Rankin Inlet (Sep 27/06) - Pet owners in Rankin Inlet are treating their animals more like family members every year, says Dr. Stavros Iacovides.

The doctor of veterinary medicine from the Tuxedo Animal Hospital in Winnipeg was in Rankin earlier this month for his annual visit.

Animal-health technician Sherrie McNair of the Tuxedo Animal Hospital preps a patient for surgery at the animal-health clinic in Rankin Inlet earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Page Burt

Iacovides says the clinic went smoothly this year, with he and animal-health technician Sherrie McNair kept quite busy during their weekend at the arena.

Many of the furry patients the health experts attended to were booked for immunizations against rabies and canine parvovirus, teeth cleaning, spays and neuters.

"We're also kept quite busy treating parasites when we visit Rankin," says Iacovides.

"We dispense lots of pills to quell tape worms the animals often get from digesting raw fish and caribou.

"The tape worm is a side affect of the country food fed to pets here, as opposed to processed pet food from the store, so we just try and keep the parasites at bay as much as possible."

On average, 80 per cent of the appointments booked at the annual clinic are for dogs, with the vast majority tending to be larger breeds.

Iacovides says there's been a definite increase in the number of pets being brought to the clinic each year.

He says Rankin is slowly adopting the southern philosophy of pet ownership, with more pets being viewed as family members rather than just animals.

"Because of that swing, people are interested in addressing the health care of these family members.

"I've seen a dramatic increase in health awareness during our past two or three visits to Rankin.

"Before I even broach the subject, Rankin pet owners now ask me about their pet's teeth, inquire about deworming medication because their animal eats raw meat, or ask specific questions about the pet's health record, especially when it pertains to the rabies vaccination.

"Rankin pet owners are more concerned with the needs of their pets to live healthy and happier lives than they've ever been before."