Pet Talk: The pooches of Peru

Last month, I took a little time away from the clinic and traveled to Peru. Part business and part pleasure, I spoke to veterinarians regarding U.S. animal welfare and had a chance to stomp around several Incan ruins.

You don't have to be a veterinarian to be interested in how animals are treated in other countries and by other cultures. As a developing nation, Peru's animals find themselves in a society that is quickly changing. In ancient Incan society, animals performed many functions -- from the obvious of food (cattle, pigs) and fiber (alpaca wool is super soft), to the reverence of condors and llamas. In fact, the mountain top remains of Machu Picchu are said to resemble a condor, and the impressive ruins of Ollantaytambo are shaped like a giant llama.

One of the world's first domesticated food animals was offered on the menu in a number of places -- guinea pig. That's right, cute little fuzzy guinea pigs are a staple of Peruvian cuisine, and we visited some villagers who had a number of guinea pigs living in a corner of their adobe home. It was a reminder that one person's pet may be another's food animal -- and we shouldn't get too high and mighty, because some cultures think we are undignified for eating beef.

Jon Klingborg -

My wife (who is a dog trainer) and I were particularly interested in the canines of Peru. We saw a number of them peering down at us from the top of four story apartment buildings (on which they apparently lived.) Every dog we saw seemed calm and well adjusted. In fact, we often had to walk around those on ground level, because they weren't going to interrupt their nap to get out of our way.

We saw quite a few good looking purebred dogs; from Rottweilers to Dachshunds to German Shepherds. There were definitely some well bred dogs meandering around town. The status of dogs did seem to vary widely depending on where we visited. In some of the more humble villages, the dogs didn't always appear as healthy. The only time I saw a dog misbehave was when another dog was on his turf, and they got into a little argument.

According to one guide, most of the people of central Peru are still using the ancient Incan traditions to treat their health problems. Leaves and herbs are a staple of their health care, and this has been used to treat the animals as well. However, there are several schools training veterinarians in the country, and veterinary clinics are beginning to open in the bigger cities.

The bond between dog and human does transcend culture, language, and geography. One guide showed us the picture of her dog (on her cell phone) and she talked excitedly about wanting to get a Chihuahua in the near future -- her main concern was whether the dog could handle the high altitude.

Dr. Jon Klingborg is a veterinarian at Valley Animal Hospital in Merced. He can be contacted at askdrjon@pacbell.net.