Clinic helps pet owners
Up to 20 dogs a day are being seen at the free clinics by Vets Without Borders working in partnership with the Animal Protection Society (APS) of Samoa to help de-sex dogs to reduce the stray dog population.
The free clinic is open to all dog owners to de-sex, register, and treat their pets with vaccinations for the week at the Gold Star Compound in Sogi.
The procedures are performed outside and vets have had to adjust to performing the procedure in a different setting but have successfully de-sexed around 20 dogs every day since the clinic started again on Monday.
"This is such a huge help for us dog lovers," said Vitolia Solia. "My dog has been sick for some time but because these guys are far out in Vailima I couldn't go there.
"The road to their office as well is not that great. But this is a great initiative to bring it to town. It's easier to come here than Vailima. Hopefully, there will be more of this in the future."
When guests arrive they are greeted by APS staff and prompted to provide details about their pet.
Before getting started on the procedure, pre-anesthetic medication is given to the dog to make them feel sleepy and provide pain relief. Then, vets place an IV line on the dog to give them the general anesthetic to make them completely unconscious during the procedure.
The procedure can take between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the age, size, and sex of the dog.
Once the dog has recovered from the procedure, which takes anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes, the dog is given a pain relief injection that will last 24 hours and an antibiotic injection that will last around three days.
Dogs who are de-sexed are given a collar and additional pain relief medicine to take home. It is not just de-sexing, pets are also given a thorough medical check.
"I can only say this program has definitely helped me in keeping my dog healthy," said Tilesa Tau.
"My dog got an operation today. I think my dog is lucky to have been brought in early and his sickness was detected very early. Grateful and blessed for this good samaritan and the services that they have provided for Samoa."
In addition to reducing dog populations, de-sexing dogs can improve their life expectancies and prevent dogs from fighting, said Dr. Bronwyn O'Malley, a vet from Australia.
Vaccinations given onsite can also prevent dogs from dying of certain diseases such as parvovirus.
Pet health is also important, not just to pets, but to human health said Dr. O'Malley. Having dogs on preventative medicine for external parasites such as fleas, mites, ticks, and worms can also help them from dying from tick fever.
“Some of the worms [dogs can get] can spread to people as well," Dr. O’Malley said. “So it's important for human health that we make sure that these animals are on preventatives for worms and external parasites.”
According to APS, the clinic will continue next week at a different location.