Catch Neuter Vaccinate Release (CNVR) under the BBMP ABC Program in Bangalore

Report by Rakesh Shukla for The Voice of Stray Dogs –  23 July 2011. Pictures on location at Sarvodaya Sevabhavi Sanstha

Catch Neuter Vaccinate Release (CNVR) procedure can be a solution for reaching effective higher throughput of ABC surgery especially in a city such as Bangalore where there is a tremendous amount of pressure for stray dog population control from citizens, media, BBMP and the state government. CNVR procedure differs from conventional ABC procedure primarily since it is ‘field procedure’ and ensure the release of the dog the same day as the capture. doing away with the holding period.  View the presentation on Animal Birth Control (ABC) using the Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (CNVR)-method. Dr. Ilona Otter, IPAN

Not only is the procedure quicker, and requires less effort in maintaining and caring for the dogs after surgery without compromising the safety and welfare of the dogs, its better because:

• Sterile working standards and equipment, pre-operative antibiotic use and good quality suture materials reduce risk of complications.
• Its also perhaps more efficient with the first the incision site is no larger than 3 centimeters
• Intracutaneus, absorbable sutures do not need to be removed and the dog is released the same day. Sutures are an of an absorbable filament eg. Vicryl, maxon, dexon etc. Peritoneum and linnea alba interrupted suture pattern using vicryl, dexon. Subcutaneous sutures with continuous suture pattern. Subdermal mattera with buried knot.
• When released back to their own surroundings, dogs are less bothered by their healing wounds — when kept in kennels for days they are more likely to start licking their wounds to combat boredom and stress
• It can be argued that hygiene in a municipal kennel and a dry area in a restricted kennel space is not easy to achieve. Kennels are generally difficult to keep sufficiently dry to avoid wound infection — when given the possibility to “go home” the dogs will find themselves dry places to lie down.
• Existing territories are maintained when dogs are not taken away for long times but released back soon to defend the are from unknown dogs coming from outside areas

On 23 July I had the opportunity to view a field camp under the Bangalore BBMP’s ABC program. This is run by Sarvodaya Sevabhavi Sanstha (President Dr Madhav Jinke) managed in Bangalore by Vinay More . It was a pleasant surprise since, even though it was a under a temporary shelter, the open air environment made sure there was no fetid still air, it was dry, and made for actually a clean working environment. It was evident that since we’d reached without any prior communication – this was the usual working environment. It was also evident that the surgical equipment was being kept sterile, or was disposable, and the amount of used injectible vials was testimony to the medication used for the dogs recovring in the recoring pen after the procedure. All in all a good example of how to set up and execute CNVR.