Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Vet in Salalah?

Can anyone provide information to help answer this person's question?

Dear Ms.Gucci,

I've been offered a position in Salalah. I own a beautiful dog that I would intend to take with me. From my recruitment consultancy they insist that there are vet clinics in Salalah. From what I read in your useful blog and other comments elsewhere, you seem to imply that there are no "official" vets around (and that's what I also understood from other people's comments). I have read that once a week thare's a vet on-call from Muscat but that would not be enough for me. I am very attached to my dog and do care about its wellbeing. Taking into account that Salalah is 1000 kms from Muscat, I would definitely NOT take my pet if I had to resort to Muscat for help or an "occasional" vet on-call. What's your point of view on this? How safe do you think it is to have a dog in Salalah in case there's an emergency? Your answer will be highly appreciated as it's a crucial issue for me. Thanks a lot for your help.

Mr. Worried

17 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Salalah has a state of art veterinary hospital on Nabi Ayub Road,besides number of vetrinary clinics in Dhofar. I worked as veterinary officer in Salah under Ministry of Agriculture & fisheries.We used to extend vetrinary cover to both small & large animals and operate upon the surgical cases way back in 1985-87.For more queries one may like to consult Department of Animal Wealth Salalah.

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  2. It's correct that there is no vet service in Salalah (there is a vet here, but he works at the Sultan's farm and doesn't offer services to the public). It's also correct though that there are vets in Muscat who visit Salalah on a regular basis and can send down medications/treatments if necessary. It would also be possible to put your dog on a plane (1hr 40min journey) is there was some pressing need. Several people here have pets and none seem to have a problem. Unless your dog has some illness that means it needs regular attention from a vet then I'm not sure what the problem is. Yes, it's possible that your pet could meet with an accident and wont get immediate emergency care, but is that reason enough not to come? What are the chances?! Anyway, if you're this concerned about your pet, you might also want to consider how you feel about medical facilities here for yourself (which are WAY below any Western standard!).

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  4. it would be worth checking at the Diwans (Royal Office) stables and Royal Oman Police. They have animals which need looking after and might offer help to animals in need.

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  5. Having a dog here is manageable , but if there is an emergency then your only option is taking the dog to muscat . The vet does come down every 6 months depending on whether there are enough clients to make the journey finically beneficial . If you have any problems you can phone them and they are more than happy to help you ,and if medication is needed they will send it down to Salalah . You can get dog / cat vaccinations at muscat pharmacy and inject the animal yourself . If your dog Is old I would advise you not to bring her due to the lack of a vet and the heat as it can be uncomfortable .

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  6. We, like quite a few expats in SLL, have a dog and it's perfectly safe to have one here. YOu can walk it on the beach which is usually traffic free. Many houses have a fenced off outside area where they dog can play outside. I would say that your dog is possibly safer off here than in let's say some of the more crowded European countries.

    The vet only comes every now and then (she's supposedly coming at the end of this month).

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  7. I'm in Salalah with 2 indoor cats and a dog. I completely understand your concerns. There are, at present, no vet clinics in Salalah that I'm aware of. There is a new shop I've seen in Dahariz that advertises "Retail Veterinary Medicine" but I haven't checked it out yet. I'm guessing it's probably for livestock, however, rather than pets.

    Al Qurum Veterinary Clinic is fantastic, though. They usually send a vet to Salalah every few months (the last visit was in July, and they've just scheduled one for September.) Dr. Elke is great. They provided me with a stockpile of painkillers and antibiotics for emergencies, so if I had to make the trip down to Muscat, I could at least keep my pets pain free and start antibiotic treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, their email response is quick and extremely helpful. Last spring, Dr. Petar spayed my dog, in my home, and she healed and recovered beautifully.

    I keep a well-stocked first aid kit, with the aforementioned meds, which I haven't had to use, thankfully. My villa has high, secure fencing, and I never allow Sophie, my pup, off-leash.

    I think that as long as your dog is healthy, with no preexisting medical issues, you should be fine. Dog food is available at Lulu Hypermarket, KM, and Spinney's. (Although they only carry brands like Purina); Daiso carries a small variety of dog toys, and additional supplies can be shipped to Salalah from Animal World in Muscat, or through Al Qurum.

    In short, while the lack of local vet care is understandably worrisome, if you keep your dog secure & safe and keep first aid supplies on hand, while there still is some risk for injury or illness, I think the situation here in Salalah is definitely manageable for pets.

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    Replies
    1. Hi - I may be coming to live in Salalah and am wondering which airline to use to fly in my 3 cats from the UK. Any suggestions please?

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  8. I had the same concern and i decided to leave my dog in my home country since there is no vet in Salalah as far as i know.Although i had some friends 5 years ago that they brought their dog with them.Its a nice place for dogs but the only problem is that they will not meet other dog to play or socialize and you wont feel secure since there is no vet there.I checked at internet and there is a vet clinic which you can contact and send a vet from Muscat.My opinion is to take your dog with you!I would take mine but its a long journey from my home country and has to travel by cargo and i would die from anxiety if he is fine in there....so i choose to leave it with my parents who they adore him like i do!i adore my dog like its my child so i understand you!

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  9. The vet (Bob) mentioned above works at the Sultan's Farm and deals with livestock. He doesn't offer services to the public and their pets. Of course he helps out friends etc. but this is not a vet service as such.

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  10. It would not be fair to be phoning up Bob. He is not a domestic vet, although he is always being put upon to help with people's pets. Sick and injured humans too

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  11. I meant that you can ask Bob about the vet stuation, not hat he treats pets

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  12. Trygve, we already know there is no vet (for pets) based in Salalah. The vet comes from Muscat to provide this service!

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  13. Surely this blog should not be used as a vehicle for passing on unauthorized personal details? At least the unacceptable indiscretion has now been removed - belatedly

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  14. Still no vet out there?

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