Sindh lockdown spells trouble for pet owners in Karachi

With all the city’s veterinary facilities closed, consultations via phone are the only way out

KARACHI: With the coronavirus scare and the subsequent lockdown bringing the country to a near standstill, pet owners in Karachi are in a bind due to the complete lack of access to veterinary services.

To flatten the coronavirus curve, the Sindh government recently ordered the closure of all commercial entities and workplaces, with some exceptions including, of course, hospitals, as it announced a lockdown. However, veterinary hospitals were instructed to remain closed.

This spelled trouble for pet owners, including Bashir Ahmed, whose cat, one of a pair, fell sick on Tuesday.

“I was clueless about what to do and unable to go to a [veterinary] hospital as the police barred me from stepping outside the house,” he said, vexed by his pet’s misery. “When I tried to leave for a hospital, a policeman told me to stay at home as the entire city was shut down.”

Recalling the ordeal, he said it was a difficult situation as seemingly all private and public veterinary clinics and hospitals were closed in Karachi. These included four of the main veterinary hospitals of the metropolis, Richmond Crawford Veterinary Hospital (RCVH) on MA Jinnah Road, Government Veterinary Hospital in Bhains Colony, Veterinary Hospital, Malir and Government Veterinary Hospital, Korangi, all of which have been closed for an indefinite period.

However, Ahmed, eventually, was able to get the contact information of some veterinarians from Facebook, in addition to advice, which solved the problem for him. He called one of the doctors and followed their guidance, leading to his cat’s recovery. “She is now well,” he said.

Ashi Zulfiqar, another pet owner in Karachi, too had to contact a veterinarian on the phone when her cat fell sick, she told The Express Tribune. Luckily, she had also stocked medicines prior to the lockdown, which helped in the situation.

“I am in constant touch with the doctor [now] and have been told to bring my cat to the hospital in case of an emergency,” she said.

Ahmed and Zulfiqar’s ordeal is shared by numerous others in the city, who were left perplexed as Karachi went under a lockdown.

According to the records maintained by RCVH, on average, 50 animals are brought the facility every day in normal circumstances. Officials of the Livestock and Fisheries Department further confirm that at least a dozen animals are brought to other hospitals on a daily basis.

Multiple healthcare facilities for pets in Karachi were already failing to function properly and the closure of four major hospitals has further increased the troubles for pet owners, said an official of the Livestock and Fisheries Department, speaking to The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.

As a result, the only way out for them appears to be seeking the doctors’ advice on phone or social media.

“I have been receiving around 15 calls a day [since the lockdown was imposed],” said Dr Masood Pirzado, who works at RCVH. He said that keeping in view the current situation, all pet owners had been advised to contact doctors on phone.

“It is in their own interest,” he added, assuring that veterinarians were available for guidance and consultation on phone. However, in case of an emergency, pets could be taken to RCVH, where staff residing in government’s residential quarters could provide the required assistance and treatment, said Pirzado.

He also suggested giving pets home-made feed, which was “not just a healthier alternative but also in easy access.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2020.