They appealed from the occupation and the front. How vet service doctors remotely provide first aid to animals
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Some of the animals whose pet parents applied to the vet service had chronic diseases that worsened during the war. At the same time, many veterinary clinics closed down, which blocked access to professional care. Especially in the regions near the war zone. The same thing happened to vet pharmacies and pet stores.
Because of this, calls to the hotline increased several times.
– Animal guardians do not always have the opportunity to consult a doctor quickly or even at all. Even the most attentive pet parents cannot objectively and correctly assess the condition of their animal, pay attention to all the necessary symptoms and understand how urgent and critical the situation is, what actions it will require in the future, – says Maria Vitchenkomanager of the vet care service.
In addition, many picky animals began to react sharply to any changes in the diet in conditions when it was not possible to buy the usual food in a store or order it on the Internet. This made their “parents” grab their heads. Some animals suffered physically and/or psychologically.
Those who remained in the occupation, as well as homeless animals near the front line, suffered the most and are still suffering.
Doctor-operator Catherine I once received a message on line 9100 from the girlfriend of one of the soldiers at “zero”. The man and his brothers found an injured cat. Of course, there were no vet pharmacies and hospitals nearby, so we decided to call the 24-hour vet service to ask what the furry first aid kit might be suitable for. And something was found.
Vetlikarka remembers that moment with sincere surprise and admiration, because the military saved the cat when their lives were in danger.
– The beginning of a full-scale war is the moment when we even had to ask people how urgently they needed an answer, because there could be other, more urgent appeals. We don’t do that now, he says with relief Maria Vitchenko.
The war created many challenges. The lack of access to veterinary pharmacies and pet stores sometimes forced veterinarians to “trick with drugs”, in particular human drugs, in order to correctly calculate the dosage for animals.
Psychological moods also affected work.
– People were nervous. We felt it, it was clear. Not a single dog anywhere in Ukraine thought: “My parents are so worried about something, surely I will not bite this dead pigeon, because they already have enough problems.” No, the animals continued to get sick, some had chronic diseases. People were scared.
A separate issue is disabled animals, which, for example, had to have stitches removed after surgery. This task fell on the shoulders of pet parents, who did not know how to do it correctly.
They often asked questions about how to transfer the animal to another feed, because there was no usual access.
Since April 2022, the number of applications from Ukrainians abroad has increased. Many of them related to the acclimatization of animals in a new environment.
– New country, new water, new food, new pets. There were a huge number of questions about adaptation. “We took a cat, but we already have a cat and they are fighting with each other. What should we do?” – people asked. “We took an animal, it has a viral disease, what should we do?” However, it even inspired some hope, because people took animals from shelters and sincerely and patiently tried to create the best conditions for their adaptation and socialization.
In the first weeks and months of the great war, the call center became almost the only 24-hour service for pet parents, which provided advice on how to care for animals, how to give birth or how to give injections, says the director of marketing and innovation of Kormotech Ihor Blystov.
Currently, the vetturbot service team has – 10 operators. Each of them is a qualified veterinarian. There are three on shift at the same time, but everything depends on the workload.
Maria admits that the challenges created by the war made them more stable and professional. Even though the principles by which veterinarians are used to working, in certain critical cases had to be violated in order to save the animal. Unpopular measures had to be resorted to, in particular, when the military called from the front line.
– They were consulted because of injuries, pus, abscesses in animals, when the treatment needs to be quite serious. And although our soldiers treat their pets with trepidation, they are ready to act decisively and take responsibility. Willing to do something potentially dangerous, even for the animal, if it can help.
It is about minimally invasive surgical interventions. Minimally invasive means when you have to carefully cut (a certain part of the body – ed.), squeeze something out of it, process everything, and so on.
At the same time, such cases are isolated, when there is simply no other way to save the animal. Only a doctor should perform such operations.
How doctors “gave birth” online to a dog in the occupation
Once a woman from Kherson, which was still occupied at the time, wrote to the Vetturbot service. The Ukrainian woman was confused and did not understand how to act, because the first birth of her dog was delayed due to a large fetus. By night, the efforts became weak, the animal was completely exhausted.
Doctor-operator Darina was constantly in contact with the guardian of the animal. With the joint efforts of vet service doctors, they determined which of the drugs available to the woman could be used to help the animal. It was also important to calm the owner of the furry one, because it was necessary to restore the dog’s labor activity with massage movements. Fortunately, everything was successful, but a new challenge immediately appeared.
– The puppy showed no signs of life. The woman was very panicked. We understood that she did not have an airway device. She had to use a regular pen to suck out the mucus. The baby started breathing. We save this little one and the next ones.
This case is one of many when veterinarians not only helped save an animal, but also established an emotional connection and psychological support for a person who found himself in occupation or simply in difficult and dangerous circumstances.
– For people, the fact that someone answers them on the other end of the phone at a critical moment is a feeling that normal life exists. Yes, something bad happened, but someone somewhere is answering me, so life goes on. This is a living person who works, went to work, on his shift. So, there are chances that someday everything will be fine.
Despite the fact that the challenges of the war have hardened the team of the vetturbot service, it is difficult not to miss some appeals, admits the vet doctor of the service Ms. Liliya.
– Difficult cases when an animal dies. And I need to tell the owner about it correctly. We explain what they can do in this case, but not always these actions will lead to a positive result. That is, if the animal dies, you cannot bring it back to life with ordinary atoxyl.
If they cannot go to a doctor at this moment or there is simply no doctor nearby, then they need to accept the sad truth.
According to her, in such cases it is difficult morally, because “it is transmitted”.
– People often cry and you start to take it to heart. But over the years of work, you have to get used to such cases.
Currently, the service is capable of processing 27 requests per hour. In 2023 alone, veterinarians processed almost 236,000 appeals from pet parents, saving more than one life. They received help from the beginning of the full-scale war 236,853 cats and dogs from all over Ukraine.
At the same time, you should not forget that it is easier to prevent problems that your pets may face than to solve them.
Here are some simple but important tips from a vet service doctor Lilieswhich will help pet parents to protect their pets.
Give the animal all necessary vaccinations for its age
– That is, if the animal is six years old, it must necessarily receive three vaccinations, which are given at the age when it is still a puppy. Also, every year she must receive one comprehensive vaccination or at least against rabies.
Treat your pet against parasites
– Many diseases occur if you miss at least one treatment, so you need to follow this.
Check the presence of the necessary drugs in the first-aid kit for the animal and their expiration date
The first aid kit must contain:
- syringes of different volumes, sterile napkins, gloves, bandages and cotton pads;
- external antiseptics – miramistin, 0.05% chlorhexidine solution;
- ointments with antibacterial action;
- sorbents – special veterinary preparations or human preparations;
- painkillers, antiallergic drugs and antiemetic drugs;
- petroleum jelly, hydrogen peroxide, vitamins;
- antiparasitic agents.
Carefully select food that is suitable for your pet
Stock up, especially if you live in an area that doesn’t always have uninterrupted access to food that suits your pet.
And most importantly, take care of the health and well-being of your pets and do not postpone a visit to the veterinarian for a long time. And vetservice doctors will help you find the right clinic and specialist at any time.
If necessary, call hotline number 9100 or write to Telegram or Viber.
For reference
Vet service accumulates the efforts of those whose animal needs help and those who can provide it, therefore the main principles of the specialists’ work are not to make a diagnosis and not to prescribe treatment, especially in the case when a person can turn to a veterinarian for an examination and additional research.
Instead, the project cooperates with about 400 veterinary centers throughout Ukraine and 150 licensed private veterinarians who are able to go on calls and provide professional assistance to animals.
Earlier, we talked about how the animal rescue center lives in the Kyiv region
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