Return of veterinarians makes for happy pets in Mosul
MOSUL, Iraq — Sitting patiently on the examination table, a dog gets a full health check-up at a veterinary clinic in East Mosul.
Previously, her owners would have needed to take her to Duhok or Erbil to get treatments and vaccines.
But now Mosul's first veterinary clinic has opened in al-Noor neighbourhood.
'Pet Care Clinic' specialises in providing health care services to pets, and mainly treats dogs and cats.
The clinic was created and funded by four veterinary doctors who had hoped to find employment through the government.
When this didn't happen they put their money together to create the Pet Care Clinic.
It helps pets who are brought in by their owners, as well as injured street dogs and cats brought in by passersby.
"The idea includes everything dogs and cats need, from surgical operations to vaccines. The most important thing for people to know, and especially for dogs and cats owners, is the vaccines in order to guarantee the safety of those in the house as well as the safety of the dog," explains Dr. Ahmad Anmar, a veterinary practitioner at the clinic.
Services provided by the centre include pregnancy checks, spaying and neutering, broken limb and rectal prolapse operations. It also offers vaccinations.
However, Dr. Ahmad Yahya, a veterinary specialist at the clinic, explains that they now offer cosmetic procedures too.
"The most common one is the ear job surgery for dogs," he says.
Abdulmalik Mohammed has brought his cat to the clinic today for an examination, after it had an operation for a rectal prolapse ten days ago.
He admits that he used to treat his cats with medicines intended for humans.
"We used to count on the medicines that are available in human pharmacies," he explains.
"Whether it was injuries, skin diseases, or abdomen illness such as diarrhea, or tooth decay, we treated them with a basic knowledge. Of course, the majority of the cats were dying after it," he says.
Pet clinics are not a new thing in Iraq. There are many pet clinics in Baghdad and in the northern Kurdish region.
But previously there were none available in Mosul, despite it being Iraq's second largest city in terms of population.
Previously, her owners would have needed to take her to Duhok or Erbil to get treatments and vaccines.
But now Mosul's first veterinary clinic has opened in al-Noor neighbourhood.
'Pet Care Clinic' specialises in providing health care services to pets, and mainly treats dogs and cats.
The clinic was created and funded by four veterinary doctors who had hoped to find employment through the government.
When this didn't happen they put their money together to create the Pet Care Clinic.
It helps pets who are brought in by their owners, as well as injured street dogs and cats brought in by passersby.
"The idea includes everything dogs and cats need, from surgical operations to vaccines. The most important thing for people to know, and especially for dogs and cats owners, is the vaccines in order to guarantee the safety of those in the house as well as the safety of the dog," explains Dr. Ahmad Anmar, a veterinary practitioner at the clinic.
Services provided by the centre include pregnancy checks, spaying and neutering, broken limb and rectal prolapse operations. It also offers vaccinations.
However, Dr. Ahmad Yahya, a veterinary specialist at the clinic, explains that they now offer cosmetic procedures too.
"The most common one is the ear job surgery for dogs," he says.
Abdulmalik Mohammed has brought his cat to the clinic today for an examination, after it had an operation for a rectal prolapse ten days ago.
He admits that he used to treat his cats with medicines intended for humans.
"We used to count on the medicines that are available in human pharmacies," he explains.
"Whether it was injuries, skin diseases, or abdomen illness such as diarrhea, or tooth decay, we treated them with a basic knowledge. Of course, the majority of the cats were dying after it," he says.
Pet clinics are not a new thing in Iraq. There are many pet clinics in Baghdad and in the northern Kurdish region.
But previously there were none available in Mosul, despite it being Iraq's second largest city in terms of population.
Reporting by Associated Press