We love, we care, we treat

Here’s the story behind the creation of CPVet.
– Dr Ashok Kumar Dr Ashok Kumar
Dr Ashok Kumar, who graduated from Pondicherry Veterinary College, is at the helm of the chain of CPVet hospitals. Recalling his early days, when he was about to finish his college and start veterinary practice, Dr Ashok says, “I thought of going for large animal practice. So I started treating ill cows and buffalos during my visits to my native village (Madhubani) in Bihar in college breaks.”

“My problem in large animal practice was that I didn’t have the courage to get money, even the cost of medicines, from those village cattle owners who were extremely poor,” narrates Dr Ashok, adding that he was just a student or barely a young practitioner then, so his decision to move to Delhi.

Starting small animal practice

“Life at Pondicherry Medical College was something I would never forget—be it south Indian food, broken local language, friends and my beloved professors,” says Dr Ashok. He adds, “Leaving them all behind I reached Delhi where my cousin sister was staying too. “But I knew nobody in the veterinary circle,” he mentions.

Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre (SGACC) was where he started working as a small animal practitioner. He later started working at Dr Kharb’s Pet Clinic & Surgery in Gurgaon. After which he started CPVet.

An opportunity to help the voiceless

The eight hospitals of CP Vets in Delhi and NCR are well-equipped with modern equipments and technologies, which include digital x-ray and ultrasound machines with in-house labs and grooming facilities. A team of 12 veterinarians and 55 staffers operate the CPvet hospitals round the clock. When asked the best aspect of veterinary profession, Dr Ashok says, “Apart from diagnosis, best part of this profession is that we have the opportunity to treat the patients who are voiceless and can’t express their own pain and agony. Some cases are extremely complicated and when we can help them, it is the most satisfying and heartwarming.

Common problems and concerns

“Cases related gastro and endocrinology are common among our patients. But cancer is an increasing problem among dogs,” mentions Dr Ashok, adding, “Skin, spleen and liver tumours are common. Bone tumour is the fourth most common cancer case. He says it’s hard to figure out why the cases of cancer are increasing among dogs.

“What I have noticed today is that more than 50 percent of pet hospitals have x-ray machines and more than 10 percent have ultrasound facility. Diagnostic treatments have become a new norm and nowadays diagnostic labs are common everywhere,” he says, adding vaccinations have been improved and distemper cases have reduced.

In case of rare and complicated cases or ailments, vets at CPvet hospitals seek supports from experts like vet professors in different vet institutes, such as Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI). “Sometimes we send samples to them and get their opinions,” says Dr Ashok. He adds, “Though we have all facilities at par with the developed countries, we still need some faster updates in facilities and equipments, which we hopefully will gain in 10 years down the line as we are learning a lot through regular international conferences and educational programmes in the industry.”

Advice to pet parents

As a mutual advice to pet parents, Dr Ashok says, “I have noticed that 80 percent of pet parents in our country are extremely good and they adopt their pets like their own kids. While the rest needs improvement in their way of nurturing pet dogs. My advice to every pet parent is that don’t keep pet dogs only because other people do it so. Be a responsible pet parent.” Apart from pet parents, he has a piece of advice to new veterinary graduates: “Young vet graduates have diverse areas open for them to choose from in vet practices.”

Good news for pet parents is that CPvet is now gearing up to spread its footprints in newer cities such as Chandigarh, Jaipur and Lucknow soon.