LYDENBURG – Big or small, she treats them all. A new veterinarian has recently joined Longtom Animal Clinic and Dr Tessa Brouwer quickly made a huge impact in this town, winning the hearts of those in need of help for their furry friends.
Originally from the Netherlands, Brouwer completed her BVSc at the Onderstepoort faculty at the University of Pretoria in 2011.
Asked how she ended up in Lydenburg, she said, “I completed my six-month MSc thesis with the subject; the interspecific behaviour between the white rhino and other ungulates on a game ranch in Steenbokpan. There I met my then friend and now husband Conrad du Plooy.
Conrad moved to Steelpoort and I drive to and from Steelpoort to Lydenburg.” She was born and raised in the Netherlands and her family still lives there. “Lydenburg is a small town, but has very nice people living here. They are very friendly.”
Brouwer also speaks Afrikaans with almost no accent. She said she always wanted to become a veterinarian. “I wanted to study it in the Netherlands, but the class system works differently there. It is very strict there. Only the cream of the crop is chosen for this degree. The chance of getting in is very slim. Besides, I always wanted to go overseas. I applied at Onderstepoort and was accepted.”
Brouwer says she has a passion for animals and that is why she became a vet. “I struggled to obtain my work visum. I finished in November and it took me nine months to obtain it. In this time I couldn’t do anything, not even voluntary work.”
She said it was definitely more difficult to become a vet than a doctor. “A fellow student in my class first studied to become a doctor before she studied veterinary science. She told me that this degree was 10 times more difficult to complete. Every interaction with any animal is different and every medicine dose varies.”
And her favourite animal to work with? “It is definitely rhinos – on which I did my thesis – and elephants. I still want to do my PhD in elephant behaviour.”
She said the message that she would like to convey to residents is to make sure that their animals, especially dogs, get their necessary shots.
“It is very important, especially since there has now been an outbreak of the parvovirus (also known as katgriep). If dogs stop eating, vomit and look sick, they should be brought in immediately.
“The virus is highly contagious and spread through the saliva, urine and faeces of other dogs. It is also believed that the virus can spread via flies.”
For more information on the parvovirus and the inoculation of animals, contact Longtom Animal Clinic on 073-181-3022.
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