Want to relax? Pet a puppy!

HYDERABAD: Even as keeping a pet is becoming a costly affair, the number of people having birds or animals as pets is also growing. While many keep pets as a lifestyle statement, for recreation or just for the love of animals, doctors say there are some health benefits too for pet owners.It is estimated that there is an increase of 10 to 15 percent in the number of pet owners across the state every year.According to Dr A Anjaiah, deputy director of the super-speciality veterinary hospital at Narayanaguda, pets provide excellent social support, stress relief and other health benefits; perhaps more than people. “Doctors generally suggest to retired people to have pets as they help avoid many health problems, including heat attack. Pets make us go out into the open and do some walking,” he said KS Kumar, a retired professor living in Gachibowli, owns two dogs. “There is great relief in life when I am with my pets. However, pets bring with them additional responsibility and it also costs to maintain them properly, he says.Rao, another dog owner, says, “We should not confine, but encourage our pets to interact with the world around and be familiar with different situations and environments.” Feeding the pet properly is also important. A puppy has different nutritional needs than an adult dog and it must be fed accordingly, he says. “I feed my Labrador chicken rice, vegetables with boiled eggs. It costs about Rs 3,500 per month,” he says, adding low-quality food must be avoided. “Veterinary care is another important thing. It will be good if the pet dog is taken for a check-up at least once every month.”Doctors say a pet can be a great stress-busterYou can own an elephant nowMurgi Chowk in Old City is famous for its pet shops. Bademiya, owner of one such shop, says sale of parakeets, cockatoos, love birds, rabbits and various breeds of puppy is carried out at Murgi Chowk for decades. “Pet animals and birds are brought from major cities like Kolkata and Mumbai, and even from foreign countries. The business is growing every year,” he said. However, V Tirumala Rao, an officer of the forest department’s anti-poaching squad, said much of the Murgi Chowk pet trade is illegal and forest staff carry out raids there periodically. Those intending to have pets must know which animal or bird can be pet. Otherwise, they will face legal problems, he warned. According to officials, it is all right to pet a rabbit, but not a hare. It is illegal to keep parrots, exotic birds like love birds and reptiles like crocodile, snake and tortoise at home. However, one can now keep an elephant as a pet as it has been categorised as both domestic and wild animal recently.Different intelligence levelsDifferent dog breeds have different levels of intelligence and learn at different speeds. S Nagaraj, who has been training pet dogs in the twin cities for the last 18 years, says he trains them to respond to 15 to 20 commands. He charges Rs 15,000 per dog for a five-month programme. “It is important to train a pet and teach good behaviour. Training also helps the owner to take better care of his pet, ” he says.Most dogs would need to be groomed at least twice in a week, though some long-haired ones may require more frequent grooming. Owner must also check his dog’s eyes, ears, teeth and nails while grooming. Early identification of a health problem can save the pet from a serious medical condition, he says.