My Angel
This season, a cup of hot chocolate on the table is enough to keep Angel running around the table. Unfortunately, she isn’t allowed to have hot chocolate, so she’ll have to manage with its aroma. Angel is a 5 year old, black and tan, female Daschund, who’s presently sitting on the window sill, enjoying the rain outside the window.

While the rain is a refreshing break to the scorching heat, it does affect our pets in a number of ways. The thing she hates the most, this season, is her walking time being cut-short. On the other hand, she sighs in relief when she knows she wouldn’t be bathed as frequently as before. She has a habit being prepped-up for a walk, with two pairs of rubber boots and a light-weight water resistant windcheater, to avoid getting foot-infections, digestive problems, skin-infections, and a wide variety of other health problems.

Bruno, a 5 year old, golden, male Labrador, is one among the very few lucky pets to be able to roam around the city in an SUV. Bruno has a habit of looking out of the car-window, often getting some “Awww, so cute” reactions from the pedestrians. He roams around the city zipping past other street dogs in his SUV, because his owners do not want to risk getting Bruno infected by taking him for a walk. How many of our pets are this lucky?

Daily problems in monsoon
Medicated talc and deodorants (consult your vet before using any of these) come handy when your pet starts to become smelly. This is due to the high levels of humidity which gets trapped in the fur when your pets become wet. Anti-bacterial lotions (like Spectrozol) help our winged wonders (birds) cope up with feather loss. To avoid fungal/bacterial infection, mix a tsp of antiseptic liquid in luke-warm water and apply to the foot-pads and dry the spaces between their fingers. Their ears must not be forgotten, as monsoon also invites various ear-infections. Keeping their ears dry and airy will help. Use of some commercial products including powders and liquids can help you get rid of the ticks and fleas. Worm infestation is yet another nightmare for pet parents. It causes many diseases like anaemia, general dullness of coat and other problems. Hence, deworming the pets is essential. For adult cats and dogs, the deworming can be done once in three months. Angel’s bath frequency had to be reduced, but contrary to this general belief, many pet-parents increase their pets’ bath frequency. It is always suggestible to consult your vet before taking any such decisions. Please don’t play ‘the doctor’ in such situations.

Brutus, a 2 year old male Pug, has got a different problem. Thunder, lightning, and blowing winds frighten him. This is called storm-anxiety. The symptoms include intense shivering, biting, hiding and chewing. A cozy and protective ambience is mostly what it takes to help Bruno overcome the anxiety. But in severe situations, he has to be administered with Anti-anxiety drugs.
If you feel your pet shows any of the above mentioned symptoms, try to create a cozy and soothing environment this will suffice, but if necessary, your furry friend needs to visit his vet.

Hypothermia should pop into your head when you plan to leave your pet outside for longer periods of time on a cold day. Hypothermia is a condition which displays a characteristic low body temperature. In severe cases, it might also lead to death. It is always advisable to keep your pets indoors when the air outside is below 20 degrees. And talking your miniature pets for a long-stroll is a complete no-no when the air outside is cold enough for you to wear your winter-wears.

Not to be taken lightly

A thing that mostly concerns us, pet parents, is the diet. It is always possible for the pet to develop some allergy to certain foods, this season. Observe your pet’s appetite and poop for any signs of allergy or indigestion. Aria, an 8 year old female Lassa, has a habit of eating grass! Her vet considers it to be normal. “Eating grass provides her with the required amount of fiber” says Dr. Shivaji .H. Talekar, (Associated Professor& I/C Hospital Superintendent TVCC, Govt. of Gujrat).
This habit might worry some of the pet parents, but your pet won’t turn up to grass, if fed with high fiber food. For a lighter and healthier diet, you might consider adding a banana to your pet’s diet (if your vet allows you to do so). Like humans, even pets turn allergic to milk, buttermilk might be a good substitute (if your pet is not allergic to lactic/dairy products). “You might want to store the excess dog food/cat food/bird feed in air-tight food containers to avoid the attack of moisture and the fungus. Risk of Water-borne infections are very high in this season” says Dr. Shivaji. A covered bowl of water at your pet’s side would prevent any insect larvae hatching in the pail. The water should be changed in their pails every three to four hours. Aquarium keepers should not forget to clean the tank and remove all organic materials like leftover food/uneaten food and fish-waste at least twice/thrice a month.

Buzo, a 3 year old, greyish white, male Lhasa-apso, undergoes a ritual. He has to sacrifice his beautiful locks (fur) once in every 2 months to avoid getting “knots”. The “knots” tend to increase in this season.

Comfy Bedding
A glance at my Angel, who is now sleeping on her bed, reminds me of Dry bedding. A clean, soft, warm and dry bedding is a must for your pets this season. Angel has a 2X2 mattress for herself which is cleaned regularly. If you have a cold flooring, do take some extra care of the bedding because a cold floor might give your pets joint-pains.

Trained pets save much trouble

Training your pets to be ready for this season is no easy a task. But monsoon ready pets save a lot of trouble, for themselves and for their pet-parents. Once accustomed to the newly introduced ‘monsoon schedule’, your pets would automatically cut-short their stroll and potty-break time.

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Get a Dog. Check. Vaccinate the dog. Check. Walk the dog. Check. Feed the dog. Check. Groom the dog. Oh, no. Sounds familiar? In the excitement of finally owning a dog one tends to ignore the crucial aspect of grooming. Agreed walking, feeding and vaccinating are just as important. Walking ensures regular exercise combined with regular bowel movements. Vaccination keeps the dog’s heath and infections in check in the longer run as well. And feeding is important for proper nutrition. But regular grooming is essential as it ensures the dog continues to remain healthy and happy. Grooming is not only about regular bathing. It also constitutes a large number of elements for overall well being.

Bathing the dog regularly is vital to keep the dog’s body clean and the fur supple. The frequency of bathing depends on the breed of the dog, the climate of the city and the season. Certain dogs that have more fur need to be bathed more frequently as dust, etc tends to settle into their fur. Similarly, frequency of bathing increases with the rise in temperature. This ensures the dog remains cool even in the hot summers. In colder climates one can afford to space the bath times wider than usual, and also it prevents the dog from falling sick.

Regular trips to the veterinary doctor form an integral part of the grooming process. The doctor keeps you updated on the dog’s health. He can advise you on necessary precautions to be taken best suited to your needs and the current scenario. He will keep you updated on the advancements is grooming requirements and methods. Also, regular checkups can inform you about any allergies and infections that need special care and consequently one can decide on the best suited products you can use for taking proper care of your dog. It is also an effective measure to ensure that there is no odor.

Most dog owners, especially ones with dogs that have more fur, usually complain about finding hair all around the house. This is caused by shedding. It is akin to how humans shed dead cells, but we can’t see it. The most effective way to control the shedding is by daily brushing. Everyday preferably after the morning walk, one must diligently brush your dog’s coat for a stipulated amount of time. The brushing should be done all over the body in a fixed direction, over and over, until there is no further loss of hair. This not only ensures a cleaner house, but also keeps the dog’s coat soft and shiny, a trait especially valuable in show dogs.
Along with brushing of the coat, it should also be regularly trimmed, as deemed necessary. In certain cases long hair around the eyes causes discomfort in sight. Also longer hair around the paws could cause frequent tripping. And the longer the further, higher are the chances of fleas and ticks. In some cases the dog’s tail is also clipped, that is entirely the owner’s prerogative, but if done it should be done painlessly and with utmost care and precaution.
A dog’s paws are one of its most important assets. It uses them for walking, running, digging, playing and other activities. Because, they are constantly in contact with the ground, they tend to accumulate higher amounts of impurities, than the rest of the body. But for the same reason they tend to be ignored while bathing, as the paws are in contact with the ground, so their condition is not easily visible. It is absolutely essential to ensure the dog’s paws are always clean, neat and tidy. Proper care should be taken to remove all dirt stuck to the base of the paws, and in the nails.
At the same time, regular clipping of the dog’s outgrown nails is equally important, not only for hygiene purposes, but also for comfort. Overgrown nails act as obstacles in the dog’s ability to walk and run with ease. Especially on tiled flooring, the dogs find it especially uncomfortable, if its nails are not groomed well. Not only that, overgrown nails can easily hurt the owners and other people that pet or play with the dog. The dog does not intentionally hurt them, but the injury could lead to verbal or physical abuse at times, through no fault of its own.
In a large number of cases, the owner tends to ignore the importance of cleaning the dog’s eyes and ears regularly. The ignorance is not voluntary, but due to lack of knowledge and awareness. It is of significant hygienic importance. It also ensures the dog’s vision and hearing ability are not compromised. Also, it is an important criterion when a dog is being judged on dog shows.
Similarly, dental hygiene is of equal importance. Ideally a dog’s teeth should be manually brushed twice a day, just as in the case of humans. Regular brushing and cleaning of the mouth, means minimum odor and possibility of plaque and cavities is significantly reduced.
Proper grooming in all aspects ensures a healthier and happier dog, while at the same time it allows the owner to have a cleaner home and reduces the load of probable future trouble.

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