HEERA ALAYA

Dr Priyadarshini Govind, a gifted veterinary surgeon for companion animals, is a boon to the animals she treats and an asset to the pet owners she advises. Dr Govind speaks to me about the challenges faced by female veterinarians while stressing the need to make informed pet choices and how best to care for companion animals.

Heera Alaya: You decided to pursue veterinary science when it was, and to a large extent, it is still considered a man’s profession in India. Did your family support you in this decision?

Dr Priyadarshini Govind: My parents come from two different communities, and they defied their families and got married. Initially, my parents had no family support, making them fiercely independent, raising their kids with the same spirit. When I was about 12 or 13, I wanted to be a paediatrician, but I also talked about being a neonatal specialist. When my parents asked me why, I said: “Babies don’t speak, which makes it challenging.”

Then, when I was about 12, someone gave me a pup—a blue-blooded Labrador. This pup was a huge inspiration because she was not the healthiest of dogs—she fell sick very often, and I would keep going to the hospital with her. My parents also noticed that every little injured creature from the streets turned up at our house.

We were taught to do what our hearts told us and, of course, to be sensible about our decisions.

Do most veterinarians (in India) settle for veterinary science because they couldn’t get into mainstream medicine?

Yes. In my batch of 140 students, only two chose to become veterinarians. I couldn’t see another way of life for myself.

Can a person do right by animals when they settle for being a veterinarian? And can they be happy?

How many people are willing to settle for happiness and a lower salary than get all the money and still be unhappy? I notice a lack of knowledge in society. And I find a larger group of people settling for unhappiness. I like what you are doing now—motivating young people to do what they want to do.

When I joined the veterinary course, I had no idea that the rest of my classmates wouldn’t care a damn about animals. They had not had so much as a little kitten in their house. I have seen them be rude and cruel to animals, which was very disillusioning.

What challenges did you face during the veterinary science course? 

The dissections—it was difficult to shut off the fact that this cute calf with its mother one moment is preserved and in front of me to cut open the next minute.

Was the calf killed for you to dissect?

Yes. A certain number of lives had to be sacrificed for research. During my postgraduate degree, I performed many experimental procedures on dogs and cats. Today, we have simulated electronic models where people can practice. Now, all experiments must be clinically based, meaning you don’t have to sacrifice animals; you must accumulate a set number of clinical theses. This transition started when I was studying; I did my thesis this way.

Is there an increase in the number of women pursuing veterinary science?

In India, veterinary science continues to be male-dominated because veterinarian science is likened to caring for cattle and horses. The impression people have is that women don’t have the physical strength to do the job.

The fact is, mental strength is far more important than physical strength.

The number of women is increasing now. Of 140 students in my batch, 80 were women, and 60 were men.

If this is the case [the increase in female veterinary science students], why do we see fewer female veterinarians? 

Women get married and stop practising veterinary medicine—the idea of caring for the husband and looking after the baby takes precedence. Out of 80 women in my group, only one is still in practice.

Are you taken seriously as a veterinarian?

I still cannot figure out why men question our credibility. Men always like to put women down; they want to attribute everything to their hormonal reactions. Two guys interviewed me a while ago, asking if I regretted being an old maid. You know, Heera, it upset me—I was so shocked. I didn’t know how to reply.

You live life on your terms and made your dream a reality. How many people can claim this truth? Anyone can get a salaried job. It must be terrible being in their [men who put women down] shoes; we can only show sympathy for people with this impoverished disposition.

It also talks about the mindset in this country [India]; it has to change. Girls can be in the same professions as men and often perform better. Also, we are driven by having to prove ourselves as women. The situation [subjugation of women] is changing very, very slowly. I always tell parents: “Don’t look at your daughter as a daughter; look at her as someone who can do anything your son can.” It’s nice to learn to be independent. And my pride is such that if I want to buy my parents something, I don’t have to think twice; I can afford it.

Did you face obstacles from your professors, male colleagues, or the public?

When I set up my veterinary practice, my professor said: “God save those animals she is going to handle.”

And what does your professor have to say today?

My professor has become an old man. He doesn’t practice anymore, but I get many of his cases. His clients tell me they see a lot of my professor in me. I take this as a compliment (as my professor was an accomplished vet).

When I lived in India, veterinary clinics lacked pet X-ray and scanning facilities. Where do things stand today?

Only government veterinary hospitals have these [X-ray and scan] facilities. If you invest in an X-ray or an ultrasound machine, there has to be a certain amount of return. If I want a pet X-rayed, someone reaches my clinic quickly, and he does a good job. If doctors get together and open a practice, they can afford to team up and buy such equipment.

Would you consider collaborating with veterinarians specialising in different fields?

Yes. I don’t perform orthopaedic or ophthalmic surgery. I am not trained or experienced enough and am unwilling to put a dog’s eyesight at stake. So, I refer all my cases to an excellent female vet. This outlook—referring my clients to other vets—has gained me respect among my clients. And the next time my clients have to see a vet, they return to me.

Some of my colleagues fear their clients will go to another vet and not return. The fact is you do not own anybody. What people choose to do with their pets is their choice. Would you rather an animal lose its eyesight?

All involved parties benefit when the animal’s well-being is the focus.

Definitely.

There was a time when Indian vets insisted neutered cats be kept in rusty cages at the clinic (not something I followed). How can an owner care for a neutered pet at home?

When I neuter pets, I give owners comfortable recovery cages.

Owners should know that dogs wail on recovery, and since cats are high-strung, they get disoriented. In addition, cats tend to hallucinate on recovery; they don’t do well with anaesthesia. 

So one should switch off the lights—when it’s dark and quiet, cats will go back to sleep. Also, keep the room at a comfortable temperature, and don’t move the pet if you see it tossing or turning.

Several veterinarians push puppy sales and recommend breeders. Do the veterinarians get a commission?

Most vets take a commission from every puppy that is sold. If more vets come out of the mindset—of selling puppies—to get commissions, it will help. I have breeders who tell me they have puppies for sale; I might direct someone to look at the litter, but it’s only a reference. Also, whether that puppy returns to you for treatment is not your decision.

Now that dumping dogs and cats has become an option, do you see a growing callous cycle—rescuing abandoned animals (by animal shelters) and the subsequent adoption?

Yes. Breeders come to me inquiring about becoming a member of the Blue Cross: “We sometimes see strays on the road and want to leave them in the shelter.” No, it’s not true. Breeders think becoming a BC [Blue Cross] member or the People for Animals [PFA] is a license to dump their animals. Unfortunately, the BC and the PFA are overcrowded. We have a lot of “no-kill” policies in India. Due to the lack of manpower, newborn puppies whose mothers have died, lie and choke on the bottle they are being fed with and die.

This no-kill or no euthanising policy isn’t right. When I reason, I am told I am too Western. It’s not about being Western. Would you rather have a newborn animal die a miserable death or put it down right there? Unfortunately, India has this problem. We have a lot of centres where animals are dying but are not put down. I want shelters to wake up and decide which animal has to be put down and which to take care of. The animals are hoarded, and they all die in their own time, some sooner, some later. It’s not a happy existence.

How do you deal with wealthy, disconnected clients—who talk excessively about their imported breeds, imported kennels, imported food, even imported leashes and shampoos and who force caretaking onto their domestic help?

I am downright rude to owners who send their dogs with their drivers and managers. Whenever I see a new driver, maid, or manager, I can tell there is no bonding. I write a note informing the owner that I want to see their face. And the pet owner responds: “Oh, the vaccines are due.” Would you send your child to the paediatrician with the hired help? No, you are at the paediatrician’s with the mother-in-law and father-in-law in tow for the first vaccine. Then why not for this pet?

Often, children from low-income families treat their pets, primarily mongrels or street cats, with tenderness and love. Watching children, often barefoot, on a cycle or in an autorickshaw with their pets in tow is quite the sight.

I am sure there are households where pets and people are nurtured; they will take the first puppy off the street and shower their love. These poor people might not have money—like the rich kids—to do more for their pets, but they know how to extend love.

Mongrels are affectionate and intelligent. What stops people from having them as pets?

I am selling this idea of adopting mongrels as pets. When people tell me they want to spend less money and want a low-maintenance dog, I ask them to walk into shelters where hundreds of puppies await homes. But some educated people say they want a pedigreed dog; it’s a status thing.

The wealthy man’s pet is part of their “we have arrived” package.

Sure. People tell me they built their house for nine or ten crores and want a dog to go with it. They don’t know what to say when I ask if the dog is part of the furniture. After the Vodaphone advertisement, the Pug breed exploded in India; everybody wanted to go out and buy a Pug.

I understand that many pugs “manufactured overnight” died as they could not tolerate the heat in India.

It’s true; pugs couldn’t take the heat. The whole depiction of pugs in that Vodaphone ad was wrong. Pugs are not necessarily the friendliest of dogs—they can be bad with children, yet they [advertisements] show the pug running around with a child in the ad.

I have clients who have never looked after dogs and should never have taken on a pug as their first dog. Pugs are a delicate breed, and many inbred pugs have undescended testicles, weak hind legs, poor vision, skinfold eczema, the entire cycle of eye conditions, and respiratory disorders. But you bought it just because you saw an advertisement and thought it [the pug] was cute. You saw the pug just like an actor selling jeans or sunglasses—it looks hot; I want it, I buy it. Pugs were the season’s flavour; you had breeders popping up everywhere. And then, when nobody wanted them anymore, pugs were dumped.

I also have had people asking for white dogs. There is a fixation on white and fluffy in India; have you noticed that?

How can one miss the obsession with white—it runs the gamut from white women to white pets.

True. Men want fair women, but the parameters change from state to state. With white and fluffy dogs, people don’t realise they are high-maintenance and don’t have the best temperament. I ask clients if they want a short-coated dog or a long-coated one. Then, I advise clients to visit some shelters to look at the puppies. Sure, they won’t know the dog’s parents, but how often do they see the pedigree dog’s parents? Because it’s a pedigree, you don’t mind buying it from a breeder, broker, or pet shop that doesn’t show you the parents.

Humans require fingers to carry out fundamental functions. How has it become acceptable to declaw cats or clip puppies’ ears and dock tails, which robs them of their basic instincts?

Animals shouldn’t be subjected to this [altering body parts] treatment. If a dog’s tail is up in the air and wagging, you know it’s happy to see you, and if the tail is tucked between its legs, you realise it’s scared, and if it’s not moving, it’s not in any particular state of mind. When you dock a dog’s tail, its freedom of expression is gone. I have tried to understand this whole cosmetic surgery thing, and I have not found a single justifiable reason. People have progressed to using the latest electronics, so why have their mindsets not changed? Who are people to say that this is too thin or not? In many cases, the cropping fails, and apparently, the show dog value is lost, so they only use the dog for breeding and making money.

Declawing, docking and cropping are cruel. From day one, I took a stand not to alter animals. I became a surgeon to save lives, not alter animals.

You have lips, and you have teeth, and you can express happiness. How does a dog express itself otherwise? A boxer has no tail because you crop it out when it’s two days old. Cropping a puppy’s ears when they are four months old is cruel; puppies wear the bandage for three months, forming scar tissue, which contracts and makes the ears stand up. Why do we do this? Because some man somewhere said that a Doberman, Boxer, Great Dane, or Schnauzer looks good with cropped ears and cropped tails.

The process must be traumatic for the pup and the mother.

I don’t know if the mother realises; all she knows is that her puppies are taken away from her when they are three days old, and they come back an hour later without their tails.

I am talking about the mother dog sensing her puppy’s pain.

Yes, the mother senses the pain and will be in a lot of trauma, and the mother will release cortisone in her milk, which her puppies will consume.

Is there an informed approach to buying a pedigree? And how can we better educate ourselves about the suffering that comes with repeated breeding of the mother animal?

It’s best to approach pedigree buying scientifically. Ask the breeder to show you both the father and the mother and ask the breeder for the certificates to ensure the dogs aren’t inbred (It’s called inline breeding, where the breeders breed the mother with her uncle.).

I have tried to drill sense into some breeders—if they want to breed their dog, breed her every third heat, giving her a year’s break in the middle. Don’t breed her every six months, and don’t inbreed.

What is the eventual fate of the mother dogs that are bred repeatedly?

I am glad you brought attention to the plight of the mother dog; I am trying to address this suffering and have been talking to a lady who runs an animal shelter. I called her once, out of sheer exasperation, when I came across a female Labrador who, in four years, had changed three owners (and they all came right back to my clinic).

I have to blame myself, as I didn’t recognise the dog. I have so many patients that I correlate the owner’s face with the dog. When I looked at the record book, I asked: “Was this dog not owned by somebody else?” The owner informed me that they had bred the dog, then given it to another person for breeding, and sold it to a third guy to be bred again.

By the time the mother dog dies, she has changed hands six or seven times, and when she can be bred no more, she is thrown into the streets and lands in a shelter.

The lady who runs the shelter told me that they become very secretive when we ask people about the mother dog. I have tried to bring it up with certifying authorities, namely the Kennel Club of India; the breeders run it, and they do the same thing. Unfortunately, The Kennel Club of India doesn’t want to listen to what I am saying.

It sounds like the Indian lawmaker who is the lawbreaker, not the law upholder.

It is. Every time you buy a puppy, ask to see the mother. If you see that the mother is kept in a sad state and looks unhealthy, you know the mother has been repeatedly bred. Some clients will return and tell me that the mother looked terrible, but the puppies looked great. People aren’t willing to change even when I say the mother has had no break—she is bred from her first heat.

Many female dog owners tell me their dog is ready to be bred. And I ask: “Did she tell you?” To this, they ask me: “Is she not old enough?” These men say they have wives, and their sisters have husbands, and they must have children. And I tell them the female dog doesn’t need to go through motherhood.

Most owners are doing it out of sheer ignorance. Breeders do it for money, and people who are buying the puppies choose to be shortsighted. When a person brings their female dog to me, I first tell them: “I hope you are not going to breed her.” They ask why, and I explain the problems and the benefits of spaying.

When you let dogs go on one heat, you increase their chances of ovarian and mammary cancer.

Once people are convinced of the benefits of spaying their dogs, they can seek more information. The mindset is slowly beginning to change; people are bringing in their pre-pubescent pets for sterilisation.

Is it emotionally challenging for you to euthanise pets?

Many vets say that it’s against their ethical belief to put an animal down, and their clients come to me telling me their pet is very ill; they don’t inform me straight away (on the phone) that they want an appointment for euthanasia.

A few years ago, I reached a day when I didn’t want to wake up the following morning—I dreaded putting an animal down every day. Euthanising pets took a massive toll on me; I would go to bed and wake up in tears. But when I saw the state of those dogs, I realised their suffering is more important than the owner’s negligence or the attitude of their vet saying:” My heart is too soft, and I can’t euthanise.”

There cannot be anyone more sensitive than I am. One day, after eight straight days of euthanising, I told a client that her vet had no guts to face up to what he had to do and that her vet was walking away from his responsibility. The vet had diagnosed a woman’s dog with the problem, gave her the entire picture and then threw her out to cope. What sort of a vet is he? This woman finally picked up the phone and called the vet, but he wouldn’t euthanise her pet, so I put the dog down. What has this profession taught us? Relieve an animal of pain. It doesn’t always mean curing illness and healing.

I know what you mean—putting an end to animals’ suffering gives dignity to death.

What is your opinion on extending pets’ dignity during their lifetime—primary care, grooming and exercise?

I always tell people that if you want to get a pet, set aside half an hour to groom your pet; during this time, an owner can find out things about their pets—like lumps, wounds, overgrown nails and bad breath. Plus, grooming is also therapeutic for the owner.

Exercise is important too. A puppy can play around in the garden or terrace, but after dogs are immunised, it’s ideal to take them for walks twice a day—early in the morning and the evening (not in the sun).

The other thing that I tell owners is to pick up after their pets; don’t leave poop around. Even here at the clinic, I say that if your dog has pooped, tell me. Don’t look away. Everybody poops. At times when I open the clinic door to dog poop, people will step around the poop. I get a plastic bag and pick it up after their dog; this hits people hard: the doctor picks up the dog poop. How difficult was that? Actions speak louder than words—you must do it to make others realise.

Do pets mirror the personality of their owners; for instance, is a high-strung dog a reflection of its aggressive owner?

I have always believed that [pets mirror the owner’s personality].

So when a dog is aggressive, the owner must be trained, not vice versa?

Yes. Clients come in with their puppies and yell: “No, no!” I ask what they have named their pet—it could be Juno or Bruno—and I let them know that the pup probably thinks his name is “NO.” I asked one of my clients why he was shouting so loudly at his dog, and he told me his previous vet said that if the dog barks, he should shout louder.

Hilarious!

Yes, it is. You must be firm at the dog’s level and use a low-volume voice—it informs the dog you are not high-strung and mean-spirited.

What should a pet owner look for in a veterinarian?

The connection between the pet and the vet is a good place to start.

You have always had the support of your family; most women don’t. How can women stay on track to pursue their dreams?

In school, I had people laugh at me: “Priya, a vet?”

A woman should follow her heart and not listen to the noise around her, as she cannot embark on her path. And stay with your dream.

I tell the youngsters: “Practice with your heart first and use your brains to use what you have been taught.”

Your working hours seem to be endless. How do you maintain a balance?

Maintaining balance is tough. This may be one of the reasons I decided to remain single. I have been in relationships but haven’t met a man who has understood my vocation and calling. My parents are supportive, but they are getting older and falling ill. I now realise why I set up a clinic here—to care for them. In many ways, my work gives me balance; it keeps me grounded.

Where does the real reward lie for you?

The true reward has been how people have reacted to my existence in the city. When someone like you comes to interview me, or the patients who love me visit me (my clinic is part of their evening walk), it’s extremely rewarding.