DOGS

DOG, the true friend

Dr. T. Rama Prasad

“A  DOG  WAGS  ITS  TAIL  WITH  ITS  HEART”

                                                     -- Martin Buxbaum in Table Talk

In India, while we give importance to dog as the vehicle of Lord Bhairava (as mentioned in mythology and scriptures), our people don’t hesitate to drive away street dogs by pelting stones at them, let alone letting pet dogs into their homes which is considered as odious.  In contrast, a dog is an integral part of a whiteman’s life and it can enter his bedroom also.

Dear, don't share CHOCOLATES with your puppy ...  because chocolate contains a toxic ingredient called THEOBROMINE, which can lead to dehydration, seizures and even death in dogs.

PETS  and  CORONAVIRUS

Life has been thrown out of whack by the coronavirus.  After the initial event of the 'Wuhan meat and animal market' origin, there was no evidence of spread from animals to man. In late March 2020, a pet cat was found to be infected with this virus in Belgium.  In Hong Kong, two dogs tested positive. In April 2020, a four-year-old Malayan tiger in the New York-based  Bronx Zoo has tested positive for COVID-19. These four animals seem to have acquired the virus from humans. In Netherlands, one dog and three cats were found to be Corona positive.  Two dogs were found to be positive in the US.

Dogs get spontaneous cancer, like humans do, and pet dogs are exposed to many of the same environmental factors as humans, the scientists note. Overall, they say, dogs share more than 350 disorders or traits with humans — almost twice the number as any other species — so advancing research into canine disease could ultimately help treat humans.

Researchers at the Cornell University in New York and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington announced in December 2015 the world's first test-tube puppies born by in vitro fertilisation (IVF) on July 10, 2015 in the US. See the photo above of the IVF puppies.  For more on this historical event go to :  https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/test-tube-puppies_29.html

Pet parents who tested positive are a lot worried about their dog pets, especially when the parents are quarantined.  Who will look after their pets ?  In Chennai, some facilities like 'Dog House',  Petters' and 'Hotel for Dogs' are providing care for the furry pals of pet parents.  Now, have a look into the 'FIVE-STAR Hotel for dogs below !!!  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spotlight/how-pet-boarding-facilities-are-helping-dog-parents-in-the-time-of-covid-19/articleshow/76862218.cms  .

FIVE-STAR HOTEL for  DOGS

No, not a joke.  There is the India's first five-star luxury hotel   for pets named 'CRITTERATI' in GURUGRAM's DLF Phase IV.  It has six floors and 12'000 sq. ft. to redefine pet culture in India.  The tariff is about Rs.1,500 per dog per day.

Dog's bed in the 'Luxury Dog Hotel'

Options are there ...ranging from Standard to Deluxe to Balcony suites ... TV set in each room, a swimming pool, a TV lounge, a saloon, a spa with Spanish perfumes,  a cafeteria for wedding and birthday parties ... a clinic, 'pawdicure', massage, hair colouring & makeover, pet-related shop, day-care, play area, toys, games, care-chambers for dogs with special needs and trained staff.
This is not dog's life ... it is the one which many of the human creatures yearn for ! 

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/luxury-gone-to-the-dogs/article20461323.ece

February 25, 2024

Interestingly, the question paper of CBSE (India - 2024 - English) for 12th standard students contained the following (attachments), related to DOGS.   I fully appreciate the framing of the subject and questions to test the "READING SKILLS" of the students:

The following is what's posted on WhatsApp:

"DOGS found a place in some passages  in the question paper of ENGLISH subject in the ongoing CBSE examination.  One student told me that she did well as she had earlier read my 'scribbling' titled "DOGS" in my BLOG. I appreciate the framing of the subject &  questions to test the "Reading Skills" of the students. The questions are reprinted in the LINK below.  If you are a dog lover, go to that 'scribbling' in the LINK :   https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/dogs_29.html?sc=1708857035144#c6675066145939467277   --  Dr. T. Rama Prasad"

Cost of a dog

PET  DOGS  ARE  GOOD  FOR  HEALTH

Generally, pet dogs are incriminated for causing various types of allergic diseases including asthma.  In some cases, they are proved to be the definite cause.

 But, according to a study from Finland, children who grow up with pet dogs at home get fewer respiratory infections, have less risk of developing asthma, suffer from fewer ear infections and needed lesser antibiotics.

Recently(2015), researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden concluded from a major study including more than a million Swedish children that children who grow up with dogs have about 15 per cent less asthma risk than those without the pets. Pets help strengthen the immune system, reduce stress in hyperactive kids and provide more exercise by playing with them. In adults, scientists say pet dogs can help to decrease elevated blood pressure as well as high cholesterol and glyceride.

        A study in the US (2017) found that babies born to mothers who were petting dogs during the pregnancy period had a lower risk of developing allergic eczema and asthma.  Gagandeep Cheema from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology said that people don't know that there is a progression from eczema to food allergies to nasal allergies and asthma.

DOGS  DETECT  DISEASE

Dogs may even detect cancer before it can be diagnosed by doctors ! (TNIE, Jan. 27, 2013 & The Hindu, Feb. 10, 2013).  Scientists at the Humanitas Clinical Research Centre in Milan, Italy found that dogs could detect prostate cancer in 98 per cent of the cases by sniffing the urine of the patients.  No other single test could match this accuracy (TNSE, Apr. 12, 2015).  We, humans have 5 million olfactory cells in our noses while dogs have about 200 million.

DOG – HUMAN  LINK

And, researchers in Japan found one hormone link for the thousands of years of best friendship between man and dog.  Their studies documented the surge of the hormone called oxytocin both in the humans and the canines when they gaze into the eyes of each other – pet owners and their pets (The Hindu, April 18, 2015).  God created dog to be the ‘man’s best friend’.  Curiously, the alphabets in ‘god’ and ‘dog’ are the same, but in reverse order.

                                              

Our dogs -- Cheeku-2 & Ronie

LUCKY  DOGS

The dog, ‘BEAST’

            ‘Beast’ is the pet dog of Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of the popular social network, Facebook.  The dog has his own Facebook page with about 2.1 million fans and is a Puli which is a type of Hungarian Sheepdog.

Korea's 'FIRST  DOG'  ...   (2017)

               

Moon Jae-In  &  'Moon Tory'

South Korean president, Moon Jae-In, an extraordinary animal lover, adopted a black mutt dog, TORY, in accordance with his presidential election campaign pledge.  Hence, Tory (rescued from a dog meat fam) has become the 'First Dog' of the country.  It has been nicknamed as "MOON TORY."   And, the Justice Party presented a 'Luxury Dog Bed' to this 'ugly' black dog.  Koreans don't like black dogs. Tory joined two other pets in his house -- a dog called "Maru. and a cat named "Jjing Jjing."

The dog, ‘MANI’

‘Mani’ is the pet dog of Thangavel of Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, a milk vendor. For his daughter’s marriage, he got a light wedding carriage made and to the amusement of the onlookers the dog participated by pulling the wedding carriage in September 2015 from home to ‘kalyanamandapam’.  Thangavel said: “Mani is like my son. He has been part of my family for over five years. I decided to give importance to him by letting him pull the wedding cart for my newlywed daughter as I wanted him to be an integral part of this very special occasion.”

            “Thangavel, a milk trader, has not only found a place for his dog within his family, but also at work. Whenever he falls sick, he would tie a bag filled with milk packets around his dog’s neck and the latter would deliver them to his customers. Mani also helps his master carry groceries.

While it is not an understatement to say that pets will always have a special place in their owners’ lives, Thangavel has taken his relationship with his dog to unfathomable depths by making him participate in his daughter’s wedding carriage.”

 

Our  Dog, “CHEEKU”

       About 20 years ago, our dog,  Ms. Cheeku Prasad  used to sleep on our bed as a right.  She used to wake us up in the morning.  She ran into life-threatening medical problems.  The dog was urgently operated at Erode in 1997 by Prof. V. Ramasamy.  Later, she developed some more problems.  My better half, Rajyalakshmi, who was an Assistant Professor in Botany at Vellalar College for Women at that time took swift steps to save the dog’s life.  She contacted her faculty colleague Prof. Indirani whose relative was the Director of Clinics at Madras Veterinary College Hospital by name Dr. P. Dhanapalan.  Overnight,  we rushed by car to Chennai (400 km away) to consult Prof. Dhanapalan.  Soon after we reached the hospital,  the medical team of Dr. Dhanapalan gave blood transfusion and the surgical team of Dr. Archbald David promptly did the surgery after a tiresome conduct of a veterinary surgical conference on that day.  Conspicuous was the absence  in the “animal hospital” of the shameful commercialism often seen in “human hospitals”.

  And, there were objections to keep the pet in our hotel room, during the post-operative period.  During that period, we had to hold her hugged lest she would groan and moan due to pain. We stayed at Chennai for 10 days for the treatment.  People called us ‘mad’.   She recovered and lived well later.  In a ‘special article’ titled “In safe hands” in The Hindu of January 6, 1997, about the Madras Veterinary College Hospital,  the story of our CHEEKU was cited by the newspaper's corespondent.

We are ever-grateful to Thiru P. Jayaraman for primary care, Dr. V.Ramasamy,  M.V.Sc., Ph.D for emergency surgery under improvised conditions, Thiru Ranganathan  for overall care,  and the teams headed by Dr. P. Dhanapalan, Director of Clinics and Dr. Archbald David, Professor of Surgery,  of Madras Veterinary College Hospital for the survival of Cheeku.

Our dog  “CIBI”Our dog Cheeku 2

We had an ebullient dog, Cibi, a huge crossbreed of  Weimaraner and Sippiparai.  He jumped over the compound wall on May 8, 2012 and didn’t return. We couldn’t trace his whereabouts.  About 10 days later, on May 17, 2012,  Cibi was found lying on a road far away unable to move about due to multiple fractures.  He was taken to the Veterinary Medical College Hospital at Namakkal and got a major surgery done to fix the broken bones.  He recovered. 

About three and a half years later he bolted out for the last time on Deepavali festival day – October 10, 2015 --  terrified by the deafening cacophony of firecrackers.  He didn’t return -- God took him into his fold.  Distressing.  

           Soon later,  as though to replace 'Cibi',   one dog looking just like Cibi was wandering near our house with a collar around his neck.  Perhaps, he lost his way back to his home.  We brought him inside, cared for him, and announced to the public about this 'found dog' through Facebook and other media.  Nearly 2 years rolled by.  No owner came to take him back.  We christened him as 'Ronie'. He has become a friend to another dog we have by name 'Cheeku 2'.

Our dog Cheeku 2

June 11, 2022, Saturday:  He received a divine call in his 15th year of life.  The "damned procrastination", as called by Kubler-Ross, ended.  Versha, a profound dog lover,  compassionately took care of his last days.

Our dogs -- Cheeku-2 & Ronie

 In those good old days, our dogs had the inexorable freedom to roam about,  even inside our home also,  and were given near-royal status. Being the “best friends of man”, they crave for “human touch.”  Now, it is painful to see dogs confined with no human touch. Unfortunate change of circumstances.

DOG AWARDED UNIVERSITY DIPLOMA

Clarkson University President Tony Collins (left) presents the honorary diploma to Griffin, the Golden Retriever service dog.   | Photo Credit: AP

“Griffin” Hawley, the Golden Retriever service dog, is presented an honorary diploma during the Clarkson University “December Recognition Ceremony” in Potsdam, N.Y., Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. (AP)

Service dog, Griffin got Honorary Diploma from Clarkson University for assisting during studies and hospital internship of Ms Brittanny Hawley who was to move about in a wheelchair/. The dog, a four-year Golden Retriever, was awarded the diploma for his "extraordinary effort and steadfast commitment" to the success of his master Hawley who received her Masters Degree at the same time on December 15, 2018  ( https://indianexpress.com/article/world/good-boy-service-dog-gets-honorary-diploma-5499011/  ). 

PRADEEP's  CHIKU

This 'Chiki' is very lucky to live in the US at the home of doctors Pradeep and Bhagyasree (both are my close relatives).  Pradeep is an ardent lover of dogs.  I don't know whether it is just coincidental or intentional  --  naming this cute one as 'Chiku' which is also the name of one of our dogs.

CHIKU,  Mississippi, USA

Peddababu's  "DIGITAL  DOG"

Peddababu's  "Digital Dog"

           

CRUELTY  TO  DOGS

A Singapore court has imposed a Sg$10,000 fine on a local trader who failed to take his severely emaciated dog to the vet (April 2014).   Contrast this to the cruelty to the dogs on the Indian streets.

 A pet dog owner, in Singapore, got angry with his pet dog for not following him.  He lifted up the dog by leash, swinging and spinning it.  This was caught on a camera and the video clip uploaded on to a citizen journalism website prompted the SPCA to take legal action which may lead to a sentence of a jail term for 18 months and/or a fine of Sg$15,000 (The Straits, Singapore).

Maneka and dogs  http://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/english/the+new+indian+express-epaper-newexpress/maneka+barking+up+the+wrong+tree+say+naga+officials+and+activists-newsid-59598223

‘PUG’  DOG  BACK HOME  THROUGH  WEBSITE

And here is the story of two college students who stole a dog, put ads on OLX website to sell it and faced the owner as a prospective buyer ! (TNIE, 27 November, 2015 –   (http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/College-Students-Steal-Pug-Caught-Selling-it-on-Olx/2015/11/27/article3148841.ece )

So, where does YOUR dog hail from?

            Go to https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/1524fd71adf53f9b Recently, an artist by the name of Lili Chin has created this fascinating series that includes most of the known dog breeds, relating them to country. This way, we can see the breeding families these dogs all came from. In this series you'll find some dogs you probably never thought were related!

          You can find more explanations about her work on her website or look at her prints on her etsy page.

 “A  dog  is  wiser  than  some  people;

     It  wags  its  tail,  not  its  tongue.” 

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”            --   Josh Billings