Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 20
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit pets just as hard as on humans. While many people have deferred appointments with doctors or have to place orders for certain medications well in advance, pets in Dimapur have also to postpone scheduled vaccinations or have to wait for medicine and ointments even for common ailments.
In addition, pet food is also in short supply with the most popular brands hard to come by.
According to a veterinarian here in Dimapur, it has been a month since things important to the well-being of pets and even livestock have gone scarce in the market. “(Pet) Food shortage has been one but unavailability of vaccines has become a cause for concern,” said the vet, who runs a popular pet clinic.
While pets are brought to the clinic by owners, the clinic also attends to ‘home calls’ for treating ailing livestock or for vaccination.
He said that his register has at least 200 canines awaiting anti-rabies shots, the scheduled shots long overdue. “There are as many awaiting Combination Vaccine, which is also required to be administered at regular intervals like anti-rabies.” This is a 5-in-1 vaccine for protection against parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis, influenza and leptospirosis.
He said that this vaccine is very important for pups as not administering it on time would be fatal. Further, he said that foreign and mix-breeds, including livestock, not used to the environment here are susceptible to illness and needs the combination vaccine.
While stating that other veterinary drugs would also run out soon, even medicines for common pet and livestock ailments are running short with his stock estimated to last only a few days.
He said that the suppliers in Dimapur have attributed it to transport difficulty at source and at transit points arising from the lockdown in the industrial and business hubs of the country.
He added that he even tried to procure directly from Guwahati but even the suppliers there were unable to help.
As per one supplier, the grounding of flights has virtually paralysed the supply of vaccines, which are imported from Europe. “Vaccines come by flight and most of the time we use foreign vaccines. Flights are suspended and as a result, we are facing the shortage here,” the supplier said.
He added that supply of vaccines for livestock and pets would resume in about a week as some flights are being allowed given that vaccines fall under ‘Essential Commodities.’
He informed that only vaccine for swine fever could be imported as there was special government permission owing to the swine fever outbreak in upper Assam.
Combination vaccines come with liquid diluting agents, and according to him, the diluent is not available at present.
As far as pet food was concerned, he said that is available except one brand, which is imported. “Those that are manufactured in India are available, he said.”
