Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands located off the coast of Honduras in the Caribbean. Even though it may be the largest island of the archipelago, there is still more to be desired in relation to the health services provided for the small animal population. This is in part due to the limited number of practicing veterinarians on the island as well as the local population’s inability to pay for veterinary services.
To address the growing need for accessible veterinary care, World Vets has been sending veterinary teams to Roatan since 2008. Our teams not only provide much needed spay/neuter services to help control the small animal population, they also provide medical consultations, in addition to life saving procedures as is the case with Jasper, a dog that was treated on our most recent campaign.
Jasper came to be castrated, though also had substantial tumors in his scrotum that were also looked after during the surgery. While everything went well with the procedure, Jasper experienced difficulties with coagulation so he continued to bleed from the surgical site. Our team suspect this was likely due to erlichiosis (a tick-borne illness) that is highly prevalent on the island. To remedy this, our volunteers utilized pressure wraps around the area to stop the bleeding. This helped, though what he needed was more blood.
Luckily there was a large dog who had come for a consultation and whose owner was more than willing to allow our team to collect blood from him to give to Jasper. And so, in the midst of sterilizations and health consultations, our volunteers found themselves involved in an emergency a blood transfusion! We are happy to report that Jasper is doing great!
We thank Fondation Brigitte Bardot for their ongoing support of our small animal project in Roatan
World Vets is excited to announce the MD Koenig Veterinary Technology World Vets Scholarship. Veterinary technicians are essential team members in all aspects of veterinary medicine. This scholarship will recognize one outstanding individual by honoring them with a 1 week paid project fee for the World Vets International Veterinary Medicine Training Program (IVM) located in Granada, Nicaragua.
