The ins and outs of pet cancer

In recent years, with changing lifestyles, improvements in human-animal relationships and advancements in veterinary research and medicine, we have seen a rise in pet cancer research and awareness. However, cancer is not a new disease. In fact, cancer has been a part of the animal kingdom since the era of dinosaurs. Evidence of cancer in duck-billed dinosaurs, that roamed the surface of the Earth as far back as 7 million years ago, has been found. Ancient civilizations, dating back thousands of years, identified and documented cancer in both people and animals, including written records of cancer in animals in Egypt.

The origin of the term “cancer” is attributed to Hippocrates, who was the first to draw parallels between a crab and the finger-like spreading projections from the lesions of cancer.  He referred to tumours as “carcinomas” which is the Greek word for a crab. A roman physician, Celsus, later translated it to “cancer” which is the Latin word for a crab. 

A cancer cell resembling a crab

What exactly is cancer? The textbook definition of cancer would be “a growth of cells that proliferates without control, serves no useful function and has no orderly arrangement”. It simply means that cancer is a mass of cells that have lost the ability to inhibit or cease multiplication upon contact with another cell. 

Having to learn that your pet has cancer and the entire process of treatment could be an extremely harrowing experience. Although, cancer when caught at an earlier stage, increases the chances of a successful treatment outcome by many folds. In order to be able to detect it early on, pet owners must always look out for these typical signs and symptoms in their pets, although a presence of these symptoms may not always mean that the animal is suffering from cancer. The signs to check for include:

• Any unhealing sores or wounds on the animal
• Presence of unexplained and persistently growing lumps and bumps underneath the animal’s skin which are most commonly found in the mouth and groin region
• Discolouration of skin
• Changes in appetite and a sudden loss of weight
• Bad odour emanating from the natural orifices of the body
• Abnormal discharges from the eyes, mouth, ears or rectum
• Loss of stamina and a reluctance to exercise or play
• Evidence of pain

Research and development in cancer treatment is still ongoing with many options for vets to choose from today. The development of cancer treatment for both humans and animals has always and will always go hand in hand. Surgery was amongst the first treatments to have emerged for cancer. Although, surgical removal of cancer did not always ensure complete and permanent eradication. Doctors, have hence always had to contemplate the risks and the recovery chances in case of surgery. Next in line came radiation therapy whose origins lie in the aftermath of the discovery of x-rays in 1895 and of radioactivity in 1896. Richard Eberlein, a German veterinarian was the first to use radiation therapy in animals. This was followed by the advent of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was developed at the beginning of the 20^th century when during World War II, it was discovered that people exposed to nitrogen mustard showed a significant drop in WBC counts in their body. This led researchers to further investigate if nitrogen mustard could be used to retard the growth of the uncontrollably multiplying cancerous cells. The credit for the development of hormonal therapy for cancer goes to Charles Huggins who, by studying the prostate glands in dogs, discovered that the growth of cancer was dependent on the natural hormones of the body. He discovered that reducing the male sex hormones or increasing the female hormones could treat prostate cancer. Immunotherapy is also among the many treatment options available today where the animal’s own immune system is used to fight the cancerous cells. 

There is no single best treatment for all cancers. For some cancers, the best approach is one that combines surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Tumours and other cancers that are confined to a localized area are often best treated with surgery or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy has the advantage of treating cancer cells that have spread from their original location. In other cases, radiation or chemotherapy is used to shrink a tumour to a size that makes surgical removal possible or more likely to succeed. Radiation or chemotherapy may be used following surgery to kill any cancer cells that may remain. 

Genetic studies have linked multiple forms of cancer with specific breeds of dogs and cats and more will likely be discovered as genetic markers are identified. Most cancers, however, arise from mutations that occur to genes during the animal’s lifetime that were not present at birth. Other causes of cancer include environmental pollutants, topical exposure to older generation insecticides and an increase in the accumulation of known carcinogens from second-hand cigarette smoke. Dogs and cats can develop lymphoma after contracting the feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). It is known that sex hormones also play a role in cancer. In addition, solar radiation increases the risk of haemangioma and hemangiosarcoma on the skin of dogs, especially those with a sparse or lightly coloured coat. Diet, exercise and body weight also contribute to cancer.

The most common types of cancer seen in pet canines and felines could be summarized as follows:

Species	Cancer Type	Organ affected	Appearance	Image
Dogs and cats	Lymphoma	Organs that function as part of the immune system such as the lymph nodes, spleen, and bone marrow	A lymph node affected by lymphoma will feel like a hard, rubbery lump under the dog’s skin
Dogs	Transmissible Venereal Tumour	Deep within the preputial, vaginal, or nasal cavity	Cauliflower-like, pedunculated, nodular, papillary, or multilobulated structures on and  around the skin of the genitalia
Dogs and cats	Mast Cell Tumour	Skin	Firm, solitary, slow-growing masses of the skin
Dogs and cats	Mammary Tumour	Mammary Glands	Palpable masses underneath the skin of the abdomen that are firm and nodular
Dogs and cats	Squamous Cell Carcinoma	Skin, oral cavity and digits	Appear as a raised lump with a rough surface resembling a wart
Dogs and cats	Osteosarcoma	Limbs and other parts of the body such as skull, ribs, vertebrae, pelvis, etc.	A swelling, soft or hard that increases over time, can be associated with a bone tumour wherever it grows on the body.
Cats	Fibrosarcoma	Muscle and other soft tissues	Lumps just underneath the surface of the skin of the head, legs, in the mouth and most commonly in the area in between the shoulder blades.
Cats	Leukaemia(Feline Leukaemia Virus)	Causes lymphoma and fibrosarcoma most commonly	–

Cancer, no doubt, is an overwhelming, exhausting and scary disease. Though the cause of any particular cancer is very difficult to decipher, it definitely is possible to prevent it from occurring in the first place. Some prevention measures include:

• Providing good quality nutritious food and adequate exercise to the animal
• Paying attention to any changes in health and making regular visits to the vet also help keep track of any cancerous growths
• Neutering of males and spaying of females before the first heat significantly decreases the risk of cancer development

Cancer may seem terrifying, but with the right information, guidance, strategy and support, it can be managed, and if lucky, even eliminated. It is of prime importance that the owner continues to have faith in the process and makes sure to provide the animal with utmost love and care during this time because these animals are always there for us, selflessly and it’s the least we could do for them.

OUR FIRST POSTMORTEM

It was a perfectly ordinary monday morning in vet school, until it was not. We had sleepy eyes and reluctant faces, until we didn’t. Our pathology professor had just announced a postmortem! It was our very first!

In no time, we were all huddled into the pathology lab, smug and beaming in our
professional white coats and gloves. The air was thick with anticipation. I had never seen what the insides of a body looked like outside of a textbook, and to say that I was thrilled, would be an understatement. I clumsily struggled my way into the front and craned my neck over a sea of equally excited heads, to get a good view of the table.
After what seemed like a long wait, the cadaver finally arrived in a gunny bag. It was a calf.

As they took him out, I instantly realised that I was too clouded by eagerness to
understand what a postmortem really implied. For a moment and a half, the veterinary student in me fled and it was replaced by a mere girl who couldn’t help but mourn for this little baby who had lost his life way too soon. I know what you’re thinking. I know I should have a strong heart and be emotionally uninvolved in my cases, and so,
honestly, I was pretty unimpressed by myself too. In my defence, however, I quickly gathered my emotions and soon enough, the necropsy began. I will not go too much into the scientific details and the pathological findings, because I feel this diary entry isn’t sufficient enough and definitely not the best place for it. Here, I would like to go beyond it.

Our professor split open the body from the sternum and I could see what we
identified as the heart and the lungs. I studied the anatomy and pathology, but I also thought about how they were beating and breathing not long ago, how they were once housed in a living body, how a precious life depended on them, and how they must have fought all they could, to save it. It was a case of pulmonary congestion and congestive heart failure. Step by step, we opened the thoracic and abdominal cavities, and palpated almost all major organs. It was almost unreal to hold them in
my palm. It took me a few seconds to fully register how complicated these tiny
structures were, how they incorporated the several diagrams I had struggled to draw and learn. I was filled with awe at how those little things we were easily cutting into, once kept someone alive. However, what stood out for me the most was not what we were taught. It was, what we weren’t. There was something strongly lacking, and it was respect for the cadaver.

It showed in the little things. We didn’t offer any prayers or goodwill to the soul of
the deceased animal, we didn’t pay our respects to it after we had learnt from its body, and it was only made worse when we dumped our used gloves in a heap right over the cadaver. We didn’t pause for even a moment to acknowledge the life it had
lived and lost. It was shocking how conveniently we forgot about the innocence, joy and hope he once had in his heart, and the fear and pain it endured before it became a dead body.

Of course, it may sound like none of this matters and surely, it must not have, to the animal that had passed away. However, it makes all the difference in the value we assign to animal lives. The difference in our attitude towards human and veterinary cadavers, speaks volumes about how unequally we weigh human and animal lives, and I feel, it is our duty as veterinarians to bridge this gap. It is one thing to stay emotionally detached, it is another to be ignorant to the extent of being unknowingly
disrespectful of our own cases. I feel these animals that we learn from, are our greatest teachers, and we must always honour their deceased souls. If we don’t respect the lives we are to save, who will? Our respect is linked to theirs because we as veterinarians matter only when they do.

Hence, this entry is a small token of gratitude and prayer for all veterinary cadavers there ever were and there ever will be.
May their souls rest in peace.
May we always seek their blessings to become excellent doctors.

Untold Truths of Fostering Cats

This diary would be written from the pov of a 1st-year student who was just very excited to be fostering cats. I grew up in a home that wasn’t so keen on keeping animals around, although I got to keep some pets when I was in my native place. With that in mind, I came to Mumbai, the first ever time living by
myself, and was offered 3 kittens to foster by a senior until they get a forever home. And although I wasn’t much of a cat person, which I did become with time, I jumped on the idea of being able to foster them. That decision of mine took a lot more from me than I thought it would.

All three of them came to me dehydrated, undernourished and with bloated stomachs filled with intestinal worms. And on top of that one of the kitties came with an infected eye.

Our priority was the kitty with the eye infection, Uvie. She had to get her infected eye removed as soon as possible but due to her very low weight, we had to wait till she gained enough. The infected eye was so bad that she
wasn’t able to see anything. And she did get better, with time, along with her sister Sylvia and brother Asher. They were all very active kitties and Uvie would always meddle with her brother, Asher and Sylvia would mostly just watch over them. Uvie was so full of spirit and energy, and all the kittens would eat food, whenever offered as if they haven’t had food for the past couple of weeks. And the treatment was
going alright, with the seniors’ help and advice; we got to treat their intestinal worms and everything seemed fine. Uvie and others learnt their names and Uvie would always be excited when I called out her name and would respond very well given her circumstances. Until one day, while I was applying a topical
treatment to Uvie’s infected eyes, I found maggots inside her eyes. I was very worried over what to do.
The next day itself, the seniors agreed on seeing her. And they took out as many maggots as possible so as to not let the maggots reach her poor brain. The whole process was very traumatic to her though.
Halfway through she just stopped fighting and meowing, as if she just gave up on her life, as if she wasn’t ready to push any longer. And seeing her give up like that broke my heart into multiple pieces.
But seeing her play with her siblings the next day gave me hope for her well-being again.

But all that was written in water. Everything seemed all normal for the next two days, until Uvie started convulsing. We called the seniors that stay in the hostel to ask what was wrong with her now. And they started
examining her and checked for her heartbeat while all of us frantically surrounded them, aching to hear
a piece of good news, but it seemed like all the work I did and all the fights I had, were gone in vain after we saw her pee. This was all. This was the end of Uvie, no tears came nor any sound from me. This was all. The first ever animal that I had to take care of as a vet student died. And there was nothing I could do about it other than go and hold Sylvia and Asher.

And just like that, I had to move on, I need to take care of Sylvia and Asher. Others went on to bury her weak and fragile body. They put salt over her so that no animal would dig her body up. Sadness washed over me as I see them put a stone in the place where they buried her. They said I could put post-it notes over it, said it could help with her loss. But never have I felt this type of sadness, this type of guilt, this type of anger. Maybe if I saw the maggot earlier, maybe just maybe she might have lived. Or maybe if I played with her more or held her more often, she might have enjoyed the only few weeks of life she had. But all those can be ended with a maybe and nothing more. Asher lost a playmate and I lost the animal that I should have taken care of better. But the days went by, and both Sylvia and Asher gained more weight. Asher has a new playmate, and Sylvia climbs to places alottt. So much so people started
getting annoyed. Every day I had issues with them. Their poop, pee, them climbing to places they shouldn’t. Them sleeping on beds. No one liked it but I couldn’t do anything about it. All these fights came up to be so bad, that they had to be taken away. And so all the fights, all the poop cleaning, all the
feeding even at night, and all the fun little times were gone. No one ever talks about the emptiness we feel after fostering animals. The urge to see them again. To see if they are well-fed and taken care of.
And no one talks about how our family reacts to such news. About all the taunts and second-guessing others throw at us. And how we lose ourselves in the way of taking care of the cats. This all adds up and starts affecting our mental health and leading to emotional fatigue, something I learnt while taking care
of them. And it sucks so bad. With the emotion fatigue people start second guessing if you are for this profession, and with all these comments thrown at you, you start second guessing yourself. But in the end, they get a home to stay in. And while on treatment, they got comfy beds and good wet food, and
they played a lot with their siblings. In the end, both Sylvia and Asher found their forever home. And Uvie’s soul rests in peace in the MVC grounds. And if anyone asks if I would foster any cat in the future again, the answer would be an excited yes.

Written by – Raichel

Graphics by – Mckayla

SIT DOWN WITH US, INTERVIEWING CAPTAIN HIMANSHU DAMLE

-An interview by Vrinda Prasad Prachi Borkar and Mrudula Mohan Kapse (MAGAZINE TEAM, IVSA-INDIA)

Meet Captain Himanshu Damle, a graduate of Bombay Veterinary College and a post-graduate in veterinary surgery and radiology from COVAS, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. Currently serving as a veterinary surgeon in the Indian Army’s Remount Veterinary Corps.

Captain Himanshu Damle has an extensive experience in wildlife and has worked a lot with various state forest depts, zoos and NGOs and has been involved in conservation breeding programs for Snow Leopard, Red Panda, and Asiatic Lion to name a few. He has also volunteered in wildlife rescues at Kaziranga National Park with the Wildlife Trust of India. Dr Himanshu was a vet research assistant with Konkan Cetacean Research Team studying marine mammals in Malvan, Maharashtra. He started working on equines during his PG and thereafter in the Army. He was posted to a vet hospital located in forwarding areas and provided vet cover to Army animals and treated grievous ballistic and explosion injuries.

Q 1. When we see a successful person, we usually see their result. However, what is most important is how they got through. From Doctor to Captain what was the journey all about? How did you decide that you do not want to stop at the doctor?

I am humbled by the question because I am still learning and have a long way to go. You can say I can motivate and inspire my juniors to do some different and wonderful things in their profession. I’ve had two dreams since childhood: working with animals and serving the nation. While studying to be a veterinary doctor at BVC, I got to know about RVC and enrolled for the same during my 2nd year of PG. I got selected and commissioned as Captain towards the end of my PG. Now I’m getting to do both the things that I wished for always. This path seemed and has definitely been the perfect blend of both my childhood dreams.

Q 2. Wildlife isn’t something which we regularly study in our Indian veterinary curriculum! Rather it’s the last topic of every subject. Then how did you perceive wildlife and gained knowledge about the same? What a UG student can do to gain more experience in wildlife?

Wildlife is taught at the last of every subject because very less people work with wildlife. However, the situation, the scenario, the exposure, and the need 10 -20 years ago were very different from today. In addition, it comes down to the student’s level of interest, willingness to work hard for opportunities, and the environment in college and among peers. I had to actively seek opportunities to explore wildlife and pursue my passion for the same. I started going to post-mortems in my 2nd year of BVC and got introduced to pathology through that. Cold emails/proactive networking went a long way for me in securing internships in zoos and sanctuaries all over, and those experiences taught me a lot about animal behaviour. Therefore, it does not have a backseat it depends on a person. If you are keen enough, you will explore every corner that is possible.

Q 3. On May 20, 2022, we celebrated National Endangered animal day. We know the reasons like climate change, poaching, and habitat loss but how did you work to conserve wildlife and as a layman what steps can we take to conserve endangered species?

While managing an endangered species, the first role is of biologists and zoologists who go on the end and identify which species are endangered. This is followed by an investigation into the reasons behind the threat to the species e.g. either it is habitat loss or other anthropogenic causes or it is an imbalance in predator and prey base.

Once the reasons are identified, appropriate departments such as Forest Departments in every state, NGOs etc., take corrective measures. These steps include habitat maintenance, resource (water, fodder) maintenance, disease prevention etc. If there are corridors for animals to pass from one place to another then we need to save those corridors. The veterinarian comes into the picture in case of captive breeding, radio-collaring, and disease management w.r.t their sampling, identification and treatment.

For conserving wildlife, anyone and everyone need to remember to “live and let live”. Be mindful and respectful of the life of animals.

Q 4. Being budding wildlife enthusiasts, we frequently come across terms like breeding programs, conservation programs, etc. but what exactly does it include? How do the planning and the procedures go around? What was the most challenging or thought-engaging part about it?

We can consider conservation-breeding programs as one of the later steps of managing an endangered species, after identification and primary corrective measures. If the population of a certain species is going very low, a small population is brought to the local zoo where various aspects of conversation and breeding are undertaken. Vets have to take care of their housing, and enrichment, facilitate their breeding and if need be, intervene with assisted reproductive procedures like IVF, embryo transfer, artificial insemination and storage of germplasm. I’ve had the opportunity to work at Gir National Park, Junagadh Zoo, and Darjeeling Zoo on similar projects. They have conservation-breeding programs for Asiatic Lion, Asiatic Wild Ass, Red Pandas, and Snow Leopard. One challenge to conservation is illegal poaching, veterinarians step in to collect samples and identify species through scientific analyses. This helps in wildlife crime control.

Q 5. How did you imagine army life before joining? Did your perception change after you started working at Remount Veterinary Corps of our Indian Army?

I was aware that Army life is one of discipline, hard work, ethics, and etiquette, and my perception did not change but rather got more inspired post joining RVC. Once you are appointed as an officer, these principles are imbibed in you through training and get further polished through interactions with peers and seniors. That is also the beauty of the job. We sometimes have a hectic routine and a lot of procedures and protocols to follow but in the end, it is extremely fulfilling to sleep after a long and tiring day that you’ve done your part, however big or small, in helping an animal and our nation.

Q 6. Talking about equines, what are the most common injuries or infections that a vet witnesses when working on equines? What was the most dangerous case you have witnessed?

Abdominal diseases, respiratory disorders, and lameness are the most common I’ve worked on. The abdominal disorder has mainly colic because horses are supposed to be free-ranging animals but we work with stabled systems causing space limitations. There are many factors like feed, its pH, motility of the gut and its microbes and the intestinal anatomy, which make colic important. Beyond these, there are cases of respiratory disorders (recurrent airway obstruction, bronchopneumonia), wounds and lacerations, tumours etc. While breeding equines we have a lot of assisted deliveries or breeding-related gynaecological issues. In short, it’s a wide-ranging experience.

Q 7. We came to know that you have handled many rescue cases at Kaziranga. Would you tell us about your first rescue at Kaziranga and the most challenging one!?

I was volunteering with the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, which is run by the Wildlife Trust of India. The day I went, we got three orphaned leopard cubs, which were rescued from a field. The mother leopard had attacked livestock from the village so angry villagers cornered the mother leopard and attacked her. Teams from the Forest Department and Wildlife Trust of India bravely got the three cubs out of the chaos and hand-raised them by feeding chicken and other feed.

The most challenging rescue I saw was that of 80 vultures that had fed on a poisoned carcass. The vultures got a stomach upset and almost 50 died on the spot. The rescue team recovered the rest and brought them to the Centre. We had to handle them with utmost care. We had to administer medicines and fluids to each vulture. In the end, we were able to save all the 30 vultures and release them back to the wild. That was indeed a very big operation.

Q 8. Marines seem to be a deviation from regular courses. While studying marine mammals, did you face any difficulties in the initial stages. What was the basic structure of work? Like was there any graphs to be made or was it all a play of machines, radars and submarines? We have curiosities about it because it’s something which is a rare mention in our books and course while attracting a lot of minds.

There is a team of scientists called the Konkan Cetacean Research Team. I worked with them in my 4th -5th year as a research assistant. We used to work in the village of Malvan in the Sindhudurg district. We were studying the population and demographics of Indo-pacific Humpbacked Dolphins and other dolphin and whale species. In addition, being a vet assistant researcher, my primary job was to know the anatomy of the animals. I studied some books for the same. Marine animals are very fascinating. The team had different SONARs and aqua phones, which we could put inside the ocean and hear dolphins when they were nearby. This helped us to understand the behaviour of dolphins. One day we spotted heavy activity in one spot: A huge pod of about 150-200 dolphins have concentrated about 30-40 km inside the sea, around which we noticed a floating carcass of a baby dolphin. To our surprise, the whole pod was trying to make the carcass float on the water, but the baby was unfortunately already dead. It was only then, that we realized that this species of dolphins showed a behaviour which is called epimeletic caring behaviour in biology. It is very interesting to know these things and witness them firsthand.

We also had a rescue near Palghar. One adult dolphin and its calf had come 40 km inside the river at a place called Nagothane. During high tide, they swam all along but after low tide, they were trapped and could not swim back to sea. We were supported by kayaking organizations and the forest department as well as the local villagers. We literally had “BATH TUBS” ready for them. Fortunately, the tide was soon on our side, and we were able to drive those dolphins back to the sea.

We also had a post-mortem of whales who landed on shore dead. Our job was to find whether there was an anthropogenic cause, which was responsible for the death.

Q 9. As you said, you always wanted to work for army. Then why did you choose veterinary as the path to enter army?

I was also always interested in wildlife. The veterinary field has infinite lessons to offer and if you’re passionate enough it is the best and the most satisfying job in the field.

SIT DOWN WITH US, INTERVIEWING DR JOHN

-An interview by Vrinda Prasad Prachi Borkar and Mrudula Mohan Kapse (MAGAZINE TEAM, IVSA-INDIA)

Meet Dr. John Abraham, the most inspiring professor who invented the technology to produce bio-diesel from chicken slaughter waste for the granted patent.

Working at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Pookode as an Associate professor for 3 years and Assistant Professor for the last 15 years. Invented the bicycle-type manual milking machine for granted patent. Guided PG and PhD students. Authored books and published articles in journals. Established a state-of-the-art museum and biodiesel pilot plant.

BIO REF- https://in.linkedin.com/in/john-abraham-50406788

Q1. Teaching is a noble profession and you have been working as an assistant professor for 15 years now! What are the characteristics of someone who would succeed in this role?

I would like to start by saying- A POOR TEACHER COMPLAINS, AN AVERAGE TEACHER EXPLAINS GOOD TEACHER TEACHES AND THE BEST TEACHER INSPIRES. To inspire our younger generation a good teacher should have a good knowledge base and build upon that would be good life experience and over that the vision of the future. We have to inspire our students for the future. Therefore, I think that a good teacher should be a good visionary.

Q2. What different methods do you adopt while teaching in the classroom and guiding students for a PhD?

These two scenarios are entirely different. Basically, classroom teaching is often lecturing and it often becomes a one-way process. This is something that has to be changed. When you have a lot of experience to share in the classes when you teach a topic you open up the discussion by questioning them. This really helps to bring the students into the discussion and then it becomes a two-way process. Then students will recollect and relate more to the events happening in the class. Moreover, COVID-19 changed the process of classroom teaching. Most of us adopted visual learning techniques, incorporating pictures and videos in the UG teaching. However, while guiding PhD students the objective is to solve a practical problem. So we don’t engage in conventional teaching to the PhD students rather we prompt them to dig up the philosophies of the science. This is because we see them as future teachers. So, we have to train them accordingly. Therefore, we give them assignments and ask them to present them.

Q3. What attracted you to animal science and Livestock Production Management specifically?

It is a noble profession of serving the mute. As Will Rogers said- “a Veterinarian cannot ask his patient what is the matter.. he’s just got to know.” As you know, it is a very challenging profession because of the diversity of the patients. Every day we have to deal with animals ranging from a kitten to a large buffalo. More than that, you deal with the common people of the society. A slight change that you can make in their life has a major impact on society. That is the most important aspect of being a veterinarian. When I was a veterinary surgeon, I worked for 3 years in a village. I found that veterinary surgeon goes to the house of the common person. So if you build up a good rapport then they take it as a good opportunity to share their life experience, and problems and you involve with them. That is the most important thing you can do, you can drastically make a difference in society.

Q4. “14th price hike in 16 days” When headlines like this spread, there is someone passionate like you who invented the technology to produce bio-diesel from chicken slaughter waste. How did this idea cross your mind and how did you proceed with the same? Are there any ongoing projects in biodiesel production?

Either you create a good understanding or you solve a present problem- that is the essence of science. When I went to veterinary college for my PhD. I saw huge poultry farms with a stocking density of two to five lakh birds.  The normal, daily mortality of these farms was 20 to 30 birds per farm. In addition, these dead birds were disposed of unscientifically causing a huge threat to the human population. The scientific method of disposing of this carcass is by dry rendering in a rendering plant Rendering process produces protein powder along with chicken oil. The oil has no use but rather leads to pollution. Therefore, I thought, about how I could solve this problem and I took it as a challenge! I could succeed in converting that oil into “BIODIESEL” that could be used in all diesel engines and reduce pollution. Later I continued my research and put up a pilot plant and now the project has been on a commercial scale at Coimbatore by a company called Bhairav Renders. They are collecting the whole chicken slaughter waste of Coimbatore and then they dry rendering it to produce the protein powder. The protein powder becomes fish feed and is incorporated into pet feed. Then they are converting the oil into biodiesel. My PhD student has taken up a project on converting pork oil into biodiesel. He is rearing pigs on hotel waste and after 1 year, he is slaughtering them, producing fatless pork, and then converting the fat into biodiesel. That is how we are progressing with this topic.

Q5. Would you like to share your experiences with the state and other important projects you worked for?

During my service as a veterinary surgeon, one of the most important things I felt was there was no operating role in veterinary hospitals and most of the higher-end cases were referred to the college. For this reason, they have to take animals over a long distance. So I put up a project and I implemented a state-of-the-art operation theatre which was very well appreciated by the local people and the Panchayat and they all actively participated in this project so I could make it a grand success. Later on the most important project, the vet deals with is vaccination especially vaccination against Foot and Mouth disease and poultry disease. So there also what I felt that if you have a very good team work you could kind of cover entire population and protect your population. As a veterinary surgeon, you are in charge of the whole animals in the Panchayat and any epidemics or pandemics are under your control. As you all know- Prevention is better than cure, and that is why you must consider all the aspects to keep up the animal and human disease by the new concept of one health. Later when I joined the veterinary college, the scenario is different. I participated in a lot of projects. For example, making new hatcheries, bringing new animals to the farm like emo and ostrich, establishing new manure management practices, new machines etc. Here also what I feel is that- Where there is a will there is a way because there are a lot of funding opportunities now. If you put up a good project that is useful for society, definitely you will get funding. You will also have to do hard work because at the end of the day hard work pays off.

Q6. What is your perspective and thought process when you publish articles in journals or write different books?

Publication of books and articles is an essential part of academia. So after completing research, the researchers have to be published and while publishing the research, we always make sure that we have a significantly good impact, as our articles will be peer-reviewed. Moreover gives an elite and international audience to our article. Recently I completed a textbook SWINE PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT, which is published by CRC Press and is available on amazon. As you know it is a tremendous effort to collect all the information, refine it to put it into good English, write it and by the end find a good publisher to publish it. Indeed, a long journey. Nevertheless, once you finish it, remarks from different people from different parts of the world you really feel honoured for your work.

Q7. You have studied in Scotland as well as in India. Can you share your experiences and the growing competition these days, and any advice for the students who wish for higher studies abroad?

Nowadays, all fields are becoming competitive and expensive. So the main difference I found students were studying by taking huge educational loans. They do not depend on their parents. Hence, their perspective is to finish their studies and get into a job so that they can pay their loan. In short, they are very serious about their studies. In India, it is the parents who fund their children. That is why I think, they are not dealing with their studies as seriously as they should. Therefore, my piece of advice for students would be to concentrate more on their language and communication skills. That is where we have to improve. Otherwise, our students are intellectually great. We do not find any difference between them.

Q8. What are your views on veterinary college education in India and Abroad? What differences in teaching methods did you find? What world can learn from the Indian system and vice versa?

Veterinary education in India and abroad is different. Abroad you cannot directly get into veterinary school after completing your 12th standard. Often you have to complete a degree in animal science. Their focus is more on diagnostics and treatment. Here we give equal importance to animal husbandry. However, the wide variety of exposure we get in India is not available abroad, that is what I found. The variety of cases and people you deal with is not available abroad. Actually, they are going deep but their perspective is very less. There you cannot do any animal experiments, so you first have to work on dummies. Students will be trained and then you will start handling animals. Here from day one you are taken to the farm and allowed to work on animals and get hands-on practice. This is a major difference, which I found.

Q9. Could you describe any one of your most rewarding experiences as a Veterinarian?

There are several experiences. One of the most important ones which I remember is, a client calling me at around 1 or 2 o’clock at midnight and I’m going there to find a full-term goat unable to give birth. I had to go for a C-section and I was so fortunate that I could save two young kids. That was the most rewarding experience.

Q10. What is a piece of advice you would give to budding veterinary students who wish to peruse the research field?

We are fighting two important problems- one is climate change and another one is emerging diseases. These two challenges provide great opportunities for students who wish to perceive their careers in the research field. The climatic changes along with emerging pandemics affecting the human race are a threat. There is a huge role, which a vet can play in such scenarios for diagnostics, and producing new vaccines. The first aspect is climate change. It is predicted that in 10-12 years, there may be a shortage of food and fodder for animals so in that sense also a need to find new methods to feed animals. So all this offers a wide area for budding vets to go for research.

Q11. Last but not the least, The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed all of our lives and our work patterns. How did you overcome that or did you adapt something?

Still, I do not think we are away from the pandemic. It was a crucial time for adaptation and life has to go and progress. So as teachers, we all adapted to the new type of teaching i.e. online teaching. However, I feel as a veterinarian we cannot go along. Veterinary is a very professional course and I feel that a profession is to practice not to preach. For that, we require daily experience with the animals. So, whatever is taught has to be practised in the field. For that, we have to build up our immunity and work. Another aspect that you must have seen is a pet boon during the pandemic, which was really a blessing in disguise. We saw a large number of people start rearing pets, especially cats and dogs. Now, these pets are a burden because offline jobs have started. Now I think we have the opportunity to start daycare centres for animals, and boarding centres for animals.

I would like to conclude our discussion by saying- EXCELLENCE IS NEVER AN ACCIDENT; IT IS A RESULT OF HIGH INTENSION, SINCERE EFFORTS, SKILLFUL EXECUTION AND ABILITY TO SEE OBSTACLES AS MEANS OF OPPORTUNITIES. Let us all strive for excellence.

WHAT IF… THE AMAZING AMAZON VANISHES?

The contrast is staggering. On one side of the narrow track is a cool, moist rainforest, stretching northwest for hundreds of kilometres through the almost intact Xingu indigenous reserve. On the other side is hot, the bare ground being prepared to plant soy on a farm the size of 14 Manhattans. This, says my guide, earth systems scientist Michael Coe, is the front line of deforestation in the Amazon – where the rainforest meets
agribusiness, but also where a rainforest ecosystem is being degraded like the savanna grassland.

Amazon’s future has never been more uncertain as human activity increases. Scientists warn that decades of human activity combined with a changing climate have pushed the jungle to the brink of extinction. The rain forest gets its name from the fact that it is so moist, with trees pulling up water from the earth, which then collects in the atmosphere to form rain. Deforestation, forest fires, and rising global temperatures have all thrown the balance off. Experts worry that the water cycle may soon be irrevocably interrupted, cementing a decades-long trend of diminishing rainfall and extended dry seasons. At least half of the woodland will be replaced by grasslands.

When will Amazon hit a tipping point? //Picture Courtesy: BBC NEWS//

Even if climate change is regulated, scientists estimate that the tipping point for deforestation will be achieved around when 20% to 25% of deforestation occurs. Environments cannot cope with the rate the world is getting warmer all-around “When you add in additional stresses like pollution, deforestation, overgrazing, and overfishing, the fact that you’ve got this stress in the background just magnifies the chances that the system could actually collapse quite quickly,” global temperatures rise by 4°C as expected, much of the Amazon’s central, eastern, and southern regions will become barren scrubland.

THE AMAZON is ten-million-years-old. The huge river basin that rules over South America and is home to about 390 billion trees, an unsurpassed biodiversity hotspot. Every other day, biologists discover a new species, from blue morpho butterflies to emperor tamarins to pink river dolphins.

The Amazon still creates roughly half of its own rainfall, with some rain falling and then transpiring five or six times as it crosses the immense basin on the trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean. However, over the last two decades, deforestation has reduced yearly moisture recycling in the Xingu Basin by 35 cubic kilometres. This is best explained by the
phrase “a giant change to the water and energy balance, the climate shifts”. The permanently steamy jungle is replaced by a hotter, drier climate, with dust devils replacing transpiring trees.

The amazon rainforest is officially creating more
green house gases than it is absorbing //Picture Courtesy: LiveScience//

Globally, the twentieth century experienced more tree loss than any other period in history. Cutting down rainforests can harm habitat, reduce biodiversity and food sources, degrade soil, pollute rivers and lands, and cause areas to dry out, all of which have an impact on the overall productivity of the people and animals who live there. The Amazon’s massive mineral deposits are also threatened.

WITH TENS OF BILLIONS of trees already gone, the region is getting warmer. Droughts and floods have become more regular, and the dry the season has increased by six days every decade since 1980. Trees are important for returning water to the atmosphere, and their disappearance results in less rainfall and higher temperatures.

Estimating the rate of ecological collapse, studies show that 42 ecosystems have been studied across five continents that have undergone significant alterations. The lessons are bleak. The coral reefs of Jamaica we’re ravaged in just 15 years, converting to an algae-dominated ecology, and the agricultural plains of Niger’s Maradi region were altered into a desert in just 20 years. In the Amazon, colonisation and environmental vandalism have produced a dilemma that might have dire ramifications for climate change.

Deforestation in amazon forest rises 22% in a
year //Picture Courtesy: DailySabah//

Burning away the Amazon would condemn millions of living species to extinction and destroy their habitats. Many of these plants, animals, and other forms of life haven’t even been identified by scientist yet. Human-caused alterations, appear to be more lasting. “What we’re seeing is ecosystems that aren’t rebounding back; instead, they’re staying in this type of stable but deteriorated state.”

-Gaurav Anil Suryawanshi (MAGAZINE TEAM, IVSA-INDIA)

A SERIES OF PERSONAL LETTERS- “FIRST DAY OF VET COLLEGE”

Welcome to our blog. Are you a student stumbling your way through vet school? For all our fellow vet students and practitioners, this is the most perfect and relatable place. Let’s share all our extraordinary experiences!

The first day… What thought comes to your mind when you think about your first day at college?
It’s a different experience, a new episode in everyones’ life.
I didn’t realise that until I talked to a bunch of my batchmates.
All of us had such distinct reactions. It was hard to figure out what people were actually going through.
As far as I could observe,
The extroverts were eager and excited to explore their freedom, to get out of their house and to start this new phase of their life.
Meanwhile, the introverts, including me… for us it was more about adjusting to the change, coming out of our comfort zone, finding a way to fit in with all these new people and also somehow dealing with the homesickness.
Then there were the people who were feeling mixed emotions. They were happy to be here but were also upset about leaving home.
Some of us were experiencing language barriers…
Some were sick from the hostel food.
Some had trouble getting used to the weather.
Some couldn’t sleep at night.
But some were also having fun, making friends, and helping the ones in need.

I still remember my first class.
It was an Anatomy Lab period.
I was more nervous than excited. It was all so new for me, I was still getting used to this sudden switch in my way of living.
But somehow it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
My classmates were friendly.
The professors were considerate and helpful.
I didn’t feel out of place.

No matter if some of us were in survival mode, or if some were enjoying to the fullest… we all had expectations to live up to. We all had dreams and hopes… We were all here for a purpose regardless of the ups and downs.
We were here to learn, to grasp opportunities, to understand this new chapter in the book of our life.
We were all here to become veterinarians.

-Gurbani Kaur (MAGAZINE TEAM, IVSA-INDIA)

A SERIES OF PERSONAL LETTERS- “VET JOURNEY FT. COLLEGE EVENTS AND MORE”

Welcome to our blog. Are you a student stumbling your way through vet school? For all our fellow vet students and practitioners, this is the most perfect and relatable place. Let’s share all our extraordinary experiences!

My father and my uncle both are outstanding veterinarians, so growing up, I always had an obvious inclination toward this field. The thought of attending the same college as my father has always ignited sparks of pride and excitement inside me.

My first year was completely wobbled up by the COVID-19 pandemic. My year was packed up through laptops and mobile phones. So, the beginning of my second year was an event I was eagerly been waiting for. Finally, meeting my batchmates out of zoom squares and in person was the most wonderful moment! I opted for living in the hostel, but only a few days after I felt homesick, so I returned home for a while. My hometown is the same place where my college stands, so was grateful.

Sitting in the lecture halls, wearing the veterinary apron that feels no less than a superman’s cape and visualizing myself as a future Veterinarian swelled up my chest with pride. With the offline classes being resumed, finally, we got to attend our practical classes and those are the most fascinating ones with the best faculties guiding us.

The most joyous part of the college is the events, of course! The week before the Fresher’s Night, was utterly nerve-wracking. I was a lot more anxious than I thought I’d be, I kept practising my performance so that it turns out just the way I wanted it to be. And finally, the D-day arrived. By the end of the moon, I came to realise that it was going to be the most memorable day of my existence. Though I was thoroughly nervous about my turn, I enjoyed the outstanding performances of all my friends!

Hostel friends and hostel life, are two things, whose charms are hyped far and wide and well-deservingly indeed. The Holi Celebration, my goodness, what was with that day!? All colours, ceaseless music beats, tireless dancings, coolest water sprays and endless fun, where all of our seniors and juniors together merrily jumped all day.

Soon, after that, we had our hostel Annual Function were the chief guest of the evening was none other than the most popular actor in our Odia film industry (regional film industry), Siddhant Mohapatra. I used to be his biggest fan when I was a kid and seeing him live on stage was extremely overwhelming. That evening, I and my girl gang, danced our souls out. We danced till the moon turned wary of watching from the midnight sky.

I am grateful to be a part of this great profession, college, having such amazing friends and faculties. To live my best life and make many more incredible memories here!

-Alisha Mahapatra (MAGAZINE TEAM, IVSA-INDIA)

WHAT IF… THERE WERE NO BIRDS?

As kids, we have all been through that phase where we ask everyone “How can these birds fly and why can’t we?” And many of us, at some point, aspired to be like a bird, to fly high and go to distant places without all that arduous paperwork, visas, and money.

But do you guys think that being a bird is all about flying, chirping or defecating on our windshields (sometimes on our heads and shoulders)? What if one day we all wake up and there are no birds? The impact of birds going extinct or their populations declining substantially would be far more profound than quiet mornings and the absence of cute baby birds. Everything, including human life, would be affected.

These fascinating creatures provide many benefits to nature and society that we are not even aware of and most of us take that for granted. Their services include pest control, seed dispersal, and pollination, all of which contribute to food production and other economy-dependent activities. As sky travellers, they serve as the link between living organisms worldwide. Carcass scavenging is a rarely addressed but vital task that birds perform.

There was an end to the Dodo bird! The cause was humans. Humans invaded their island and introduced unnatural predators that hunted them and ate their eggs.

The Red List by The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) listed 159 extinct bird species and nearly 1500 bird species that are endangered. With the expansion of the human footprint, bird habitats have been lost over time. Food, mates, nests, and raising young become more difficult with less habitat. Hunting and killing of animals are causing a population decline in many of the animal kingdom’s species, especially birds.

Adaptation is a coping mechanism that all living things have, including birds and animals. It takes time, a lot of time, perhaps generations. When humans introduce invasive species into a bird’s habitat, they don’t have time to adapt. Bird populations can also be greatly affected by the introduction of invasive species. That’s what happened to Dodo!

So how do we save these little wonders? We can’t control the obvious changes, such as climatic changes and diseases. As individuals, we may not be able to stop the construction of high-rise buildings or have much impact on changes in the sport of hunting, but there are numerous things we can do to contribute to bird conservation such as

• Provide a source of water
• Elevate bird feeders: If you would like to supply food for the birds, ensure that the bird feeders are elevated enough to ward off any danger.
• Plant native trees and plants: By providing a little fraction of the birds’ natural terrain and environment, you can help them build their nests.
• Build birdhouses: In locations where nesting trees are limited, birdhouses are highly respected.
• Birds may be harmed by pesticides or toxic chemicals used in organic agriculture. Avoid using pesticides in your yard and instead, grow plants naturally.
• Because birds cannot see through the translucent glass windows, they regularly collide with them and die. Instead, use frosted glass or decals.
• Don’t speed: Many birds perish as a result of low-flying collisions with automobiles. To reduce the effect, keep your speed moderate.

-Keertti Mohanty (MAGAZINE TEAM, IVSA-INDIA)

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WHAT IF… I TURN INTO A CUTE CLIMATE WARRIOR- SEA OTTER TO THE RESCUE!

When I was a kid I loved watching around-the-clock animal shows on the discovery channel and national geographic, nostalgia alert!? Especially wild and marine animals fascinated me. I often wondered what if I had one at my home or what if I can go inside the television and live with them or what if I turn into one of them and spend my life exploring the incredible wilds or blues!

The more I grew up, the more I got to know about the planet and how rapidly it is changing day by day, the harsh truth of our planet and all the living organisms on it. But do we know about the role played by wildlife in aiding ecosystem resilience and how flourishing biodiversity supports mitigating climate change?

Along with being one of the cutest animals on the planet, sea otters also help in maintaining prosperous, carbon-absorbing kelp forests and seagrass beds. So turning into these cute little otters, fighting against the climate crisis, making our climate-critical ecosystems more resilient is a big yes for me!

I’ll be the smallest and cutest marine animal on the planet, sprawling on my back and munching on crabs, sea urchins or barnacles in large waters. As a keystone species which means other species vastly depend on and are affected by my behaviour, I’ll have a tremendous role to play. Sea urchins feed on kelp and the reefs growing them. With the increase in the urchin population, more kelp forests and seagrass beds will be destroyed. Keeping the kelp-eating creatures in check is the work of an otter. One of the most productive absorbers of CO₂,​ kelp forests ​uses carbon from the environment to grow green systems underwater. Kelp forests that are patrolled by sea otters can cut off up to 12 times more carbon from the atmosphere.

Being a sea otter and surviving on this planet isn’t that easy with all the destructive activities like habitat degradation, oil spills, net fishing, and the fur trade going on. We are losing our adorable natural allies. We need them by our side to combat the climate crisis. The protection of such allies, spreading more and more awareness and turning into warriors ourselves should be our priority at the moment!

-Ankita Priyadarshini (IVSA-INDIA)