Dr. Diu Somani on Building a Healthcare System for India's Growing Pet Population

Indias pet boom is moving fast The country had about 39 million pets in FY25 and that number is projected to pass 60 million by FY30 Behind the numbers are families many of them firsttime pet parents who love their animals deeply and expect healthcare to keep up The system they are walking into hasnt caught up Most of the load still sits with a single general practitioner specialists are clustered in a handful of metros and cases that need expert care often dont reach it in timeDr Diu Somani sees that gap up close as the founder of The SkinVet Indias first clinic dedicated only to veterinary dermatology and as convener of The SkinVet Symposium whose first edition brought together more than 150 veterinarians In this conversation Dr Somani explains why Indias pets need an ecosystem and not just more vets and what it will take to build oneQ You often say India doesnt just need more vets it needs an ecosystem What do you meanA Human healthcare works because it has layers a family doctor specialists diagnostic labs pharmacies insurance and doctors who keep learning amp upskilling throughout their careers Each layer supports the others In pet healthcare in India most of that weight still sits on one general practitioners shoulders That vet is expected to be the physician the surgeon the dermatologist and the counsellor often in a single fifteenminute consult No individual can carry that A system canQ Where are the biggest gaps todayA I see three The first is workforce Our veterinary training and public posts have historically been built around livestock and government estimates suggest India needs around 65000 veterinarians The second is specialisation Companionanimal specialists in dermatology oncology cardiology or rehabilitation are still few and concentrated in a handful of metropolitan cities however tier 2 amp tier 3 cities still lack the option of specialist practice And the third gap which is the one we talk about least is referral culture Cases that need a specialist often dont reach one in time Referrals to a specialist practice should be as robust and easy as it is in human practice in order to ensure great standards of pet health careQ Why does referral matter so muchA Because chronic disease is where pets suffer longest Take skin disease for example Large Indian studies have found skin disorders in one in five dogs and in some clinics one in three Many of these are complex multifactorial and lifelong When they are managed with repeated short courses of steroids or antibiotics the pet gets temporary relief and the problem returns A timely referral changes that trajectory From a doctors perspective referring a case is not losing a client it is gaining a partner And from a pet parents perspective the responsibility of managing a chronic and complex condition now lies with one dedicated practice or doctor who will hold their hand and walk them through the processQ What role do diagnostics and data playA A central one We need to diagnose before we treat That means access to cytology culture and sensitivity testing allergy workups and imaging at prices pet parents can manage It also means better records Using a reliable software to maintain patient records and having inhouse diagnostics has definitely helped our clinic and doctors manage cases in a sustainable way It also helps us make decisions using evidence seen from diagnostics and making clear notes about every patient every visit and every drug dispensedQ Where do pet parents and cost fit inA Theyre the locus of pet health 7037 of pet parents in India are firsttime owners They love their animals deeply but many are learning as they go often from social media Education is now a crucial part of treatment When a pet parent understands why a diagnosis matters or why a medicine must be finished or not discontinued unless the vet advises so thats when outcomes improve We at The SkinVet invest time in helping pet parents understand pet health better But cost shapes clinical decisions more than we admit Specialist care and good diagnostics can often weigh heavy on the pocket and pet insurance in India is still in its infancy Families often choose the cheapest shortterm fix but prevention early diagnosis and better financing would make the right choice the affordable oneQ What changes would you like the industry and fellow professionals makeA Collaborate Working together learning from one another and collaborating is JUST what our professionals need That is why we started The SkinVet Symposium to put oncologists ophthalmologists dermatologists surgeons and all other specialists and young graduates in one room Our first edition brought together more than 150 veterinarians Forums like this build referral relationships spread shared protocols and give younger vets mentors By having important conversations and updating our knowledge we keep getting better and in return providing better health care to our petsQ Where would you like India to be in five yearsA In an ideal world in 5 years every pet parent in any city should have a general practitioner who knows when to refer a specialist within reach a lab that returns results quickly and a financial safety net that helps them pay That is not a distant dream Every piece exists somewhere in India today Our job is to connect them

Dr. Diu Somani on Building a Healthcare System for India's Growing Pet Population

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Dr. Diu Somani on Building a Healthcare System for India's Growing Pet Population

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