportive to my learning. There is no training like this in the UK and Ireland and I would highly recommend it to my colleagues at UCD vet school. Dr. Cassandra Kerr The course was outstanding. I had a very good time and gathered a lot of experience. Thank you very much to all Dr. Simeon Konsulov Really enjoyed the course, well worth the money. Everyone was lovely and very helpful. If the cou r se is going to be run with 8 students again, should have more teachers/ better tables. Dr. Sarah Cameron Thank you to everyone who was involved in the course. I learned so much and gained lots of confidence. I will recommend the course to my colleagues! Dr. Michelle Badke Reported to WVS from 7 th 18 th, staff at WVS are excellent, very friendly and approachable, good availability of medications. Special appreciation for Benny and Maruti. Good food!! Dr. Denise Almeida It was a really good experience and a great help to my surgical and anaesthetic skills going into 5 th year study. Also the food was really great. Dr. Andrew Mandsley All the vets are really friendly and excellent teachers. It has been a really nice environment to learn in. The Mission Rabies day was a great experience. Sad to be leaving! Particularly enjoyed working with Dr. Amanda and Dr. Anand. Dr. Charlotte Watson I have gained a lot of experience at Hicks, I have learned about anaesthesia monitoring of the dog at the time of surgery. I want to thank WVS because they allowed us to get the proper training of a vet assistant. I would like to thank the staff at Hicks; they all help us to get a good experience. Frank Fernandes It s a good thing that Mission Rabies and Hicks teams meet together. I am very happy that Hicks allows us to learn lots of things which help us in our whole life to save the life of the animals. I miss the Hicks staff who taught us, this is a good thing that we came here and learnt lots of things. I am very thankful to both organisations. Rajesh Rai
Feedback From The Advanced Training Course Participants Joy wee - during our time here at WVS we were given many opportunities to perform spay and neuter on cats and dogs. Through these opportunities I have learned to work around various challenges eg. bleeders, being unable to burry a knot, pregnant spays etc. As I return home I am confident that I have gained profienciency and efficiency in my surgical skills and I am able to add greater value to my practice. Averyl See - the mobile truck training course was such an eye opening experience for me. This was so different from the spay-neutering trips that I have been to. I learnt such good techniques under the guidance of several experience vets of WVS and also pleasantly surprised at how well the WVS staff all work together as a well-oiled machine. Would defenately want to come again for further volunteer trips.
Beng Leong Chau - so great to be back again to work with WVS HICKS team. The exoerience has been valuble and I would definitely recommend it to others. There are amny variations/techniques to perform spay-neuter and over a two week period I learnt and tried the different method, this allowed me to find which method suites me more for the types/sizes of the patients I will encounter in the future. A special mention of a new addition to the curriculum on the second last day of the course was a fun dinner night organised for the participants along with all our staff so that they can unwind after the intensive two week long training course and take back home a lot of happy memories!
WVS VET VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Seeing is believing. I have got an opportunity to volunteer in WVS Goa. Every day was full of learning day in WVS. Even on Sunday committed vets of WVS use to attend emergency cases. Every life is important for WVS. Every vet and vet assistant of WVS have good knowledge of animal behaviour. Without knowing the animals handling techniques and animals behaviour it's next to impossible for vet to treat the animals. Every day of first week I use to attend clinic and observing especial surgery cases after finishing the kennel. The commitment of WVS vets for their profession. Sometimes I also try to contribute for this great organization that is committed for animal s welfare. - Dr.Pankaj Kumar (Volunteer) Dr Anand Pandey visited the WVS Hicks ITC in Assagao to volunteer as a WVS Past Participant. Here's what he had to say.. "It has been a great experience attending the Hicks International Training Centre, Goa as one of the Volunteer where I met many intellectual colleagues from different countries and culture. Personally I think this event was very well organised and very successful. I fully enjoyed this two week event where i had the chance to act as a Volunteer, impart training, and teach the nuances of surgery to those undergoing training. - Dr. Anand Pandey (Volunteer)
WVS Hicks ITC - ABC Projects We continued to run our mass ABC program at the Hicks ITC in Assagao and the Truck as an outreach project. January 2019 ABC figures: ABC Surgery WVS Hicks ITC ABC 599 WVS Truck Community ABC Project 199 TOTAL 798 WVS HICKS ANIMAL CARE CLINIC & KENNELS Animals rescued in January 2019 Dogs Puppies Cats Kittens Total Jan 2019 56 25 0 19 100 In January 2019, the WVS Goa Team treated 411 cases and vaccinated 119 animals at the HAC Clinic. The team also performed 21 special surgeries, including ear resections, amputations, tumour excision, intestinal resection, pinnectomy and wound reconstructive surgeries.
Special Stories Babloo If dogs are not neutered they will have the urge to run away from their home, if they find a dog in heat in their vicinity. This urge of mating is reduced once neutered; hence the desire to roam is reduced. Babloo was a non - neutered dog roaming the streets of Corjuem, when one day he wandered far off in search of a mate and ended up in a fight with other alpha male dogs. He went missing for a week. Next day the owners spotted him in the field across and noticed a huge wound on his neck. Maggots had infested the wound on his neck. Babloo was brought to WVS Hicks for a castration surgery and also the treatment of the maggot wound. The spay was done under general anaesthesia. With regular medication and wound cleaning Babloo's wound got better and reduced in size, so the vet's decided to suture it up. With continuous post op care he got better and was set to make a full recovery. He is now back to his home territory speedily running around, exploring, but this time his goal is to have fun, than to find a mate!
Dusk & Bailey Imagine being dropped off on some street by your loved ones. Left with no family, shelter, nor food or water. How would you survive? These are two cases of abandoned dogs that ended up getting a lovely second home! A couple of Goa University students found Dusk lying on the streets of Bambolim, emaciated, all weak at shrivelled unable to stand. Upon receiving this distress call our team set of to rescue her. Dusk was admitted into the WVS rehabilitation kennels where her treatment began. She was on vitamin and joint supplement. After a month of full treatment, care and nourishment; Dusk became a healthy dog and was spayed and up for adoption. Weeks passed but Dusk did not find a home until one day this lovely lady who had come to adopt 2 kittens, but in the bargain fell in love with Dusk and decided to give Dusk a chance to be a part of her family. Since Dusk had a rough life earlier but now is blessed with a better life! Bailey the Beagle was found roaming around the road outside the centre along with another dog, where one of our vets noticed that they weren't spayed so she picked them up and admitted them into the kennels. Bailey is a healthy dog; super friendly yet someone chose to abandon such a sweet dog. She was spayed and let to roam about the centre waiting to get adopted. Our staff member was quite fond of her and took a liking towards her since day one. And by the second week of her stay at the centre she decided to adopt her! Bailey's never been happier; she's enjoying her life alongside her 4 siblings (cats)!
Injured, abandoned and tied to a tree It is heartbreaking to see a pet abandoned and unfortunately we see many such cases, so was Rumba's story. A well bred Rottweiller girl, found tied to a tree near our WVS centre in Assagao. It was even worse to find a maggot wound on her external genitalia. Unimaginable why someone would leave such an adorable, well behaved dog in such excruciating pain. Was she used as a puppy mill and then thrown away when she couldn't breed anymore? We took her in, treated her wounds which healed amazingly well. She wasn't very cooperative at first, but as time went by, she began to trust us. She was then enrolled in our foster care centre waiting to be adopted. Her huge bearlike appearance could easily scare anyone, but the angel she was made everyone fall in love with her. Days later a family too fell for her and happily agreed to take her into their home. We couldn't be happier for Rumba! Let this be a reminder to all the ruthless breeders out there who make business out of these innocent souls, animals are not machines... they have a life too!
Zara Remember Zara? The abandoned Doberman mix at the WVS Hicks Centre? After two long months the foster care staff thought that she would never get adopted, has finally got a home! Zara over the two months had become like a member of the WVS staff. She was like a mentor to all the new young abandoned pups that came into the foster care Centre. She got along amazingly well with other dogs and has shared her space with lot of other dogs. Though many dogs came in after her and all ended up in loving homes, Zara too longed to get adopted someday. And finally the day came where this lady showed an interest a week prior in adopting Zara, and actually ended up adopting her. Zara was overwhelmed with happiness as the day finally came where she got the forever home she was longing for. We could not be more happier for her! Prevention is better than Cure Giri and Blackie were two street dogs living in the same neighbourhood in Anjuna. We initially got a call for Blackie who was a lactating mother suffering from a maggot wound on her neck. Blackie had paid us a visit earlier for the treatment of her maggot wound, but the caretakers suggested to continue the treatment from home. But as a result of the lack in treatment care, her wound increased in size. As we were picking up Blackie there was another dog Giri who had a tumor like growth on his elbow. Both Blackie and Giri were taken to the centre, and from then on their treatment began. Blackie's wound was flushed and cleaned everyday to an extent where her wound contracted and she was taken in for reconstructive surgery.
As for Giri, a surgical resection of the tumor mass was done. After timely post op care both were released back to their respective homes. All the locals were very pleased to see Blackie and Giri all well again! A huge number of street dogs suffer and die a slow tragic death due to cancer and maggot wound infestations. But these adverse conditions can be easily prevented and treated. The golden recipe is. Flushing the wound with ivermectin, followed by washing the wound with water, and removing the maggots. Then follow up by daily flushings with clean water till the wound heals. Indeed... A stitch in time saves nine! Bubbles Bubbles the Tom cat was suffering from a painful non-healing wound on his neck. It was perhaps caused by a Tom cat fight during mating season. His loving pet parent was very frustrated as this wound would reoccur every few months and this kept happening for over 2 years. As a solution to this condition, our rescue and rehabilitation vets decided to surgically close the wound to help it heal. Two weeks after surgery, the wound healed well and the sutures were removed. Bubbles and his folks are finally free from this painful trauma. All their troubles are now bubbles!!
WVS FOSTER CARE CENTRE & ADOPTION PROGRAM Starting off with the year 2019, the WVS Foster Care & Adoption Centre along with its foster care volunteers have successfully re-homed 3 dogs, 2 cats, 17 puppies and 23 kittens in January 2019, through the program. This month we ve helped re-home many adult dogs that were mercilessly abandoned by their owners, even pups and kittens just months old have successfully found new home through this program. Huge shout to the WVS Foster Care Staff and volunteers who have found new forever home for these loving animals. Many young ones have found their forever loving homes
Visitors Comments Book JANUARY 2019 You do a wonderful and very important job. Thank you!!! Inger Edberg Norton and Andrew Norten Thank you to be there for them <3 - Nadia Bulj Ben and I were so pleased to have visited you today. It was lovely to be so welcomed and meet such nice people doing great work here. By far this was the best part of my visit to Goa <3 Jill King Continue the good work you all do, the more better dogs feel the universe helps you have a great life Brijesh Shirodkar All good work done by you all - Karin Good job for all the amazing work you do!! - Pia WVS VET DIARIES I was posted at the Truck in Bambolim for an ABC outreach programme for the first time. Though I was new to the Truck, the ever supportive staff of Hicks helped me through out. It was both a fun and learning experience. It also gave a big boost to my confidence as I was the only vet on the truck. I did 85 neuter Surgeries in a span of 6 days with no complications. Also a wonderful vet assistant team who made sure everything went smoothly. I am happy to be a part of such an outreach programme which helps the community in some way and looking forward to do more surgeries on the truck. Dr. Anahita Kumar
I am back to WVS Hicks ITC after 9 months of working for other WVS project. It s been a month, since I am working at ITC HICKS. Most of my time I have been workings at the kennels. I have been treating a lot of maggot wounds and doing it s wound reconstruction. Other than that I have also been getting a chance to perform special surgeries like amputations, aural haematoma, pinnectomy,etc.. I am enjoying the amount of special surgeries which I am getting to do! Dr. Sarasi Mirajkar At hicks WVS, I was attending clinic and ABC programme. It is one of the most satisfying, as we can see more number of clinic cases and do neutering. I also got to do few special surgeries like Tail amputation and Tarsorrhapy under the guidance of our senior vets. There were some interesting cases in clinic too which I got an opportunity to attend sick seagulls and Shikra, langur monkey who met with an accident, Feline dystocia due to uterine inertia, Femur fractures, canine GIT foreign body suspected cases. Added, I am now good at Radiography diagnostic imaging by taking and interpreting different views of canine and feline cases. Overall it was a great learning and surgical experience in WVS Hicks; I hope I did my best service to the animals under my care with the knowledge of senior vets. Dr. Kavin
Hicks is a second Home for WVS vet staff whoever comes from ITC Ooty. There is much more work load and learning in Hicks which I enjoyed whether it is clinic or kennels. Training is most difficult task for which I appreciate senior vets which were there to support me at each level. Regarding the special surgeries thanks to Dr Akshay who had given me the chance to operate on special surgery (two amputation of hind limb) which went very well and release successfully without any post-operative complication. I appreciate all senior vets work. Special Thanks to You for understanding and taking care of issues we had. - Dr. Sachin I had a good experience working in Hicks especially the ABC. Also I got to do a forelimb amputation. Overall I had good exposure in clinic as well as surgery. I also had a great time in the surgery training. Dr. Mukesh DONORS Veterinary Supplies This super generous couple donated us came to our centre to visit a dog that WVS was treating and in turn donated surgical materials and equipment for the HICKS centre to help the stray animals in need.
It s Raining Biscuits This man had a wish to feed 100 dogs and he felt the best place to do so would be WVS Hicks ITC so he came along with his mother and fed every single dog at the WVS Hicks and felt really happy in doing so. Pet food This couple donated lots of cat and puppy food for our little ones in the foster care and adoption centre along with some dog bowls and some grooming items. We thank everyone who has supported us at the WVS and Mission Rabies Projects in Goa