What I’ve learnt on choosing the right vet

A veterinary officer vaccinates cows during the World Veterinary Day celebrations marked at Kapteldon in Uasin Gishu County. PHOTO|FILE|NATION

What you need to know:

  • Ivermectin is commonly used in dogs and cats to treat a variety of conditions, including parasitic infections, in higher doses, it could lead to blindness and paralysis.
  • It always helps to consult experts because sometimes they are able to identify problems faster than you, and this minimises losses.
  • It is also a good idea to ask for recommendations from friends, family and trusted neighbours, but selecting the right vet is a personal decision.
  • Don’t be cheated by the fact that a person is licensed to practice his or her profession
  • Licensure only means that one has met the minimum educational qualifications and credentials required to provide services
  • It is also important to guard against underqualified persons or quacks masquerading as vets
  • Therefore, choose wisely, and the Kenya Veterinary Board has a list of all vets licensed to practice, which you should consult

When I recently asked a friend one thing a novice farmer needs to think about, I was surprised by her answer, which was “how to choose a good, reliable and knowledgeable vet”.

“Why?” I enquired.

“I have had very nasty experiences with one vet who had been recommended to me by a relative. I felt the guy just wanted to make money from me and it took us several months to find a qualified one,” she explained.

“What was the issue?” I prodded. “One of our dogs recently had a reaction to Ivermectin drug and the vet didn’t take it seriously. Eventually, the dog lost her eyesight,” she said.
In humans, Ivermectin is used to treat onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis).

I later found out that although Ivermectin is commonly used in dogs and cats to treat a variety of conditions, including parasitic infections, in higher doses, it could lead to blindness and paralysis.

Her plight reminded me of my own experiences over the years in dealing with poultry diseases and other issues related to productivity of animals. I have had to consult vets on poultry diseases, slow growth, egg production and hens eating eggs.

Importance of consulting experts

By now you probably know that I am a medical doctor, which means I often have to rely on vets and other specialists in animal health to make critical decisions.

One thing I can tell you for a fact is that although it may take time to get a reliable vet, it always helps to consult experts because sometimes they are able to identify problems faster than you, and this minimises losses.

However, what I can guarantee you is that even good vets will make mistakes and sometimes you have to get a second opinion. I remember sometimes back when my first 30 Kienyeji hens completely refused to lay eggs for about three months, although they had attained sexual maturity.

I had been feeding them on an exclusive diet of rice germ. When I consulted one agricultural extension officer in my area, he told me the excess body fat was the reason the birds refused to lay eggs. However, he didn’t offer me any solution.

I consulted another one and he said the problem was with the cocks. I changed the cocks, but there was no egg. Eventually, I gave up and decided to free-range them. After three weeks, they started laying eggs.

Later, when I consulted my brother, Dr Silas Obukosia, an agricultural biotechnologist, I was surprised by his answer, “Your chickens were not getting adequate proteins, vitamins and minerals. Under free-range, they were able to obtain these nutrients from insects, food waste, green grass, leafy vegetables and scattered grains. In fact, poultry are more sensitive to a balanced diet than human beings.”

So, in choosing a reliable vet (or an agronomist for that matter), this is what I have learnt? It is certainly a good idea to ask for recommendations from friends, family and trusted neighbours, but selecting the right vet is a personal decision.

Qualifications to look out for in a vet

I look out for the following. Is the person qualified and does he sound knowledgeable and experienced? Does he pick my calls any time I call? Do I have a good rapport with him? Effective communication is essential to any professional care relationship.

When he makes a diagnosis and starts treatment, does he tell me what he thinks the problem is and what medication he is administering? Does he call back after three days to find out whether there is progress or do I have to call him back a week later to tell him the birds are still dying?

That said, give your vet as much information as possible for him to help you. These include signs and symptoms, when the animal became sick, any treatment given, if any, and history of previous vaccination.

After he is done with his work, ask for diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

Now, don’t be cheated by the fact that a person is licensed to practice his or her profession.

Licensure only means that one has met the minimum educational qualifications and credentials required to provide services. However, all professionals should take the initiative to maximise their training and skills through lifelong learning.

It is also important to guard against underqualified persons or quacks masquerading as vets. If you suspect this, demand for a board registration certificate.

Unfortunately, there is little recourse if a vet gives a wrong diagnosis that leads to death of an animal or losses.

Therefore, choose wisely, and the Kenya Veterinary Board has a list of all vets licensed to practice, which you should consult.

Another thing I have learnt is to distinguish between various cadres like vet surgeons, technicians and technologists because they bring different competencies to the practice based on their years of training.

Pooling resources

It is also important to agree with the vet on professional fee and pay them for their services. One way to bring down the fee is for several farmers to pool resources and use the services of one vet.
Most vets charge Sh1,500-Sh2,000 per visit for one off consultation, and Sh1,000 for subsequent visit. Telephone consultation is normally free, however, procedures like injections negotiable or immunisation charged separately.

What many farmers don’t know is that when it comes to disease control, 90 per cent of what you need to do is within your control provided you vaccinate you birds on time and maintain basic hygiene practices. Vaccination offers the best protection against many poultry diseases by preventing the birds from getting sick in the first place.

Vaccination works by introducing the virus itself (either in weakened form or alive) into a healthy bird’s body to stimulate production of antibodies that then give the bird ability to resist similar infection in future.

It is good to remember that vaccines are not given to sick birds or during outbreaks. With vaccination, you have control over many poultry diseases caused by viruses and bacteria like Newcastle disease, gumboro, fowl pox, fowl typhoid, cocciodiosis or marek’s disease.

One of the reasons vaccines fail to work is when the cold chain is not maintained either during storage in the agrovet or during transportation to the farm.

One should also remember that after reconstituting, give the vaccine in three hours. Do not use chlorinated tap water to reconstitute the vaccine because this destroys it. If using tap water, stand overnight to inactivate the chlorine, or use a water purifier.

All said, don’t worry about leaving your current vet if you have concerns about the quality of care your livestock are receiving.