In the stressful and at times merciless world of animal care, Animalia stands out as a haven in an oasis in a desert of crowds and suffering animals. The spacious building is welcoming and queues are reduced through an appointment sister complemented by an emergency service and a generous number of staff eager to help.

At the centre of this system is Dr Serge Monnier, a French veterinarian whose head is bubbling with ideas to be implemented at Animalia. We talked to him about pets in Mauritius, his experience with them and their owners but a particular focus on preventive medicine. If you are a pet owner, this is an opportunity to unlearn so many of the concepts and practices you have up until now taken for granted.

Let’s start with a stupid question: Why veterinary medicine and why Mauritius?

I have always had an interest in animals. It started with an interest in studying animals of the African Savannah, which ended in this vocation and I ended up in Mauritius. I have been here about a year now. I started practising as a vet in1989 and as I was nearing the end of my career, I felt I wanted a change of scene and perhaps travel a bit. I also felt out of sync with my previous employer who seemed more business-focussed rather than focussing on animal care.

You have a particular interest in preventive medicine. Can you, for the benefit of pet owners, outline the key steps that are required to avoid issues down the line?

Preventive medicine can be summed up in three points: control of parasites is very important as some parasites that affect pets such as tics and fleas can transmit harmful diseases. Secondly, it is important to keep up with deworming. Third, sterilisation as it not only avoids the transmission of venereal diseases but it also prevents the development of certain forms of cancer, such as prostate cancer in males and uterine cancer in females.  Making sure your pet is properly vaccinated also avoids many preventable problems.

What about diet?

A good diet is also very important and I think there is some lack of awareness around what that means for pets. Household diets are not suited to pets. In Mauritius, it seems people like cooking for their pets as much as they do for themselves, whereas in France we have moved onto industrial pet food.

“In France, we don’t really see as many bone fractures or mammary tumours, whereas coming here I encountered quite a few of the illnesses that existed in France 30 years ago.”

In what way is industrial pet food better than home cooking?

It is more balanced and better suited to pets. Most combinations of food we tend to prepare at home, such as rice and chicken or liver, do not contain all the nutrients that pets require for proper bone and organ development. We have to remember that, as much as we love them, our pets are different to us.

How does this sort of malnutrition manifest itself in animals?

Often through bone fractures and lowered immune defences. Some animals can also become obese as rice is calorific and liver is very high in fats. This can even cause conditions such as pancreatitis. So it is best to opt for a more balanced diet either wet or dry.

What’s the difference?

Wet food and dry food have the same composition. If we mix dry food with water and warm it up it, it becomes similar to wet food.

Some animals don’t like packaged or canned food. They prefer home cooking, like most of us…

Animals like to eat food heated to a temperature of 37 degrees. If they are used to eating home food, you can mix dry food with water and warm it up before serving it to them. As a transition, you can mix commercial food with home food until they get used to the new taste.

“The relationship between pets and owners in Mauritius has evolved tremendously. The dog is no longer treated as the watchman who stays outside chained to a pole. He is now a member of the family who lives inside.”

What if they refuse to eat?

No problem! When they are hungry, they will eat. A dog can go without food for up to three weeks.

Apart from nutrition, how do you find the level of animal care in Mauritius?

It is similar to the way things were in France 30 years ago. It’s more about urgent care than preventive medicine. In France, we don’t really see as many bone fractures or mammary tumours, whereas coming here I encountered quite a few of the illnesses that existed in France 30 years ago. This is due to the fact that veterinary medicine is less developed in Mauritius, training is lacking, which is a real problem as veterinary knowledge moves quickly and we need to keep up.

Are there any veterinary associations here that allows for knowledge to be shared among the medical community?

Unfortunately not here. It seems that there is an ‘every man for himself’ mentality here where people are more interested in competing with each other than helping advance medical expertise as a whole.

Your practice seems to have chosen to adopt a different approach to most veterinary and medical practices. Most consultations here are done by appointment. Is that a deliberate choice?

Absolutely! While we do have walk-in and emergency services, it is very important for us to have this appointment system. Our appointments are spaced out to for time to explain things properly. This again is in line with the practice that has been prevailing in France for the last 30 years. I am sure Mauritius as a whole will catch up soon. As a vet, it is my duty and pleasure to take the time to explain as well as reassure when necessary. So we are never in a hurry to push the customer in front of us out to see the next customer in a long and stressful queue.

When you talk about preventive medicine, particularly deworming, vaccines etc., it is a lot of stress for pet owners to keep up. How do you help them?

We are currently working on designing a long term care plan for pets, which would incorporate preventive medicine as well as caring for any pre-existing or chronic conditions. These are already common practice in the US and are starting in France. They are quickly shifting from cure to prevention. It also takes the burden off the pet owner as we take care of scheduling vaccinations, deworming treatments and check-ups as necessary. So the pet owner will be reminded when vaccines are due and when the treatment for ticks and fleas needs to be administered etc. This plan will take a lot of stress off the pet owners and will promote a better health for the pets. For example, there are mosquitos which transmit heartworm diseases that cause cardiac problems. These are easy to treat when diagnosed. So regular reminders and checkups will help prevent a lot of serious ailments.

There must be a number of operations you perform, many of which could perhaps be avoided. What are the most common operations?

I perform a number of surgeries daily, which can range from routine dental surgery to dealing with lymphomas, performing chemotherapy or dealing with kidney stones.

Are Mauritians aware of these problems?

No because, in fact, they identify the animal with themselves: our pet has to live like us, he has to sleep like us and eat like us. Admittedly, it is empathy but it is also a misunderstanding of preventable diseases.

Can pets have the appropriate treatment in this country?

It’s complicated. Veterinary medicine has to evolve, there is a lack of medication and there is a dire need for continuous training.

Are there enough vets to cater to the needs of our pets?

It is more a problem of training than one of shortage. A vet needs to continue to upgrade his/her knowledge as the profession evovles very qucikly.

In terms of emotional health, what range of emotions can pets feel?

Dogs and cats are very perceptive; they can feel a range of basic human emotions, such as happiness, anger and sadness.

What about more complex emotions like rejection or disappointment?

Those are burdens only us, humans, are burdened with. Luckily, dogs and cats lead a much simpler life.

It is said that a civilisation can be gauged by the way animals are treated. At what degree of civilisation are we?

The relationship between pets and owners in Mauritius has evolved tremendously. The dog is no longer treated as the watchman who stays outside chained to a pole. He is now a member of the family who lives inside. So much so in fact that there is a need to treat him to a home-cooked meal. The problem is the lack of knowledge of what is good for the dog. Some however still allow dogs to roam around in the street with absolutely no consideration for this faithful companion.

Can we talk about your own personal experience with pets? Do you have any pets yourself?

Yes, I brought two dogs and two cats with me from France, one whom passed away recently at the ripe age of 21 years old. He was one of my most beloved companions. I also recently adopted a puppy that I found on the streets of Tamarin. I just couldn’t bear leaving him on the streets. Pure breed dogs are more complicated, particularly in Mauritius because of genetic problems and in-breeding.  

Is losing a pet more difficult for you as a vet?

I think so, because, sometimes, I had to euthanise them myself. It is tough.

How do you manage to replace them?

It’s a question of whether or not you can live without a pet. I can’t!