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Make Mine A Panda

We are all in search of new trends, especially when it comes to fashion and this goes the same for pets as well who are being groomed and pampered no end, says Rachitha Dundoo.

 

New Delhi, January 14, 2020: Fashion is the need of the hour, thanks to social media which has become a platform to express one’s talent, opinion and what not! Whether it’s the all-consuming Facebook, Instagram, Tumbler or Twitter, it’s showtime baby with style trends galore! The trend to look the best and different from others isn’t limited to humans alone – it is slowly taking over the pet industry as well. Pet parents all over the world are looking for new ways, sometimes even bizarre, to make their beloved furbabies look different from the rest.

In China, for instance, people won’t stop at grooming and dressing their pets imitating other animals like a lion or a panda! We have seen t-shirts and dress shirts being tailormade for the pets. When ‘Pokemon Go’ game was released in early 2016, a few pet owners even dyed their dogs and transformed them into their favourite pokemons! Not only this, grooming products also have taken a drastic change. Even pet products are coming in organic, paraben free formulas to enhance their fur and coats. Pet spas have mushroomed even in India and pet parents are going to any extent, be it monetary or fashion, to ensure that their dog looks appealing and beautiful. Here are a few grooming trends, which are here to stay for a while.

Round & Square Shaped Face

We are all inclined towards geometrical structures and this is the latest trend in Taiwan, which is fast taking over the world. The dogs are groomed to sport either round or square shaped faces and this trend has been the highlight of social media for a few months now and videos of pups with the new trim are still doing rounds. Stencilled Designs: People have taken up a new way of showing their support towards their favourite team or a holiday and pets are becoming a live canvas of this trend where stencilled designs are used on their bodies. The colours used are toxins free and are temporary which come off easily after a wash. This also allows one to use creativity to come up with unique designs to pledge their support!

Jewels & Nail Polish

Your pets can now sport colourful nails and both of you can coordinate colours or match your nail colours when getting your nails done.  jewelled collars, feathers and headbands are the trends for fashion conscious pet parents. Colour Highlights: Before you latch on to this trend, please ensure that you get this done by a certified dog groomer and ensure that the dye used is non-toxic and vegetable based. Remember that human hair is different from that of a dog’s fur. Do not try to colour the dog with human hair dye as it is harmful for your pets.

Color Highlights

Before you latch on to this trend, please ensure that you get this done by a certified dog groomer and ensure that the dye used is non-toxic and vegetable based. Remember that human hair is different from that of a dog’s fur. Do not try to colour the dog with human hair dye as it is harmful for your pets.

 

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Feeding Pets with Vegan Food May Have Complications, Experts Warn

Nutrients come combined with thousands of others, interacting, complementing each other, changing the way they work.

New York, June 2, 2019: Matthew Grant tried diet after diet to help lessen the food allergies of Cooper, his old English bulldog. “Raw diet, novel protein, kangaroo, venison, we tried just about everything,” he says. Nothing worked, until he went vegan.Now his three dogs are on plant-based diets, and he says their coats are shinier and softer. Cooper’s allergies are completely gone. So remarkable was the change that Grant says he’s now thinking about going vegan himself.

As more vegetarian kibble shows up in pet stores, switching Fido and Fluffy to plant-based nutrition may seem like a good idea. According to a study published this year in PLOS One, over a third of pet owners in English-speaking countries, the United States included, have considered putting their pets on plant-based diets.Yet experts warn to be cautious. The science is sparse. While going plant based or at least forgoing meat, may be  healthy for humans, it’s not necessarily so for our furry friends,and for cats in particular. Lisa Freeman, veterinary nutritionist at Tufts University, believes the answer to whether cats can be healthy on a vegetarian diet is an “unequivocal no.”Unlike dogs, cats are obligate or “true” carnivores, meaning they rely entirely on animal flesh for some important nutrients.

Take vitamin A: dogs and humans can convert beta carotene from plant foods into active vitamin A. Cats cannot — they need to ingest the vitamin directly with meat. “There are also some fatty acids, like arachidonic acid, which is essential for cats and only found in animal fats,” says Jennifer Adolphe, animal nutritionist at the University of Saskatchewan. Other challenging nutrients are vitamin D, vitamin B12 and taurine, an amino acid found in mammalian tissues (humans and dogs can synthesize it from plant sources). Taurine deficiency in cats can cause heart disease and vision problems. Yes, it’s possible to whip up a cocktail of supplements and sprinkle it over your cat’s porridge. But, Adolphe warns, “you wouldn’t want to just simply add those ingredients and hope for the best.”Unlike dogs, cats are obligate or “true”

It’s therefore likely that dogs digest starch more efficiently than wolves,” says Erik Axelsson, geneticist at Uppsala University in Sweden, who led the study.But this does not mean you can put Fido on vegan chow without a second thought.“There are some amino acids that are essential for dogs, that are not so for people,” says Heinze, adding that plants tend to be poor in these particular amino acids.

(Story by Washington Post)

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Planning Vacation with Pooch, here’s what you need to know

Well researched trip is essential for your pet’s safety.

If you are planning a vacation abroad with your furry friend then you are certainly gearing up for overloaded fun and adventure. Thanks to number of pet-friendly facilities and services, taking your pooch along on a trip has become easier than ever. But before you pack your bags, there are things you need to keep in your mind and precautions that require to be maintained.

 

Traveling via Air

The first thing you need to do is to check whether your pet should be flying at all. If he’s too weak or young, consider leaving him home. Some breeds with short muzzles (such as pugs) will experience breathing difficulties if left in the cargo hold of an airline. You need to know for sure whether your pet is fit to fly.

 

Well Researched Journey

 Is the airline you have chosen safe for your pet? Track down its history, past events and accidents involving pets if any. This should give you a fair idea of whether you can leave your pet in their hands and rest easy. You could also look into pet-friendly airlines such as Pet Airways.

 

Pet-related Rules

If you’re flying abroad, make sure you check the pet policies and quarantine regulations there. You need to have all the requisite papers with you and be aware of the kind of vaccinations your pet has.

 

Petty Issues

In order to ensure hassle free trip you required to take hold on minor issues. Things get messy in the cargo hold, so you need to put your pet’s contact details on its crate to minimize confusion. Also, a tired pet is the best thing you can hope for, so try to give him plenty of exercise right before you leave.

 

 

 

 

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