Mummy Doggy movie

Remember Mummy Doggy? The black beauty whose broken hind legs were completely cured thanks to Chandrika Hassan and two nice doctors?

Read her April post here. And watch this video to see how well she's moving now. Hard to believe a vet wanted to euthanize her just a few months ago!

Moral of the story: never write off such cases, give them a chance to heal.



Video: Chandrika Hassan
Bangalore

Mummy Doggy walks again

This is about the fall and rise of Mummy Doggy, and about how she became a pet dog.

Chandrika Hassan first wrote to me in mid-February to tell me about a dog she looked after in Bangalore who had become disabled after a car ran over her hind legs. The dog was a female who had been pregnant nine months before the accident. Here's a picture of her taken at that time.



Mummy Doggy, as Chandrika named her, was taken to a Bangalore NGO but the vet there said her hind legs were paralyzed and recommended euthanasia.

"I could see the life and hope in her eyes," Chandrika wrote in her email. "I really don't think she has to die."

Since she reported that the hind legs could move slightly, I suggested that she should go to a Bangalore-based homeopath I had heard of who treats animals, Dr Delna Tarapore, who had been highly recommended by some people I know. It turned out Mummy Doggy had femur fractures in both hind legs, not a spinal injury, and both Dr Tarapore and a vet called Dr Pawan felt she would recover with medication, supplements and rest. Animal lover Reena Puri guided Chandrika about care - Reena has had experience looking after such cases before.



Fast foward to the happy ending. From Chandrika's recent email:

"Mummy doggy is doing really great. She has become very cheerful but the best thing is that she's able to walk now and that too on all four legs. She hops on three legs when she wants to run. I'm sure she'll run and play around normally soon. She has become a sweet naughty girl, follows me around the house, likes to sleep with us on the bed (she can jump and climb on the bed without any help). The way she coped up during the recovery process is truly amazing. She would do something different every day and it was like telling us 'Hey, did you see me do that? I'm recovering!' Its an immerse joy to see her improve every single day. We are going to get her spayed next month and then she'll go to Chennai and live with my parents."



Stories like this are such mood-uppers. Isn't it great that there are some sincere dog lovers and nice doctors in the world? At least a few animals get the life they deserve.

Photos: Chandrika Hassan
Bangalore

Pickles on wheels!

We found Pickles (Piccolo) last year in a village outside Ahmedabad. He had been hit and run over by a car and left on the roadside to die. He had a broken back, his two hind legs were broken and he was emaciated beyond what I have seen in a live dog. We thought we were just giving him a safe and comfortable place to die. Little did we know Piccolo would bounce back!

After a couple of months, we took in two adorable small puppies we found on a construction site. Not to be outdone by the little charmers, Pickles made sure they knew he was top dog, and took pleasure in bossing them around. As they grew bigger, he grew stronger.

When the puppies were old enough, we began taking them for walks in our neighborhood. Pickles couldn't come, of course. He managed quite well dragging himself around the garden and the house, but the road surface was far too rough for the skin on his legs. He would wait at the gate, peering through the gaps, howling and whining until we returned.

Well, thanks to modern technology, Piccolo is now joining us on our neighborhood walks. He just got a brand new, high tech doggie wheelchair! Check out this video clip of him on his inaugural expedition.

He loves it so much, he is absolutely ecstatic. Normally it takes a dog a while to get accustomed to a wheelchair (I had one before, for a paralysed dog in the US.) Not Pickles. The first time we put him in it and took him out he was squealing for joy! I've never seen anything like it. Talk about gratitude. Whenever we pass a street dog on our walks, or one passes us, he breaks into a sprint and makes chase. It's like he's trying to make up for lost time while he was incapacitated. It's hilarious. The street dogs are all afraid of him, even the tough and dominant ones, because in his wheelchair Pickles looks like something that just dropped down from the planet Neptune. They all run away at high speed, which makes it even more fun for Pickles. The neighbours in my community here in Ahmedabad don't know quite what to make of it either. They already knew I was weird, but now they think I'm from Neptune too. You should see the looks we get.

Lisa Warden
Ahmedabad

Note: The wheelchair was made by Doggon Wheels. If you need one for any semi-paralysed dog, check their site http://www.doggon.com

An earlier video of Pickles here.

For dogs scared of firecrackers

Diwali will soon be here...and again most of us dog-owners have that sinking feeling.

Last year I had posted tips on dealing with dogs who are scared of firecrackers. Click here to read them. Canine behaviour consultant Shirin Merchant gives some excellent advice and there is also my post about the homeopathic remedy Borax 1M, which seems to work well on many dogs (cats too).

Playing soothing classical music seems to help. Last year my aunt played Pavarotti for her little INDog-mix Lucy, with very good results. Lata Bajaj also reported that Carnatic music helped calm down her Sandy and Myra.

Always the optimist, I'm looking forward to the day when our fellow Indians will be able to celebrate this festival without turning the country into something resembling a war zone.

Ringo

This is Ringo, one of the most energetic and feisty dogs I've ever met.

Ringo is an accident victim. He used to live with street-dwellers on P D'Mello Road in Mumbai. Early last year he was hit by a car. He was a little over two months old. The accident left him paralysed in both hind legs. Treatment was started on site by WSD but he wouldn't have survived for long on the road in that condition. That's when dog-lover Reeta Mukhopadhyay came to his rescue. She offered to take him in and look after him till he was cured, though she has two dogs of her own and also looks after many more on the street.

I've seen many hind leg paralysis cases over the years, both dogs and cats, and the way animals deal with handicap never fails to amaze me. While the average human would sink into self-pity and depression, animals seem to decide to make do with whatever they've got and just get on with their lives. Eating, rushing about, playing, all their normal activities. Ringo's busy daily schedule also includes such items as turning the house upside down and chewing up things, and he makes sure to keep some time for these boisterous pursuits as well. He's still very young, after all.

Reeta has done a great job of looking after him. She nursed him, brought him in regularly for homeopathic treatment, massaged him, exercised him. Unfortunately one very important element of his treatment was missing: the pet wheelchair or cart that we ordered for him was for some reason never delivered by the person who manufactured it. So though Ringo regained the full use of his legs, he was never kept upright in a normal standing position at a critical time during his treatment. Animals don't remember how to walk if a considerable period of time has lapsed before recovery: they have to be taught all over again, sometimes with aids like slings and carts. So Ringo continued to move by dragging himself around in a sitting position, even though he was strong enough to lift himself up and his legs had regained their normal movement. As a result of this unnatural posture his hock joints have calcified in a way that makes them completely stiff and unbending. We've been told that to fix this surgically he would have to go through a very complex operation with no guarantee of success, so we are not going ahead with this. Reeta has just ordered a cart from another source; once it arrives Ringo will be completely mobile. We're hoping the normal posture will help his legs too.

Now for the sad news. Next year Reeta will be shifting to a smaller apartment and won't be able to keep Ringo any more - the housing society doesn't allow more than two dogs per flat. So he'll need a new owner, or will have to spend the rest of his life in a shelter.

Obviously the first option would be much much better. But is there anybody gutsy enough to adopt a handicapped dog, even such an independent one as Ringo?

Let's find out...do spread the word about him among all the dog-lovers you know.

Mumbai

Books for dog-lovers

I don't know about you, but for me there is no bigger thrill than that of interacting with a different species (it's hard to remember this at times, but dogs are a different species)! Though we live in the same physical space as our pets, their world is in many ways a strange and unfamiliar one, and their perceptions and motives very different from what we imagine.

Dr Manik Godbole had this great idea of posting a list of books which would help us understand our dogs better. I added some of my favourites to the list. Topics covered include dog behaviour, health, and the dog-human bond. I hope you'll add your own favourites - either post your list as a comment or email me so I can put it as a separate post.

Manik recommends:

Games pets play by Bruce Fogle

I wish my dog would do that by David King (for training purposes)

Pets and their people (Ins and outs of pet owning) Bruce Fogle

Pet loss - a thoughtful guide for adults and children by Herbert A. Nicberg

If you are interested in scientific research in the field of people-pet relations there are these text books:

The pet connection - its influence on our health and quality of life - R. Anderson

Interrelations between people and pets - Charles Thomas

New perspectives on our lives with companion animals - A. Katcher and A. Beck

The mind - R.H. Smythe

All creatures great and small, and all the other famous books by Dr James Herriot
(If only they could talk, It shouldn't happen to a vet, Let sleeping vets lie, All things wise and wonderful, All things bright and beautiful)

I'd like to add:

The truth about dogs by Stephen Budiansky - a great introduction to recent research and discoveries about evolution, the dog genome, behaviour, and the dog-human relationship. I really like Budiansky's totally unsentimental, common-sense way of looking at dogs, but some people might find it unpalatable.

The Indian Dog by Major W.V. Soman. This is actually a classic, published in 1963, and only two copies remained with the publisher (Popular Prakashan) of which I now own one. There is a chapter on "The pariah and the mongrel" from which I am quoting here: "there is evidence to show that the Pariah pups caught and reared up, have proved to be the best house dogs and have not only protected the owner and his property but have gone out to protect the other village dogs."

The nature of animal healing by Martin Goldstein (a graduate of Cornell University who became one of the world's best-known holistic veterinarians). The theory that disease is simply the body's attempt to heal itself somehow makes a lot of sense to me - it reduces one's fear of illness and helps one cure it better.

Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn and Susan Hubble Pitcairn - another must-read if you are interested in holistic healing.

Doglopaedia - A Complete Guide to Dog Care by J.M. Evans & Kay White. A mind-bogglingly useful introduction to this topic. I remember getting extra copies for WSD staff and volunteers. I don't know whether it is still available off-the-shelf. If interested, you can get it through Amazon.com. Check this link: http://www.amazon.com/Doglopaedia-Complete-Guide-Ringpress-Books/dp/1860540740

In tune with your dog - An owner's guide to training and improving behaviour by John Rogerson (a world-renowned authority on canine behaviour)

The Hidden Life of Dogs by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas. The anthropologist author tries to answer a very simple question few dog lovers ever ask - "What do dogs want?" Her conclusions are often surprising.

A word of caution - books on pet care, holistic or conventional, often express extreme views on topics such as vaccination and diet. Personally I find it best to read everything I can and then make my own - moderate - decisions.

Happy reading!

Dealing with your dog's fear of firecrackers

Let’s face it, for most of us Diwali is an occasion to be looked forward to with dread more than any other emotion. The sight of one’s pet trembling, hiding, refusing food, trying to run away and generally getting stressed out of his mind does not inspire joy, to put it mildly. We asked canine behaviour consultant Shirin Merchant how to make the whole experience less traumatic for our dogs (and ourselves!) She sent us an excellent chart which I’ve posted here. • It is not uncommon for dogs to be hesitant, or even frightened by loud noises. • Often a dog will react to a noise as a direct reflection of his human companion. If you show fear, act nervous or scared of a loud noise, your dog will pick up on your subtle signals and learn that loud noises are to be feared. It can take only one incident for a dog to get scared of loud noises. A dog’s ears are sensitive, and loud noises can hurt them. • Do not praise your dog when he shows fear of loud noises. If you do, you are not only praising him for being frightened, but you are making it more likely that he will be frightened the next time a loud noise happens. Many well-meaning dog owners increase their dog's anxiety by stroking, cuddling, and saying "It's OK" when their dogs act nervous. Instead spend some quality time with your dog being fun and playful. Try and distract him away from the noise. • If your dog is already afraid of loud noises, then a process of desensitization will help. Desensitizing your dog involves exposing your dog to low-volume noises. Gradually increase the noise level while giving him something pleasurable such as praise and a food treat. Over a period of time your dog will get used to the noise. This process is best carried out under the supervision of a canine behaviour counselor. • Dogs instinctively seek out confining spaces when frightened. If your dog hides under the bed or behind a cupboard don’t drag him out in an attempt to comfort him. Instead put some clothing or towels with your familiar scent next to the dog for reassurance. It would also help if you play soothing, easy listening music relatively loud to help drown out the fear-producing noise. You MUST consult your vet before attempting to give any drugs to your dog. • Firecrackers can harm pets. Be extremely cautious when lighting firecrackers around animals. The gunpowder in firecrackers is potentially toxic to pets if they eat it. Also, there is always a danger of a dog getting hurt or burned if fireworks are accidentally shot at them. For more information contact “Canines Cane Care” at k9cancare@hotmail.com 

Scratchy dog? Try this home remedy

I wanted to share this great remedy I used on Lalee last year.

I don’t know about other cities, but the Mumbai monsoon is peculiarly harmful for dogs. (Itchy skin is the least of the problems really – licking rainwater often seems to push the poor things into an extremely virulent kind of bloody diarrhoea).

Anyway, last year Lalee started scratching a lot and actually made small cuts all over her body. The doctor told me to mix these three things: equal parts powdered camphor and haldi (turmeric), and enough coconut oil to make a smooth thick liquid. I applied this mixture all over her, muzzled her and kept her on the balcony for 30 minutes. (At the end of that time the balcony walls were all yellow, but at least the new colour scheme hadn’t been spread to the rest of the house). I then led a highly indignant Lalee to the bathroom, leaving a trail of yellow paw prints, and bathed her with Margo soap, which seems to be a really good neem soap. (And yes, the bathroom also turned yellow).

Her scratching reduced by at least 95% with just this treatment and she soon had her beautiful coat back. For those interested in unimportant details, the walls were also restored to their former beauty after a bit of scrubbing.

If your dog has a really serious skin problem, for instance with pus or some other symptom, please DON”T try this without first checking with your vet. If he suffers from allergies, DON’T try this. But in simpler cases I don’t think it could do any harm as long as the dog doesn’t lick the mixture. If your dog is white, perhaps he will retain a yellowish hue for a while after this treatment – but it certainly won’t be permanent. Anyway, isn’t that a very small price to pay for a no-longer-scratchy dog?