Veterinary Medicine in India, Less Delicate Than You Think

So this morning I was told to go with the lady who brought the big back dog in yesterday and give him injections. Who decided the injections? A vet over the phone. But they saw the dog right? nope. So how would they know what he had? dunno. So you just drew up the injections and poked the dog and hoped for the best even though he had seizures all night and was barely conscious? yup. But the vet hospital, surely that would have been a better idea right?

Well let's explain India shall we? In India caring about animals is a rather new thing and vets seem to just always be giving something without any tests or anything. But in India that is the best you can get. In fact I learned today that had we taken the dog to the hospital they wold have made him wait forever and they do not even keep the medications on hand usually and so the people are sent out to buy it. Luckily, the black dog, Knuckles, has nice and wealthy parents.

Now about the people which made this much easier on me. This dog thing is a family affair. I was picked up by the dog owners mother, the owner is a boy of about 12 and doesn't drive, and she drove me to the house, thanked me many times and helped me get what I needed. Her mother made me breakfast and coffee and set it out neatly on the table and brought me more coffee on a tray. You can tell the job of the woman is to wait on guests and men. Her...either youngish father or oldish husband not sure exactly, is a very nice man but you can tell he thinks he knows exactly what is best and what to do. A few times Terune had to tell him to just let the vet do what she needed to and not to second guess.

There is Terune ( said much like Tyrone but with rune at the end). He is the uncle of the dogs owner and he is also the one who spent yesterday telling me about where to find wildlife and visiting. He is very westernized, makes fun of me and calls me a wuss because I like milk in my coffee, calls his nephew dude and basically seems like an American with an Indian accent. I like him bunches, however he does act a lot like other Indian men in the way that when his sister first got bottled water and not distilled he rolled his eyes and acted like she was stupid. i was proud because she basically told him to shove it because she was up with the dog all night since she lives there and he was at home at his house drinking beer.

I was treated like a godsend and everyone was lovely to me. I will be giving the dog his fluids tonight and his meds and fluids tomorrow if he makes it that long. It is very weird to know that you are expected to know what to do at all times when in reality you are only 21 and have never been to vet school. And it is hard to decide when you need to question the vet about something because Indian vets are often med school rejects, or when to trust and let them do what they do.

Complicated dynamics in India but the veterinary medicine here is terrible. Getting better but still bad.

Sorry for the long posts but there are so many different cultural things that happen along with daily events.

Everyone asks me, Why India? Why Kochin? Terune even said, why such a sleepy little town. but really things are better and much more progressive here than in other places because there are so many foreigners. Everything comes down to foreigners, but when I am thinking that India is a very odd place to be, it is nice to know I am in good company.