We are very privileged to work with the Pet Vet Clinic which was set up to provide free or low cost spay/neuter programs and other services based on population control efforts towards the eradication of rabies in Sri Lanka.
Pet Vet is headed by Dr Nalinika Obeysekere with a team of vet surgeons and competent staff.
They provide student training which is aimed at sterilizing the animal population. The project work is partly funded by the money paid by the students to supplement the deficit in public funding, plus any donations received along the way to assist with this work.
Pet Vet mobile veterinary clinic is of particular interest to 3rd, 4th and 5th year veterinary students who have the opportunity to practice their skills under the guidance of a qualified veterinarian. It is a hands-on experience, and each student can learn and experience as much as he/she wants to.
Students can select from different areas of training:
Only 2 students are taken at any one time to ensure high quality personalized training. Each student is assigned to a highly competent veterinary surgeon during the entire period of training. The student is first guided (depending on his/her abilities) to do surgeries and towards the latter part of training is allowed to perform surgeries under direct supervision. Students will do 4 days of surgeries and 1 day of clinic work per week, depending on time availability and efficiency.
On clinic days students have the option to work in the Pet Vet general clinic alongside the qualified vet. They will shadow the Vet in his day-to-day work, assist in diagnoses and be allowed to do treatments under the supervision of the Vet. This may also mean scrubbing into any necessary surgeries.
The student can discuss the different options with the Vets in order to ensure that they gain the maximum benefit from their experience with Pet Vet clinic.
The mobile clinic lorry is set up. Every dog presented to the clinic is thoroughly evaluated to check whether they will be fit enough for surgery. This is done by means of history taking and clinical examination. If deemed fit for surgery the animal is, then sedated and given the appropriate pain medication. The surgical site is disinfected. Intravenous anesthetic protocol or gas anesthetic protocol is used depending on the dog’s status.
Every animal is intubated before surgery. Preoperative antibiotic, post operative antibiotic, pain killers and fluid therapy are given during the surgery. All surgical packs are sterilized in the autoclave. Sterile gloves, surgical packs and new scalpel blade are used for each surgery. Three clamp technique is used to remove the ovaries and the uterus. Subcutaneous suture pattern is used to close the skin of the sterilized dog and the animal is kept in the post operative recovery area until it is in sternal recumbency and is calm.
Before the animal is handed back, the owners are given post operative care information verbally and by means of a handout with contact numbers in the event of post operative complications. Tattooing the inner right ear and notching of the upper margin of the left ear as a U-shaped incision makes it easy to identify sterilized dogs.
Mobile Clinic: Monday to Friday 08:30am – 16:00pm (may vary according to mobile clinic site locations)
General Clinic: Monday to Friday 09:00am to 15:30pm
The Pet Vet clinic charges for training and supervising students and this is included in the project price. It does not go directly to the Veterinarians but is used by the Pet Vet to further their work in the local community, pay for supplies and equipment etc.
Students will be accommodated in a local hotel. The twin-bedded room has air conditioning and an en suite bathroom. The hotel usually has a pool and is near to beaches.
Food is NOT included in the price of this project and is at the students’ cost.
Packed lunch can be taken with you and in the evenings, students can choose to at the Hotel or eat out.
This project runs all year round except for the following dates:
Students should fly to Colombo International Airport where they will be met by a representative of Pet Vet and transferred to the local hotel. At the end of the project, students will be transferred to Colombo airport. During the project students will be transferred as necessary to their place of work. Students need to start work at 09:00am on the Monday morning therefore we suggest students arrive on the Saturday to get used to the heat and get over the jet lag!
Students have free time after they finish their surgeries Monday to Friday.
On weekends students can visit different areas such as the Southern Beaches (Benthota and Hikkaduwa), Archeological sites (Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Dambulla), Hill capital Kandy (Temple of the Tooth Relic, Botanical Gardens of Peradeniya and University of Peradeniya), Wildlife Reserves (Yala National Park) and the list is endless. All these excursions will be at the students’ own cost and should be arranged by the students.
NOTE: AN OPTIONAL TOUR TO KANDY is INCLUDED in the project cost. (Entry fees to be paid by the students)
Accommodation, transport from and to the airport and to the project each day, training, and support from Pet Vet staff during the project and any project materials.
Flights, food, travel/medical insurance vaccinations (rabies IS compulsory), visas, excursions on days off, luxury items such as alcohol or chocolate etc.
£1,950 per person for 2 weeks based on 2 students sharing for a minimum of 20 surgeries per student in two weeks.
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