Celebrating the veterinary profession
News
Today marks World Veterinary Day. We're celebrating every single vet professional globally who puts in work to protect animals. It is their zeal and commitment that truly makes the world a better place. Get to know what our vet experts feel about the animals they get to work with.
From left, Dr. Kelvin Momamnyi - Campaign Officer Animals in Farming, Dr. Mwenda Mbaka - Head of External Affairs, Dr. Emily Mudoga - Campaign Manager - Animals in Farming
When did you start practising the vet profession?
Dr. Mwenda Mbaka:
I started out in 1985.
Dr. Emily Mudoga:
I started practising the veterinary profession in 1997.
Dr. Kelvin Momanyi :
My career as a veterinary surgeon started off in April 2014 while attending to Coco. Coco was a gentle, white light-brown, cat suffering from a notorious mouth cancer. Unfortunately, Coco did not survive. Thereafter, I transitioned my career focus to One Health and One Welfare.
What keeps you going in your work for animals?
Dr. Emily Mudoga:
Apart from the fun of working with animals who have amazing personalities, it is their sense of love, curiosity, and plain honesty that truly makes working with them inspiring . It’s also the amazing feeling I get when I see an animal helped from suffering. And finally, it’s my human duty to take care of nature animals.
Dr. Mwenda Mbaka:
Dr. Kelvin Momanyi :
What keeps me going is that I know animals serve multiple functions in my country, Kenya. They feed us with milk, meat, eggs and other products, they help us carry our goods to the market and most importantly, they keep us company. Just imagine that feeling when a cat is purring in your arms or when your dog welcomes you back home while swinging its tail.
Veterinary professionals attending to a dog caught up in a disaster
What’s the role of the veterinary profession in advocacy for better animal welfare?
Dr. Kelvin Momanyi:
The veterinary profession across the world is tasked with safeguarding the health and welfare of all animals. They provide world-class intervention when animals are sick, injured or stressed. Veterinarians are best placed to not only respond to animal problems but also provide a voice for animals. You, as the reader, have a critical role of joining the veterinary professionals in amplifying that voice as well.
Dr. Mwenda Mbaka:
The technical knowhow and scientific evidence to elucidate the relevance of animal welfare in human and environmental welfare
Dr. Emily Mudoga:
I believe the veterinarian has the role to help educate, guide awareness for citizens whether animal owners, lovers and non-owners and work with government and organizations in finding and designing policies and systems to not only ensure AW but also enable the human population to be able to undertake welfare of animals within, around and about their greater environment.
Regarding the 2020 World Veterinary Day theme on Environmental protection for improving animal and human health, what are your thoughts?
Dr. Kelvin Momanyi:
The health of our environment is a direct reflection of our health and the health of our animals. It is crucial to dispose off waste in designated areas, avoid destroying forests and avoid encroaching wildlife habitats. When we let wildlife stay in the wild without interfering with their home, forests, we can play a huge part in stopping future pandemics of zoonoses like Covid-19.
Dr. Emily Mudoga:
In the light of the ongoing COVID-19 we are seeing the consequences of where mankind has been disrespecting nature and environment, it would suit us best to respect and protect our environment if we are looking not only into a sustainable future but one where mankind is still living.
Dr. Mwenda Mbaka:
When we protect animals, we also protect our environment and vice versa. Some dangerous germs (pathogens) that can cause disease in humans can also cause disease in animals and these are referred to as zoonoses. These dangerous germs can be transferred from the human to animal and vice versa through the environment (i.e. from contaminated soil, air, water or plants).
Normally, these dangerous germs can be killed by drugs prescribed by either your human doctor for treatment of disease in humans or the veterinary doctor for treatment of disease in animals. Sometimes these dangerous germs become resistant to these drugs (they cannot be killed) because of misuse/underuse/overuse by us humans.
The immune system of humans and animals can fight off some germs but sometimes they can’t because of immunosuppression (weakened immune system). Our immune systems can be weakened by our environments (i.e. contaminated water, unsafe food etc.). Moreover, when ecosystems are destroyed, they disturb the balance between animals, humans and environment which can result to evolution of deadly germs such as Ebola. Environmental protection is therefore crucial for animal and human protection.
What is your hope for animals globally?
Dr. Mwenda Mbaka:
I hope that people increasingly and urgently recognize that animals just like human beings, have feelings too. I’m optimistic that if we appreciate sentience in animals and how it affects their welfare and that of people, the living conditions of animals will improve.
Dr. Emily Mudoga:
Dr. Kelvin Momanyi :
What would you encourage everyone to do for animals?
Dr. Kelvin Momanyi:
I would encourage you the reader to show compassion to animals. Remember they also can feel pain, they can feel cold, they can feel hungry, they can get sick and they can be sad. Therefore, take care of animals in the best way you possibly can. Importantly, stand against animal suffering and cruelty!
Dr. Emily Mudoga:
Consider them the way you consider yourself as we need them more then they need us. Disregarding or misusing them will only harm us in the end.
Dr. Mwenda Mbaka:
I would encourage everyone to appreciate that animals should not be subjected to suffering. People should recognize that we will all die some day; however, nobody should suffer while alive just because they will die and this applies to animals as well.
Which is your favourite animal and why?
Dr. Mwenda Mbaka:
None. All animals are amazing to me.
Dr. Emily Mudoga:
The greater Cat family because they know who they are and don’t apologize for it . Their nature can go from Majestic all the way to being a simple clown which I find fascinating.
Dr. Kelvin Momanyi:
My favourite animal is the human being. Isn’t that strange? The human being has the power to make the life of all the other animals on earth better or worse and they have the power to take care of the environment or destroy it. You, yes you, are my favourite animal today.
It would be great to have you in our family too. Join our animal lovers movement today
I would encourage you the reader to show compassion to animals. Remember they also can feel pain, they can feel cold, they can feel hungry, they can get sick and they can be sad.