Orange City Animal Lovers

A dog owner from my colony approached me yesterday. Her dog was behaving strangely, she said. He was not eating or drinking, was digging furiously and howling. He was also trying to attack any strangers who came to visit , though he was not aggressive around the family members.I went to her place and sure enough, the dog was also salivating. It was a classic case of rabies. Rabies is a vet's worst nightmare. There is no cure. To stop the spread of the disease, the animal has to be put down. If not, the animal dies in 15 days time but by then, they may have spread the disease through bites or their saliva. Rabies is caused by the Rabies virus. The virus is present in the saliva of the infected animal. Once the animal bites someone, the virus starts spreading in the nerves after 24 hours and travels towards the brain. It also causes the paralysis of the nerve which controls the swallowing action, hence the inability to eat or drink. That is why the disease is also called 'Hydr...

Here is an article written by Dr.Marwah, which is very close to my heart also. We come across some heart rending cases in SPCA where canines are brought as recreational toys and once the pet owner understands the amount of responsibility involved, they coolly leave the dog to die on the streets.Would they do this to their own child or an elderly parent? Maybe yes! It should never be forgotten that no pet is suitable for all homes as not all homes are suitable for pets. There are some very critical points that one must consider before even going for selecting a pet. It’s like having a new baby at home. Check with the following points: 1.Need: It’s often seen that pets are kept for the sake of keeping or fun for children. No, they are not toys which can be dumped when you don’t need them any more. Some keep as a status symbol just because the next door neighbour has a good looking pet. Again, think twice, since the next door neighbour might personally be giving time to the pet, which you...

This is an extract from one of the series of articles of Dr.Kailash Marwah that have appeared in newspapers in Nagpur. Dogs have been companion to man since ages. As a matter of fact, wherever civilization has been recorded, the presence of dog has always been felt.It has been hypothesized that dogs may have originated in both hemispheres and has been domesticated in at least three separate places.In the northern hemisphere, the wolves and coyotes closely resembled the dog that attached themselves to man. In the southern hemisphere, the jackal and dingo likewise resemble many breeds of domestic dogs. ....By virtue of his superiority in scent, hearing and selfless love,the dog has become a sentry, a spy, a guide and to beat it all, a healer. He is dumb but full of expression as a companion for all ages.There is no parallel for him in the entire animal kingdom. Yet what do most of the dogs get - chained most of the time, confined for long hours and at best, two square meals. Is that what...