Sanjeev Jangwal a Punjabi NRI, who has settled in Paris have come to Ludhiana, India for the surgery of his pet dog Eva, three-year-old Bull Terrier.

Eva was treated in ‘THE VETERINARY surgery department of state-owned Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University’

The surgery for cruciate ligament of the leg that left her lame and limping would have cost around 4,500 Euros (Rs 3.2 lakh) in Paris.

Surgery was conducted on January 31st after that Eva is perfectly back on her feet; it costs only Rs 800 for surgery about 11 Euros. Even after including the cost of tests and medicines, the total expenses were Rs 800. A specialized fish line thread that was used in surgery cost 92 pounds approximately (Rs 7,740) was delivered from London.

Jangwal said that even if he included the cost of Eva’s flight ticket, the price he would have spent was less than Rs 1 lakh on her treatment. He said the cost of surgery alone is Paris was Rs. 3.5 lakh. So Jangwal headed to India for Eva’s surgery and he ordered threads from London as GADVASU doctors said its result would be better.

According to vets like Jangwal many other NRIs get their pets treated in India. The trend is giving rise to vet medical tourism in India, which is a growing field.

“It was an extremely critical condition that Eva was in. It is not a rare surgery, but a specialized one in which the knee joint is opened and in European countries if the condition worsens, vets even suggest euthanasia.

Dr Arun Anand, associate professor, veterinary surgery at GADVASU, said surgery being too costly in Europe, many opt for euthanasia, but with growing vet medical tourism, NRIs were landing in India to get their pets treated.”

He added, a hole was drilled and the thread was installed to stabilize the knee joint. Eva is back to playing and eating.

Harmeet Grewal is an NRI from Canada who is going to get her Pomeranian Cultural dog treated at Vets for Pets in Ludhiana, said, “Cost effectiveness is a major factor.

Treatment, medicines and even pet food, everything are just too expensive abroad. My dog Murphy had a severe stomach infection and eczema on the legs.”

Vipan Puri, whose daughter before shifting to the US from Singapore left their Australian Silky Terrier dog Mocha with him said that treatment for pets in India were way cheaper with almost the same facilities available abroad. But, few cases, ticket are too costly,”

Dr Jaspreet Singh from Vets for Pets said “Maybe NRIs are saving their money, but it is a win-win situation for India as vet tourism holds major potential,” said

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