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New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Happy pets, happy vets
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.'
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
‘Boil It or Risk It': Unpasteurised Milk Linked to Rabies & TB, Warns Vet Expert From Gadvasu.
Ludhiana: Drinking raw or unboiled milk could expose consumers to serious, even fatal diseases such as rabies, tuberculosis (TB) and brucellosis, a veterinary expert from Punjab has warned, amid growing concerns about zoonotic infections in India's dairy supply. Dr Randhir Singh, assistant professor of veterinary medicine at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) in Ludhiana, cautioned that pathogens from infected animals often go undetected until symptoms surface — by which time, the damage may be irreversible. "Milk from livestock infected with Brucella or Mycobacterium tuberculosis can carry bacteria into the human body if not properly boiled or pasteurised," Dr Randhir Singh said, speaking at a livestock health awareness session. "These diseases don't always show symptoms in animals right away. But the bacteria often circulate in their blood and are excreted through milk." Rising Rabies Risk The threat is compounded by the rising incidence of stray dog attacks on cattle, especially in semi-urban and rural areas. Dr Singh noted that a single bite from a rabid animal, including dogs, mongooses, or even rats, can infect a cow or buffalo. "Rabies symptoms in cattle typically appear within 10 days, but in some cases, the virus can remain dormant for up to a year," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's A List Of Cheapest Steel Suppliers (See List) Steel Suppliers | search ads Search Now Undo "During this asymptomatic window, the infected animal may look healthy and continue producing milk — which enters the human supply chain." Rabies, he stressed, is invariably fatal once symptoms manifest. Meanwhile, brucellosis can cause fever, chronic fatigue, joint pain, and even infertility in humans, while TB — already a major public health concern in India — is transmissible through raw milk from infected cattle. Preventive Measures Urged Dr Randhir Singh urged dairy farmers to adopt strict biosecurity protocols, including:- Routine animal vaccination Hygienic milking practices Regular veterinary screening "Preventing infection is always more effective than treating it later," he said. For consumers, the message is simple: boil your milk. "It's the most accessible way to neutralise bacteria and viruses," he said. "Pasteurisation serves the same purpose on an industrial scale, but boiling at home is an easy and essential safeguard." As the demand for organic and farm-fresh milk rises, experts warn that the risks of consuming untreated milk must be clearly communicated — especially in rural households and informal dairy networks where pasteurisation is not the norm.
