India has been a host to many unique things – cultures, religions, artifacts, and many more. We are also popularly known for being the most populous country in the world. So, the fact that we are a house to multiple dog breeds – both foreign and native comes as no surprise. However, did you know that India is a shelter to almost 21 fascinating native breeds we’re hardly aware of?

One of those fascinating breeds is the Indie dog, also known as the Indian Pariah dog. This breed of dog has evolved naturally in the Indian subcontinent over thousands of years. They are well adapted to the local climate and are generally healthy, resilient, and easy to maintain.

We know you are curious to know more about them, aren’t you? This is exactly why we have listed down a number of reasons why Indie dogs make for great pets. Beware, once you finish reading this, you won’t be able to stop yourself from falling in love with them and might even consider adoption. Let’s begin:

They are Low Maintenance: First and foremost, Indie dogs are self-sufficient and can adapt to a variety of living conditions. Being born in the subcontinent, they are best suited to live and grow in the Indian climate. They are also generally healthy and don’t require a lot of special care. Minimal time, effort, and money are required to keep them well-groomed and healthy. Their maintenance and grooming, hence, fall easy on the pockets as compared to other foreign breeds.

They are Intelligent: Indie dogs are known for their intelligence and resourcefulness. They do, however, like other breeds require some training to help them easily adjust to a homely lifestyle. But they can be trained easily given their street-smartness, friendly nature and ability to adapt well. They make for excellent companions once properly socialized. 

They are Loyal: Indie dogs are fiercely protective and loyal to their owners. Their fierce protective instincts mixed with their ability to sense danger make them excellent watchdogs. However, If you plan to adopt these adorable dogs you may want to avoid taking them out of their areas forcefully. Indie dogs are very protective of their territory and may feel threatened.

They are Social and Amicable: Indie dogs are used to living in groups and are generally friendly with other dogs and people. They are very social and amicable and make for a great companion with kids and adults alike. Indie dogs are one of the most versatile dog breeds. 

They are Highly Communicative: In addition to being intelligent, our indie dogs are also highly communicative. They are naturally expressive and very easy to get along with. This expressive nature ensures an easy flow of communication that further helps in their training process. Their training progress can be tracked by the changes in the way they express themselves. With proper care and training, they can be your best buddy for a lifetime.  

Overall, adopting an indie dog or a street dog is a great way to get a wonderful companion who is easy to love, care for, intelligent, loyal, and socially adaptable. By adopting an indie dog, you are also helping support the animal welfare efforts in India, where many of these dogs are homeless and in need of loving homes.

Having a pet isn’t just about showering all your love on them with cuddles and kisses. There’s so much MORE that you need to do!

Being a pet parent comes with the responsibility of taking care of your pet’s life and well-being. It’s about nurturing them like a baby, from their vaccinations to teaching them basic good behavior – everything is your responsibility. 

Table of Content

• What is neutering? 
• What is the right age for neutering?
• How is neutering done? 
• What are the advantages of neutering?
• What are the associated risks? 
• What are the post-operative precautions?

One major and most difficult decision you have to make is whether to opt for neutering or not. 

There have been debates about whether the process of neutering is safe or not. So, here we will cover everything about this topic that you need to know. 

What is Neutering? 

Castration, commonly known as neutering or “the big snip”, is a surgical procedure that removes your male dog’s testicles, preventing him from having an offspring. Although it is a medical treatment, neutering is quite simple and less time-consuming than spaying a female dog. 

What is the Right Age for Neutering?

This is one of the most common queries pet parents may have while thinking about neutering. Biologically, the right age for neutering a dog is minimum 6 months. But, animal behaviorists advise that it should be done once the dog attains full mental maturity, i.e, minimum of 16 months. This is because the lowered level of testosterone may result in unwanted behavior in dogs who are not fully mentally mature. 

How is Neutering Done? 

A veterinarian will check your pet and run some pre-anesthetic blood tests. When everything is in order, your pet will be administered anesthesia. To administer anesthesia and give hydration therapy during the procedure, a majority of dogs will have an intravenous catheter implanted. Once the dog is unconscious, a breathing tube will be put into his trachea (windpipe) to allow oxygen and a gas anesthetic to be delivered right into his lungs. The procedure involves removing the testicles through a tiny incision made in front of the scrotum. Absorbable internal sutures are frequently used by vets so you won’t need to take your dog back to the hospital to have them taken out.

What are the Advantages of Neutering?

There are several advantages of neutering your dog. Many vets may advise you to go for it, especially if you intend to keep your dog as a pet and not breed him. The resultant change in your dog’s behavior may be the most obvious advantage. 

• Calmer behavior:  A male dog’s testosterone levels fall after neutering. Post the surgery, canines are calmer and less inclined to fight with other dogs. He’ll leave fewer territorial marks, both inside and outside, since he won’t feel the need to alert everyone in the area that he’s nearby.

• Protection from diseases: Spaying and neutering protect the pet from several illnesses including breast cancer and prostatitis. Additionally, it lowers the chance of testicular cancer, the second most prevalent malignancy in unneutered dogs, and removes the danger of benign prostatic hyperplasia, a condition of enlarged prostate that develops with aging. To top it, neutered dogs typically live longer.

What are the Associated Risks? 

Neutering may also have a few unintended consequences like:

• Decreased energy: A neutered dog will have less energy as neutering will reduce your dog’s metabolism. 

• Obesity: Dog obesity is caused by overeating and inactivity, both of which are factors that you, as the pet owner, can control. For instance, irrespective of the age of surgery, neutered golden retrievers are quite prone to obesity. 

• Knee Damage: The danger of knee damage increases in neutered dogs. This is observed more when large breed dogs are neutered before the full development of their bones. 

What are the Post-Operative Precautions?

Plenty of rest and activity limitation are two important precautions you have to take as a pet parent. After surgery, most dogs may resume their regular activities within five to ten days. Until then, you should avoid activities like swimming, running, and climbing stairs, including leash walks. Doctors also advise putting the dogs on e-collars to prevent them from licking post surgery. 

Still have some unanswered queries? Get in touch with our team to resolve them and make an informed decision.

The months of December through February are agonizingly cold for both humans and dogs. The chilled breezes and dipping temperature leads to many health problems. Our pooches are prone to many diseases that are common during winter. Some of the common winter diseases in dogs are:

Sniffles: This upper respiratory infection causes a runny nose, coughing, tiredness, sneezing, and watery eyes, among other symptoms. The majority of pets often have this ailment. Therefore, try to wrap a blanket over the dog, make your dog drink lots of water to keep them hydrated, and use a humidifier at home. In case you spot any of these symptoms, take your dog to the veterinarian immediately.

Flu: Flu frequently impacts the pooches in winters. The dogs may develop a fever, a dry cough, a runny nose, or even ear infections. If you spot any of these symptoms visit the vet immediately to prevent the condition from worsening.

Cold: Just like humans, cold can make our dogs feel uneasy. Therefore, when it’s freezing outdoors, make sure your pet is in a warm spot at home, covered with a blanket and jacket.

Taking care of our pets is not a difficult task. They show a series of symptoms that can help you understand that something isn’t right and that he might be suffering silently. Here are some symptoms you need to keep an eye on:

• Shivering
• Sneezing
• Dry cough
• Staying alone in a corner
• Not eating properly

These signs indicate that your dog isn’t feeling well and needs immediate care and attention. Here are a few things that you must do for your cuddle buddy throughout winters, especially, from December to February, when it’s windy and the air is extremely cold.

1. Stay In and Keep Them In

Our pooches love to play outside but when the temperature is dropping day by day, we need to keep them in against their will. Try taking them for walks and outdoor activities while the sun is shining. This will keep them safe from cold and winter chills.

2. Wrap Them In Warm Woolen Jackets

Can you picture going outside in the chilly weather without a sweater or a high-collared jacket? Your pet is subject to the same rules. Get your pet jackets that fit them right. Don’t get them oversized jackets as they will let the air in which can make them sick. But when the sun is out, the jackets should be off as well. Your pooches’ fur needs some Vitamin D so let them soak it on without any clothing on.

3. Don’t Cut The Furrrrrr

Fur is their natural warmer. Their coat keeps them warm naturally. During winters, avoid cutting or shaving their fur and on their bath day, wait till their fur is completely dry. This is necessary because they can fall sick easily if you take them out while they are wet. Keep them inside and use a humidifier but also ensure they are not too close to it (they may end up burning themselves!).

Apart from these, you can also make changes in their diets. Give them highly nutritious food while keeping them hydrated. If you identify starting symptoms of flu-like fever, cough, and cold,  immediately turn to ayurvedic medicines such as Fev Pet from Fur Ball Story is a good idea. This will help nip these symptoms in the bud. If your dog belongs to small breeds, give them 0.5 ml twice a day and if they belong to large breeds, give them 2-3 ml twice a day. Fev Pet will help you deal with the fever. After giving the medicine, check your doggo’s temperature after every 2 hrs. Do this for a day. Monitoring their fever is very important because if the temperature rises to 106 degrees, it can be life-threatening.

Keep your pooches healthy and cozy this winter to ensure they don’t compromise on the fun this season!

Humans and dogs have something in common and it’s not loyalty. Well, to your surprise, it’s ANXIETY & STRESS.

Just like humans, our lovely pooches also undergo stress and anxiety. You must be thinking that they don’t have deadlines and dementor bosses (who would take the life out of you). If they have the most relaxing life, then what could cause them stress and anxiety?

Before we dive into the causes, it’s important to understand that if anxiety in  is not treated in time, it can lead to severe behavioral issues.

Don’t worry! In this blog, we will turn every stone for you. We will talk about anxiety in pets, its causes and symptoms. Post this, we will answer some of the most commonly asked questions.

Anxiety, to define it in simple language, is the uncanny feeling of fear and uneasiness. Are you curious to know what could lead your poochie to the dark place of anxiety?

    Content

• Why Is My Dog Anxious? What Are The Causes Of Anxiety In Dogs?
• How do I know if my dog is suffering from anxiety?
• How can I treat anxiety in my dog?

Why Is My Dog Anxious? What Are The Causes Of Anxiety In Dogs?

There can be various causes of anxiety in our dogs. We have listed down the six most common ones.

• Fear-Related Anxiety: Loud noise, unexpected persons or animals, elements like hats or umbrellas, unfamiliar or strange locations, particular circumstances, such as a vet visit or automobile rides, as well as surfaces like grass or wood floors, can all trigger anxiety. Even though some dogs may just react to these triggers for a moment or two, an anxious dog may respond more severely.

•  Separation-Related Anxiety: Around 14% of dogs are known to have separation anxiety. When a dog has separation anxiety, he will struggle to feel at ease when left alone or taken away from his family. Unwanted behaviors including urinating in the home, damaging furniture and other items, and barking are common behavioral symptoms of separation anxiety.

• Age-Related Anxiety: Older dogs are more susceptible to age-related anxiety, which is linked to cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS). Memory, learning, perception, and consciousness begin to deteriorate in CDS-affected dogs, much like they do in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease in humans. You must’ve noticed that senior dogs are relatively more confused and anxious.

How Do I Know If My Dog Is Suffering From Anxiety?

Your little adorable poochie will display a set of symptoms. Here is a list of symptoms that will help you know that your dog is suffering from anxiety.

• Aggression: Aggression can be directed either directly or indirectly. This can be related to fear-based anxiety. In some cases when a dog displays angry behavior, it means that they are afraid of the unpleasant outcome that may arise from the condition.

• Urinating or pooping inside the home: Separation anxiety frequently manifests as urinating and defecating indoors. Even if they are in the house, anxious dogs frequently build themselves up to the point where they must go pee or poop in the house.

• A destructive attitude: Separation anxiety frequently manifests as destructive actions. The damage is typically found near the entry and exit points, such as doorways and windows, but anxious dogs also run the danger of hurting themselves. Painful injuries can happen when a dog is attempting to escape from dog crates, windows, or even doors.

Apart from these behavioral signs and actions, there are some other signs too which can indicate anxiety in dogs.

• Drooling or Panting
• Excessive unnecessary barking
• Pacing
• Restlessness
• Compulsive or repetitive habits (repetitive barking, growling, shivering, self-harming)

How Can I Treat Anxiety In My Dog?

There are home remedies as well as ayurvedic medications for dogs that can help you calm them down. One such ayurvedic solution is CALM PET by Fur Ball Story.

Is it safe? Will it work? What if my dog faces side effects? Well, before you go bonkers with questions, calm your mind. We will not keep you in suspense!

Calm Pet is an ayurvedic solution for calming your dogs. It is made from natural herbs like Ashwagandha, Giloy, Jatamansi, and Tagara along with many others. These tablets are safe and side-effect free so you don’t need to worry! If you have a small breed dog, give 1 tablet twice a day and if they belong to a large breed, give 2 tablets twice a day.

You need to administer the dog’s temperature after giving the medicine. In Ayurvedic medicine, results are not instantaneous, but rather long-term. These tablets work on the central nervous system of the dog which is why it may take up to 3-4 weeks for results to show. Stop giving the medicine if there is no improvement by the third week.

But before you begin the medication, you need to be sure that the anxiety isn’t in the genes. Certain dog breeds are anxious by nature due to their genes. In this case, Calm Pet won’t be a helpful solution. Visit a Vet or take help from an animal behaviorist to know more about the basic nature of your pet.

Dogs can’t speak about their worries like us so when we shelter a pet it becomes our responsibility to take care of their well-being. Understanding their problems in-depth will help you give them better treatment at home and improve their quality of life. Let’s not forget that in times of stress and anxiety, they made us better by just being there. This is our time to give it back.