VN October 2022

Vetnuus | October 2022 14 An initiative of the SOUTH AFRICAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION Non-profit Company: 1998/016654/08 Non-profit Organisation: 000-234 NPO Public Benefit Organisation: 130001321 CLUNY ANIMAL TRUST TURNED THEIRWEEKLY DIP DAY INTO A MINI-VACCINATION OUTREACH Every Tuesday, we spend the day on the soccer field in Kgubetswana, Clarens and because we have the extra help in terms of Dr Andreas, Britta and Janne, we decided on the spur of the moment to do a mini-outreach and we brought Daisy along as well. The main aim of the day was vaccination, because we always see the numbers drop off significantly in winter time and it remains vitally important that we vaccinate as many animals as possible. So, on Monday, Nico was driving around the area loud-hailing and we also used ourWhatsApp connections to let as many people know, about Tuesday as possible. We were thrilled at the response! All day long, in gloomy, cold, and overcast weather we had a long queue of people, patiently waiting with their animals to be vaccinated. Having had a confirmed case of Rabies in Clarens last year, these kinds of days are vitally important for the overall health and wellbeing of not only the animals but the people as well. We vaccinated 204 animals against Rabies, and we also vaccinated some of the dogs with 5in1 and 3in1 for cats, plus 3 dogs were also sterilised. Rabies is endemic to the eastern Free State. But in truth, Rabies is something that everyone has heard of, but very few people actually know a great deal about it and why they should be concerned. It is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be passed from animals to humans, and poses a significant threat, being almost always fatal. The good news is that Rabies is 100% preventable but only if you vaccinate your animals! By choosing to vaccinate your pet against Rabies, if they are bitten by a domestic or wild animal carrying the virus, you are not only protecting them from becoming unwell but you are also protecting other animals that they may come into contact with. But probably, and most importantly, you are also keeping the human members of your family safe, who would be at extreme risk of developing Rabies, if your pet were to contract the virus. Protection enables you and your pet/s to avoid painful, debilitating symptoms and a swift and unpleasant death. All dogs and cats should be vaccinated against Rabies between 3 and 6 months of age. Then booster shots should then be administered every year, especially if you live in a Rabies endemic area, like we do! For all of our local families, please chat to us about vaccinating your pets and even if you have missed a vaccination, that is okay, no need to panic but let us help you get that sorted ASAP. For everyone else, we encourage you to please chat to your local veterinarian – bottom line just make sure your animals are vaccinated! Vaccination really is the only option because there is no cure for Rabies! v CVC News I CVC Nuus Thework of Cluny Animal Trust CVC Articlewrittenby ImogenTarita