VIDAS would like to announce that our May 2004 clinic was a success! Our schedule was a bit hectic: one day in Tulum, three days in Playa del Carmen, and three days in Puerto Morelos, but with the help of our tireless volunteers, we sterilized over 260 animals! VIDAS made great strides in working with the local government and local people (veterinarians and volunteers) as a united front to help both the animals and the people of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Our people base continues to grow! Those who come to the clinics either as a volunteer helper, to bring in an animal for treatment or just to watch, are touched by the teamwork, motivation and dedication to the animals that our team continuously displays and are moved to contribute to our cause. Thanks to everyone involved for their ability to sustain a friendly smile and an outreached helping hand during a very busy and exhausting week!
VIDAS is constantly working to provide the best care possible for the animals we treat. Each year we re-assess our protocols and try to improve the level of care and comfort for our patients. This year we placed intravenous catheters in all dogs having spay surgery to provide protective fluid therapy during surgery. We brought along a portable gas anesthesia machine which we were able to use on longer or more complicated surgeries or on those patients at greater anesthetic risk, providing a higher level of safety for these patients. The machine is on loan from Dr. RB Heath of Fort Collins, an anesthesiologist who builds portable machines for clinics just like ours. We are hoping to raise $875 to purchase this machine (and potentially several others!) and make it a permanent VIDAS fixture! If you would like to help us please visit our donation page.
We are proud to say that our pain protocol matched or exceeded many veterinary clinics in the US. We gave our patients high quality pre-operative and post-operative pain medications as well as abdominal incisional line blocks using local anesthetic injections. Big thanks to Dr. Peter Hellyer and the Colorado State University Animal Medical Center’s Anesthesia department for a generous donation of bupivacaine to make this possible. VIDAS is committed to providing exceptional pain control to our patients, so that their experience with us is as comfortable as possible.
Part of VIDAS’ treatments for our patients is parasite control. We realize that diseases like heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis), intestinal worms, and skin mites are common in these parts of Mexico. We were able to provide all of our patients with a year’s supply of Heartguard Plus ® to protect them against contracting heartworm disease and to rid them of intestinal roundworms. This is important also in the prevention of zoonotic conditions (in people) such as cutaneous and visceral larval migrans. Merial Corporation generously donated all of the Heartguard Plus. Identification of heartworm disease in suspicious patients was possible thanks to blood test kits provided through a donation by Synbiotics. VIDAS provided each patient with antibiotics post-operatively to protect against infection thanks to a donation from Pfizer Corporation. Pfizer also provided antibiotic tablets for us to send home with patients at particular risk or those with existing infections. In the future we hope to be able to provide doxycycline treatments for our patients suffering from infectious tick-borne disease such as ehrlichia and babesia.
Advertising for VIDAS’ clinics was accomplished by the tireless efforts of our friends who make their homes in Q. Roo. We would like to thank Sherry and Franco Spina, Dra. Claudia Lewy-Sanchez and Dr. Jorge Polanco in Playa del Carmen. In Tulum it was Karen Jenkins and Dr. Salvador Espedel. In Puerto Morelos, groundwork was set up by Lara Popyak, Mike Madden and the ladies of Amigos de las Mascotas de Puerto Morelos. This kind of help is invaluable to ensuring clinics run smoothly. A special thanks to Dr. B.C. Robison of Texas for donating our beautiful new sign which we proudly hung outside our clinics!
The local volunteers both amaze us and touch our hearts with their undying dedication and desire to see the animals helped. This clinic could not have been accomplished without the help of these amazing individuals. We’d like to extend wholehearted gratitude to Genevieve, Andrea and Alison, who made the journey over from Isla Mujeres to provide organization and experience in the check in and recovery areas. Big thanks to the many people who stayed long hours picking ticks, cleaning ears, giving a soft blanket, or providing a loving touch and a comforting word to our patients. The animals and VIDAS are eternally grateful. We hope that you will join us again in the future.
Others to thank specifically:
Lydia Pontius for your enthusiastic dedication to our cause, for your help keeping us on target and smiling on this clinic, and to you and Mike for all the hard work you do on our website. You’re amazing!
Many thanks to the local restaurants and hotels who generously donated meals and rooms for our crew.
In Playa del Carmen: Hotel Posada Freud, El Coco Rio Hotel and Byblos Restaurant.
In Tulum: Karen Jenkins and Tankah Inn.
In Puerto Morelos: Rancho Libertad Bed and Breakfast, Tito’s Restaurant and Hola Asia Restaurant.
Special thanks to the local doctors who came day after day and helped with surgery: Dr. Salvador Espedel, Dra. Claudia Lewy-Sanchez, Dra. Andrea, Dr. Jose and Dra. Sandra. We hope to continue to share our visions and learn from each other. We look forward to working with you in the future.
Thank you to Roger Wolfe of Channel 9 News in Denver for filming and airing a wonderful segment on our work. The segment aired on May 25th.
Thank you to Carol Borchet of Insight Magazine, Nicole Hegg and Dawn Rae Mollenberg of CSU’s public relations for all the great press you’ve generated for VIDAS this year.
Always a big thanks to Bill in Tulsa for all your support and help in getting the word out!
Todd, Lisa and Dr. Virginia Kennaway – our “tape angels” who arrived just in the nick of time! Read our story “tape angels”
Special thanks to Karin Buechel for the great breakfast, much needed coffee and all the wonderful things you do for us and for the people of Mexico. Your help is invaluable and your endless smiles contagious!
Thank you to Sherry and Franco Spina for taking huge amounts of time out of your busy lives to devote to our clinics. Even in the middle of moving your residence you managed to establish invaluable connections for VIDAS, supply oxygen when we thought it was hopeless, move our equipment, store our supplies, be our handyman, provide us with great hotel accommodations and so much more. What can we say? You’re both amazing.
And of course, our incredible May core crew: Dr. Ginny Gill, Dr. Jen Swiderski, Dr. Bronwen Delaney, Dr. Erica Periman, Dr. Melissa Vollaire, Meghann Burgland, Celeste Park and Naomi Weber. These women bring a passion to our work that is indescribable. Their dedication to our profession is inspiring. Giving themselves year round to end the suffering of animals in their own backyard and around the globe. Our crew worked long hours in tough conditions - suffering heat, humidity, chaos, biting cats, mosquitoes, ticks and other atrocities – always with a smile and camaraderie that brings peace to the heart and joy to the soul. Thank you for your hard work and laughter through it all.
Until the next clinic,
Cristina & Ruth
VIDAS President & VP
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