Lickety Split - the Pet Chef Talking Space

Pet Chef In the news again

2011-11-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

Click on the image to read :)

Of Stress and Less

2011-08-05T00:18:00.000-07:00

Today there was an article in the Times that says that people who have pets are not actually healthier or happier than those without. I have to say I totally disagree with it because what they have failed to take into aaccount is the level of involvement of the people concerned.

Obviously if you have a dog and dont care for it as part of your family it's effect on your well being is going to be minimal. I believe, from experience, that if you love your dog as much as you can - his/her influence can be as therapeutic and stress busting as any other remedy thats on offer.

I still recall my mother telling me, three months after Beagle and Pug came into my home, how relaxed and stress free I looked and even today Husband constantly comments on how, when he comes home after a rotten day at work, the welcome they give him just makes it all go away.

I am sure you all agree with me on this one, and for all the good they give us - Here's to pets! at home and beyond!

First Aid

2011-07-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

Having had dogs all my life, I am no stranger to medical emergencies and the complete horror of a beloved dog being sick or hurt and not having access to medical help or supplies. Times, thankfully have changed and now the veterinary practice is much more friendly and available than before.

All the same, it is best to have some basic supplies at home so you can begin preliminary treatment in an emergency. Please note - there is NO substitute for a good vet's attention so please don't try to treat your dog at home - use your supplies under the instructions of the vet always.

Personally, I have a little box that is full of basic first aid items and also some of the things that my dogs seem to need on a regular basis. In Beagle's case it is ear drops and in Pug's case it is eye drops! Dotty Dalmatian is epileptic so I keep a sedative ready in case she has a seizure - that's strictly prescription, but you get the point - customise your kit to suit your pet.

Here is a quick list of things you can start with:

1. Bandages, Gauze and sterile cotton - for obvious reasons
2. Rectal Thermometer - checking a dogs temperature can be a strong diagnostic tool
3. Surgical Plaster - to secure bandages and dressings
4. Tube of hydro cortisone cream - for skin inflammations
5. Antihistamine tablets - check with your vet which one would be best
6. A broad spectrum anti-biotic - again, check with your vet what to stock.
7. Activated charcoal - for use in case of poison ingestion
8. Hydrogen Peroxide
9. Antiseptic solution - Savlon is a good bet since it does not sting
10.Tweezers
11.Scissors -don't forget to get the kind with rounded ends..we don't want to jab our dogs with sharp pointy ones.

Feel free to discuss the list with your vet and add anything else that you may think is useful to keep ready. Also remember that the medications and solutions are toxic and should be kept out of reach of the dog.

In - human

2011-07-27T00:26:00.000-07:00

We have already established that people do not deserve to be classified as 'civilised' beings, but as the days go by I am beginning to think we as a species do not deserve to share the planet with other creatures.

Just yesterday a friend rescued a dog that was the victim of wonton and brutal treatment at the hands of a human and today I read in the papers about people making 'crush' films that feature teenage girls being forced to torture and kill small animals. Apparently these films are popular among a large number of people who get sick thrills from watching cruelty.

What does this make us? Is this what we are proud of? The great human race?

We have laws that protect us against abuse at the hands of other people - and allegedly there are laws that protect animals too - so why is it so hard to enforce these laws? And where do we start - with figuing out why humans feel the need to torture and mutilate defenceless animals? or why other humans don't feel the need to stop it?

There are those who would argue that the world has more important things to deal with - such as humans themselves being ill treated and starved and killed. To them I say - If your hair is a mess and you have a toothache - whill you go to the dentist without brushing your hair? Is it not possible to tackle two or more problems at once and if not then what happened to the 'superior intelligence' that we claim to posess?

There is just so much to be said and done I really dont know where to start. The levels of ignorance among people is probably the best place to begin, being as it is, the origin of issues like these.

I am probably a little incoherent with the anger I feel right now at what happened, so please all of you - feel free to write in with opinions and suggestions - it would be most welcome. You can mail it to petchef.blr@gmail or leave a comment below - but please, dont stay silent, this is just the first step and every voice counts.

Music to our ears.

2011-07-21T02:41:00.000-07:00

It is a known fact that dogs have better hearing than people and can hear frequencies that we can't, from further away and much, much better. But a less known fact is that dogs can also appreciate music like people do.

For a while now people have used soothing music to calm dogs that have separation anxiety and frankly I have found that when mine were puppies, leaving the radio on when I went out resulted in less destruction than if they were left in a silent house. Perhaps it also helps because the ambient sound drowns out the scary noises of the outside world. Whatever the reason, it seems to work.

Now there are even compilations available on CD exclusively for your pooch's listening pleasure!

I have found that my dogs like music even when they are not home alone. I live in an old fashioned house that is built lengthwise and the very last room in the line is our entertainment and media room. When I am baking, I plug my ipod into the home theatre, put it on shuffle and play the music loud so I can listen while I work. In the entertainment room the volume is usually louder than would be comfortable but in the rest of the house it's just right.

Every time I turn up the music and get to work I find the Beagle trotting off to the back room and curling up on his cushion there, quite comfy and soon fast asleep. Apparently he likes classic rock and 80's pop! His tastes are pretty eclectic though, I once found him wagging his tail in his sleep - interestingly enough he was wagging it in time to a bhangra number that was playing at the time :-) - There's no accounting for taste I guess!

I strongly recommend checking to see if your dog enjoys a tune or two, it can have an incredibly calming effect on even the most neurotic dogs.

About the Books

2011-07-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are wondering - I have loved books since I was old enough to hold them up and pretend to read while my parents told me the stories they held. When I learned to read I loved them even more and the only thing I loved better was animals. So animal books, by default became my super favourites and every birthday it was easy for my family and friends to buy me presents. They just picked a book - any book - as long as it involved animals it was a sure winner!

And now that I have this space and the people coming here are all animal lovers, I figured I would share my books with you.

The list on the right of books worth reading are not just randomly selected. They are all books that I have read and love and reccommend to all of you who love animals and like to read. :-)

Occasionally I will include a short review of a book to help you along - but I figured I would add to the list slowly so everyone gets time to maybe pick one up and read it - please feel free to send me your reccommendations too and we will add them on there!

I hope you will enjoy some of these as much as I did and continue to even today.

When sitting pretty is not and option

2011-07-07T02:53:00.000-07:00

One day last week, after the morning chores were done and everything was squared away, I came across Beagle hunched over and looking quite miserable. When I went up to him, I was greeted with a low growl, which in itself didnt bother me, he does that for effect sometimes and it has no scare value at all. What did bother me was that he seemed to really be in pain and flinched when I touched his sides, kept looking at his rear and trying to cuddle up with me - and that is weird, seeing as he is such an independent soul...

I checked his legs to see if they were hurt, and then his abdomen but no joy there either, finally in desperation I made an appointmet to see the vet the same evening. In the meanwhile I took Beagle for a walk and he seemed cheerful enough but when he came back he sat with his head hanging down all listless and sad.

To cut a long story short - it turned out that he had impacted anal glands (tiny glands that produce the stinky liquid that marks their poop) and had to have them manually drained by the vet. The result was instant - when he got back in the car he threw himself on the seat and rolled around in joy.

Apparently impacted glands are quite common in small dogs and occur when the liquid they produce is not expelled as fast as it is produced, usually because the stool is not firm enough to exert the required pressure on the gand on its way out. It is uncomfortable and painful and if an infection sets in (which frequently happens) it can be serious. It is also however, quite avoidable if you are vigilant and get your dog prompt treatment.

Some things to look out for:
Scooting the butt across the floor
Hind legs buckling while standing, walking or lifiting leg to pee
Constant nibbling or biting at the rear end (Beagle had actually bitten himself on his side because he couldn't reach his butt - THATS how uncomfortable it is!)
Brown and unusually smelly discharge from the anal area
Listlessness and unwillingness to sit down

What to do:
Check your dogs rear end regularly to make sure everything is working fine
Make sure he is getting enough fibre in his diet
At the first sign of trouble make sure you go to your vet
If your dog has a tendency to develop this problem have the glands drained regularly.

Please remember that this condition is painful ans your dog is in distress so make sure if you see any of these symptoms get vetrinary assistance as soon as possible to save them too much suffering.

I hope this information is useful - but please remember it is not medical advice and only a qualified vetenarian should diagnose and treat your dog.

Meet the Musketeers

2011-07-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about what people would like to read about here and obviously one of the obvious ones was dogs and their nutrition and food, but it also occured to me that this blog is also a channel - for you and me and all the other dog (and cat) lovers to get to know each other and share information and views. So I came to the conclusion that it would make sense to put in a nice mix of information, facts, stories and anything else that felt right! To begin with I thought I would tell you a bit about me and what I do.

I used to be a corporate flunkey till a year and a half ago and then I used a rather flimsy excuse to quit and start Pet Chef. I really wanted to spend more time with my muttleys so Pet Chef was the ideal option.

At this point I guess I should introduce you to the family - so there is the Bouncing Beagle, who is a vain little guy, prone to bouts of pettey thievery always involving food and with a complete aversion to work or exercise of any kind. Then came the Pouncing Pug aka Ever-ready puppy, who will play with any toy any time of day or night, stalks me constantly and is loving and sweet natured except for a few episodes of agression to his brother the Beagle every now and then. Lastly there is Nervous Nellie, a slightly neurotic dalmatian whose traumas at the paws of another dog have made her very high strung but have not been able to touch her lovely, gentle, ladylike nature.

That's the three musketeers and each of them has a strong and unique personality and though at times they drive me crazy - I wouldn't have them any other way. They will feature a lot in my posts, being, as they are, the inspiration in all I do.

Apologies...

2011-07-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

...for the long absence - but things have been crazy busy mad. It has been a long haul through the first half of this year and not all of it has been good. But here we are and at last it is all coming together and I can make some sense of it. Thank you all of not deleting the blog off your list and you have my promise that I will make this space as interesting and useful as possible!

One of the things I was thinking in the last few months is how much trivia I seem to have collected that is actually really handy information to have when you have a dog or a cat. All those little snippets are disjoint and random but I think putting them here for you to read may actually help - you get to read stuff that may help you someday and I get to spread my love of factoids :)

I also have some exciting plans ahead for Pet Chef and all our doggie clients so keep an eye on this space.

For now I am off to bake a birthday cake so till later...

Updates

2010-11-01T08:18:00.001-07:00

There is hope yet!... Thanks to all the people who have stepped up to be heard things are progressing. Here are some updates and talking points that you might find interesting.

Moving along...
1. Support has been coming in from all quarters, pet owners and others too
2. Attempts are being made to get an appointment with the CM to discuss this
3. The media have been very supportive and have helped the cause immensely

Points we want to make...
1. Involve owners and vets and people who know what they are talking about in decisions that effect all of us
2. We need the authorities to focus on animal welfare and not just random rules
3. Enforcing a limit on number of pets may actually CAUSE people to abandon their pets which will just make things worse
4. NGO's already have their hands full without having dogs with a perfectly viable home being dumped on them too.
5. The focus should be on ethical and responsible breeding and care of dogs and not on taking dogs away from loving homes
6. Since the BBMP will play the 'nuisance' card at some point...we should be able to set out a plan of action for people whose pets disturb the neighbours - perhaps training or therapy that can be state assisted in some manner.
7. Also to safeguard people from vindictive people cooking up charges of noisy or aggressive behavior from dogs - there needs to be a guideline of what constitutes a dog that is a threat or a nuisance to others.
8. We would also like to have facilities for our dogs in return for the increased licensing fee that we will be paying.

Please get your thinking caps on people, and mail or comment additions and improvements to all of the above. A big thank you to those of you who contributed the ideas above! Keep 'em coming.

...to help you think...turn up the sound...

2010-10-31T00:32:00.000-07:00

Dog'gone' BBMP

2010-10-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

So its been a while since I posted and that I can put own to a contradictory combination of laziness and being crazy busy. But something has come up that has shaken every dog-lover out there, out of inertia and into outrage.

Yep - the BBMP's new proposals have been causing quite a stir in the doggie fraternity and I thought it may be best to put this rant in writing so we can all get together and make something coherent out of it.

What I propose is that we take what we have so far and add to it with inputs from all of you...that way our approach to the 'protest' will be well thought out and leave no room for the powers that be to poke holes in it.

We obviously don't want to be unreasonable - so what we would like is to take the hash that the BBMP has come up with and fine tune it to make SOME semblance of sense, and that's where you come in. Please read the rest of this article and mail in with your suggestions too.

These are what I have so far:

1. People in flats can have only one dog and that has to be of a breed approved by the BBMP: Okay, makes sense, sort of - only they have not taken into account that dogs are social animals and need to have company so two dogs is not an unreasonable demand. Also who decides what breeds and what do they base it on? If you have a large dog that is receiving adequate exercise and not bothering the neighbours - on what grounds would this be against the law?

2. People in homes can have only 3 dogs and if they have more the BBMP can seize (SEIZE?? what are they? Assets?) the dogs and AUCTION them or have them put down: Seems like they are not aware of the fact that for most of us our dogs are family and it would be the equivalent of us taking one of their children and selling them to the highest bidder! At no point is the welfare of the animal mentioned - only that the mighty BBMP has 'decided' that it shall be so. (In other words they are okay for people with one or two dogs to starve and ill treat them as long as it is just one or two)

3. All dogs to be micro chipped: Fine - but tell me again - where are those microchip readers?

That's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg and frankly it just gets more stupid. Someone actually spoke to the BBMP and here are some of the idiotic and uneducated statements that came from one of the representatives.

1. ALL dogs are eventually deserted by owners, unless they are highly pedigreed.

2. Pet dogs are getting out and mating with stray dogs increasing the population of strays!

3. If you have more than three dogs - give them away to your friends!

4. If we can have a law restricting people to having only two children then why not one for dogs (and please note here he quotes the "hum do humare do" slogan! - and these are the twits running this country!)

Please - PLEASE - think about what you have read so far and send me your thoughts and suggestions - every little idea counts so please take a minute and write in... for your dogs - past and present...

Write to petchef.blr@gmail.com or alternatively leave a comment below with your name.
Watch this space and I will keep you posted on whats going on.

Honey Nut Cupcake

2010-07-14T01:08:00.000-07:00

I know! I know!

2010-07-14T01:03:00.000-07:00

I did make that resolution to write everyday and I haven't - but I will. (Famous last words I tell you.)

So the Pet Chef household has expanded by one dalmatian who is currently being wooed by Beagle and Pug who seem to have suddenly realised that girls exist and are not to be growled at and fought with! All is well!

We are off on holiday for a few days and looks like all 5 of us are going. B&P have never gone on a long trip so i am wondering how they will handle it and D is fidgety in cars so actually I am wondering how I will handle it! Wish me luck people.

'Grr"eat to know...

2010-04-21T01:17:00.000-07:00

The only sweat glands a dog has are between the paw pads!

(That explains the toe jam!)

Hachiko

2010-04-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

Today I was surfing the web and was reminded of something I havent thought of in years...

I remember as a girl I would read the story of Hachiko and cry till my head hurt. It was, to me the most tragic tale ever. For those of you who dont know it - it is about an Akita called Hachiko who walked his master to and from the station every morning and evening. One day the master has a heart attack at the university where he works and does not come back on the evening train. He dies. But Hachiko goes faithfully to the station every day for the rest of his life (8 years more I think) every evening, waiting and searching for his master in the departing crowds. He died sitting in the very same spot he had waited in all those years.

The story is true and it happened in Japan, and till today there is a statue of Hachiko at the station where he would sit and wait. Hachiko is something of a hero in Japan even now. The devotion and immense love that he showed is something most of us can only hope to see in our lifetime. It still makes me cry.

So go read that story...or see the movie they adapted the story into "Hachiko-A Dog's Tale" and see for yourself what true and unconditional love looks like.

Back in a jiff

2010-04-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

Incase you are wondering about the silence - I made the mistake of getting involved in something totally not PC related and boy is it killing me!!!! I should be able to ditch it by today - or tomorrow at the very latest...after which I have lots of new exciting things coming up for you all. And yes, I have actually managed to plan and do some of those on the side when I was not being stifled by the work at hand! :-)

So dont give up on me just yet - in the immortal words of Arnie Bhai..."Aah'll be Bach!"

This is beautiful...

2010-04-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

I really think we can learn so much from animals!... Watch and be amazed!

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'Grr'eat to know...

2010-04-06T02:40:00.000-07:00

It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans. It is akin to our vision at dusk.

Todays lesson: Save those trees!!!

2010-04-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

'Grrr'eat to Know

2010-04-04T00:14:00.000-07:00

Most pet owners (94%) say their pet makes them smile more than once a day. :-)

Speaking of Food....

2010-04-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of months I have had a lot of people ask me why I chose to start Pet Chef, so I thought this would help explain.

This is not a new idea. Three years ago I got my Beagle and a couple of months later my Pug joined the family. I grew up with dogs and love them to bits but growing up it was always my poor mother who had to deal with the feeding and cleaning up after them. Once these two arrived - I was on my own and had to make so many choices for them.

When I moved to Bangalore I had a 16 hour a day job and was hardly home so I had to settle for getting a fish just so I would have someone to talk to when I came home. But I spent a lot of my time dreaming about having a dog again and what life would be like if I could come home to a wet nose and doggie breath! So anyway - eventually the job was swapped for one that was more flexible and my two brats made an entrance.

I promptly went out and checked for the best food that was available and actually did a lot of research on doggie nutrition. This was about the time the whole melamine scare happened and I remember sifting through pages and pages of info to make sure that what I was feeding my babies was not among the recalled and high risk food.

Anyway - the long and the short of it is that I sorted that decision out, but I was still being stared at every time I had a snack or meal. I have even had my crazy Beagle steal a chilly off my plate and scarf it down with no apparent reaction! It got me thinking - while dogs like their routine and don't take well to constant changes in diet, that doesn't mean they don't appreciate good food! So every now and then I would make them a special treat that would be their version of my chips and pizza and cake minus the sugar and salt and preservatives and other nasties.

I considered selling my stuff back then but I was still kind of stuck in the rat race and the only person I asked for an opinion was horribly discouraging so I just went back to making things for my two and put bigger plans on the back burner.

The big change came last year when I had to have surgery and was told that my lifestyle had to change or I would be going back to the doctor sooner than I thought - and the first thing that came to my mind was that I should resurrect the plan and see where it takes me this time.

So here I am - and I'm looking forward to being able to give all your dogs the same yummy break from the everyday food that mine have enjoyed so much. I have a policy that I will never make for a dog, something that I am not willing to put in MY mouth - so, while some of you may not like the taste of the treats since they are usually low on salt and bad-for-dog stuff - they really ARE healthy for you AND your dog!

Welcome Doggie People...

2010-04-03T04:45:00.000-07:00

...to the Pet Chef blog. I am hoping that this will be a fun place for all you dog lovers to share stories, opinions, news and experiences. I will also have regular articles with useful information that you may be interested in. If you have something you want to post - send it to me by mail and I will be happy to oblige!

To get things started - here is something I got by email from someone in Canada - its quite amazing and very sweet!