Veterinary doctors at the National Veterinary Hospital are raising concerns about unsterilised pet dogs. Doctors say unsterilised pet dogs would lead to the repopulation of free-roaming dogs undoing the Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population and Rabies Control Programme efforts. The veterinary hospital recommends sterilisation to prevent certain pet diseases and to change pet behaviour.
Pet owners’ responsibilities are more than just keeping and feeding their pets. Veterinary doctors say they must vaccinate, microchip, and sterilise their pets if they are unable or unwilling to care for the offspring.
“We are more concerned with pets because if our pet owners are not responsible, whatever we have done in the past two years will be undone,” said Dr Kinley Dorji, veterinary superintendent at the National Veterinary Hospital.
The doctor added that pet owners should sterilise their pets as unsterilised pets could lead to the repopulation of free-roaming dogs when left unattended.
According to the doctor, in Bhutan, spaying for female pets removes reproductive organs like the ovary and uterus, while neutering for male pets removes testes.
“Sterilisation can be done at any age but the earliest we recommend is three months. I think our pet owners should be aware that if you conduct sterilisation on your pet, we can prevent a lot of diseases.”
Apart from addressing concerns about the growing population, the doctor added that sterilised pets show a decrease in mating interest and aggression.
He said that diseases such as pyometra, an accumulation of pus in the uterus of female dogs and transmissible venereal tumours, a common sexually transmitted disease in dogs, can be prevented.
“My pet, Amigo, suffers from Pyometra. That is why we came here for sterilisation,” said Sabina Chhetri, a pet owner in Thimphu.
Pyometra can be prevented or treated by spaying.
“We have two dogs and one of them is sterilised. The sterilised one is a male and we keep him outside. He used to mate with other dogs, which increases the dog population and we also ended up looking after the litter,” said Karma Yangchen, another pet owner.
“Till now, I have not sterilised because I love dogs and my current pet is a second generation. I do not breed the dogs for business purposes. So far, I have been giving away the puppies to my family members and raising some of them myself,” said Sonam Tshering, also a pet owner.
Although sterilisation is optional, according to the veterinary hospital, it should be a serious consideration for all pet owners for the health of their pets and to prevent the repopulation of free-roaming dogs.
Tenzin Loday Gyeltshen
Edited by Sherub Dorji
