Team of docs brings pet neutering to doorstep

Dr Vijay Shankar Kamble works in the morning, which helps the pet owners take care of their pooches without missing a day of work

Imagine getting your pet sterilised at the comfort of your home. City’s pet parents can get their furry friends spayed or neutered, and have minor surgeries performed at their homes, with Vets On Wheels, a mobile surgery unit.The service is run by Dr Vijay Shankar Kamble, a veterinary surgeon with seven years of experience. He has worked with different NGOs and organisations that are involved in animal birth control and rescue of stray dogs.The doctor has neutered around 10,000 dogs over the course of his career.He felt that Bengaluru has various accessible pet-friendly services, but none that provide sterilisation at home.“I wanted to start something new and do something that would help pet parents take care of their pets better. I also perform minor soft tissue surgeries (elective surgeries) for dogs and cats,” he says.The idea is simple: One can avoid stressing out the pet by avoiding commuting in traffic to the veterinary surgeon or hospital to get their pet operated.Dr Vijay and his team prefer working in the morning, which helps the pet owners to go about their work without taking an off.“We try to reach by 6 or 7 am. We ask that the pet be fed well the previous night. All this ensures that the pet remains relaxed. Avoiding the travel also helps them recover faster,” he says.The team has attended to cases in areas such as K R Market, Kasturi Nagar, Hennur Cross, Electronics City, among others.“We address cases from across the city,” he says. ‘We do not sterilise street dogs’Dr Vijay wanted to help stray dogs as well, but BBMP rules do not permit this.“I do not sterilise community dogs that are fed by dog enthusiasts at a locality. If the dog has an owner or a stray dog has been adopted by someone, I help them,” he says.Vijay and his team also take up mass sterilisation for dogs and cats in portable tents.Pros and cons of sterilisation:Pros:*Prevent prostate cancer in males and mammary/ovary/cysts and tumours in females.*Prevent uterus infection/Pyometra which can prove fatal if not treated within 24 hours.*Aggressive pets will sober down and females will not come in heat. Both males and females will not crave partners.*Pseudo pregnancies will be avoided and STDs like TVT will be controlled in females.*Proper training will socialise the dogs and life expectancy increases.Cons:*In rare cases, there may be urinary incontinence.*If not managed properly, weight gain is a possibility.How much?Sterilisation for pets: Rs 5,000Time: 6 am to 10 pm For details, call: 76763 58358