Latvia - past and present

I first went to lecture in Latvia in the mid 1990s not long after the dissolution of the USSR. The focus of veterinary care in the USSR had been very much on production animals and that was what had been taught in their veterinary schools.

Small animal medicine was in its infancy, there was relatively little experience and equipment. Most veterinary practices offering small animal services did not have x-ray facilities and there was only one ultrasound machine being used for small animals in the whole of the country (and I was told the person who owned it did not really know how to use it).

Despite trying to find out what would be areas to cover in lectures, what I had not appreciated was that few blood tests were available as they had to be sent out of the country and paid for in dollars, there were no pathology laboratories doing histology in Latvia and there were no veterinary diets available. Standard of care was history, physical examination and medication. There was, however, a determined group of vets who wanted to make big changes to standards of care and small animal welfare.

Returning to lecture in 2005, I was amazed at the explosion in small animal medicine and how far the knowledge, understanding and standard of care had changed in just 10 years. There were many more ultrasound machines and people who were using them well, blood tests were available as were veterinary diets. I was truly amazed by how much could be achieved in a relatively short period of time by dedicated vets in country and the support of education and knowledge from outside.