BIG PROBLEMS OF LITTLE PETS

The level of civilization of a society can be determined by the way it treats children, animals and elderly people. A lot has been written about children and the old but the media most often just do not cover the subject of animals and care of them deeming it not quite serious. But, as was said in The Little Prince, the immortal tale by Antoine de Sainte-Exupery, "we are responsible for what we have tamed". And it turns out that those who tamed a little animal that later became their best friend then have to face big problems taking care of it. 

Tradition… but nonetheless

Oriental tradition did not provide for people to keep animals at home. This is why, unlike in Western countries, Azerbaijan's infrastructure in charge of animal care and health is not properly developed. Still there are animal lovers in this country and many of them keep a pet, and even more than one, and have a lot of trouble finding a veterinarian. 

Cingiz Adib who has spent many years training service dogs speaks quite bluntly about the capabilities of Azerbaijan's animal health services: "There are very bad problems in the veterinary medicine. Vet clinics lack special-purpose equipment. There is little opportunity to take tests and no labs. Vets mostly send their customers to private medical centres but the quality of their tests leave much to desire: the test results are most often excellent while the pet is on the brink of death…"  

Yet the problem is not confined to the veterinary institutions' equipment and resources. Valeriya Garber, the founder of the Pet Shelter "Friends" volunteer society, has firsthand knowledge of the problems facing our smaller brethren. According to her, Baku has very few skilled veterinarians. "There are only two or three doctors who can really help an animal. The rest just tend to confuse the customer by making questionable diagnoses with an air of authority," she said. At the same time, private clinics charge quite a lot for their doctors' services but they do not guarantee timely and professional assistance. 

Meanwhile Olga Aranovich, an experienced dog breeder and member of the Dog Breeders' Union, does not think that Baku is short of competent specialists. "We have very many good doctors. There are excellent specialists at state-run clinics. Yet there is another big problem in this case:  the lack of subsidies. This is why there is no equipment and conditions for treating and operating on domestic animals. Having no adequate equipment and reagents, it is difficult even for the best doctor to make the right diagnosis," she said.  

As for private clinics, they are either based outside the city or charge very much for their doctors' services. Meanwhile, many animal lovers say that, having built a clientele for themselves, veterinarians working at private clinics often become negligent of their duties. Yet Aranovich advises that all pet owners should not hesitate to check the doctor's certificates and licences as there are plenty of vets in the city who practice without diplomas. 

By the way, veterinarian activity is regulated by the state issuing special permissions (licences) for private veterinary practice (150 manats), production of veterinary medicines (3,000 manats) and sale of veterinary medicines (220 manats). To receive a licence, the law says one must submit, among other papers, a diploma confirming its holder's higher or specialized secondary education in a relevant speciality. 

Still the main problem is that, in animal lovers' opinion, veterinary medicine is in embryo in Azerbaijan. In foreign states, even medical universities have veterinary faculties to which one can bring a pet for treatment (on the other hand, veterinary practice will add to students' skills). In this country, we have no adequate equipment to treat animals and, more importantly, to diagnose their diseases. 

As regards the State Veterinary Service at the Agriculture Ministry, it focuses on supervising animal husbandry areas of priority importance for agriculture (in particular, cattle, sheep and goats and poultry). Indeed, quite a lot is being done in this respect: vaccination of cows is carried out on a permanent basis and not a single case of bird flu has been registered on poultry farms. Unfortunately, the state structures' resources are limited so they cannot attend also to pets. 

Education

Katerina Zakharova has always dreamt of becoming a veterinarian. Yet she failed to be admitted immediately after leaving school. "The only place training veterinarians is the Azerbaijani State Agrarian University in Ganca. But it has only fee-based training and no Russian language department. So I had to forget about veterinary medicine," she said. Still the girl did not give up. She loves animals very much and got a job by chance as a practicing vet's assistant. "One could say I was lucky," she said," because, having no diploma, it is very difficult to get a veterinarian job. In addition, to treat animal, one must really love them, this cannot be learned." She certainly can give injections, take temperature and carry out a number of medical manipulations but she cannot operate on her own. 

This is the core problem of all people who sincerely love animals and wish to become veterinarians. It is difficult to get a job without a diploma. Most certified veterinary specialists were trained outside Azerbaijan. Some private centres invite specialists from abroad which certainly implies increased fees for the doctors but their services are too expensive for many animal owners to afford.  

In general, the expensiveness not only of health services but also food, accessories, clothes and other items is a serious problem for all pet owners. This is another proof that pet keeping is widely perceived as a fashionable trend rather than an opportunity to get a faithful, disinterested and devoted friend.