Our non-profit clinic provides critical veterinary care to small animals (mostly dogs) in the Chintsa area. Our Community Project extends this care to small and large animals in disadvantaged communities throughout the Eastern Cape. In the clinic, students help our Program Vets with pre-op, surgery, and recovery. The goal of our spay/neuter campaign is to create a smaller and healthier population of animals in villages with no means or access to veterinary care. Students also spend 2-3 days (1-2 nights) at one of our community sites, during which the group examines and treats several hundred animals. This may be under the direct supervision or on behalf of a Program Vet- training is provided for all levels of experience and a Program Coordinator is assigned to each group of students for support and advice.
The Wild Coast Veterinary Clinic is a non-profit institution that services the animals of the Chintsa Village and surrounding area by treating various injuries and illnesses such as Mange, Biliary, Transmissible Venereal Tumors, open wounds and abscesses. Basic spay and neuter surgeries should decrease the prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, aggression, and malnourishment.
Students shadow our Program Vet through patient care, in-house lab work, and surgery. Students are involved in each case from history to diagnosis to treatment and recovery. Students observe and assist throughout each surgery and practice suturing on simulation skin pads.
Whether you want to be a large animal, small animal, mixed practice, or exotics vet, you’ll need large animal experience to get through vet school! Equine practice and farm animal production are major areas of veterinary medicine and a big part of any veterinary curriculum. We designed the large animal component from recommendations and prerequisites of AVMA accredited vet schools to give our students the most relevant hands-on experience. Students work with a variety of animals in a production setting and through our non-profit community project.
South Africa has one of the most diverse and exciting populations of wildlife in the world. In Chintsa, we are surrounded by a number of game reserves that frequently capture and release animals. We work with several highly qualified and experienced wildlife vets who enjoy teaching students about their profession and the incredible animals they work with every day. Students work closely with the wildlife vet and their capture team to locate, immobilize, transport, and release wildlife, a process commonly known as “Game Capture”. Students also work with wildlife through our rehabilitation program at the East London Zoo, and the reptile sanctuary.
Exotic veterinary medicine involves species of all shapes and sizes. At the local reptile sanctuary, students are taught basic reptile handling, identification, and husbandry.
A full reptile handling certification course may be available upon request.
Students work with the East London Zoo to provide environmental enrichment for the resident animals. Enrichment allows animals to demonstrate their species-specific behavior, thereby enhancing their mental and physical well-being. Enrichment projects include constructing and introducing objects, sounds, and smells into relevant groups of animals. Our volunteers provide the main source of enrichment for many of the animals at the East London Zoo for a well-rounded African wildlife experience.
NOTE: Small animal, large animal, and African wildlife experience are all covered within a 2-week period, however, activities are planned according to the needs of the community so we cannot guarantee which species or activities will be offered at any given time.