'Dogs starving for pet food due to bird flu scare'

Chennai, Mar 25: If dogs could eat what they wanted they would probably choose chicken 65, fried potato and chocolate ice cream for dessert. But as it is human beings who decide what is on their food bowls, they have to settle for die-hard vegetarians feeding them dal and rice, eggitarians throwing in the occasional golden globe and the non-vegetarians buying and cooking meat.

However in recent times all the above three are serving pre-cooked pet food which is available in the market and is convenient to store and handle.

Dogs, like their human counterparts, get accustomed to a particular type of diet and when deprived of it, experience stress and distress. This is just what is happening now.

Canines brought up on pet food emanating from America, deemed a bird-flu affected country, have to go without their favourite feed as over 1,000 containers of imported dog food are awaiting clearance from Customs and Quarantine Departments at Mumbai Port. This is because chicken is the main ingredient of almost all dog foods.

Popular brands of American dog food such as Propac, Purina and Eukanuba are off the shelves causing considerable distress to dogs as well as their owners.

Says Mr Panikker, a pet shop owner and keeper of three show quality Great Danes, ''my dogs which were brought up on an American dog food ''science diet'' totally went off food when the brand was no longer available in India. Now, slowly, they are getting used to home food like beef.'' With the number of imported show quality dogs that cost anything between Rs three to Rs five lakh increasing in the city, the need for the premium brands of dog food had become important and indispensable for these canines.

Says Veterinarian, Dr Nagarajan of the Ballo Speciality Pet Clinic, ''non availability of the pet food brands is likely to result in metabolic and nutrition-related disorders in these imported dogs as they have been used to a scientifically formulated balanced diet that supplies all their nutritive needs. This is not possible in the home made diet''.

For dog owners like Mr Sudharshan, who owns imported Dobermanns, the continued availability of the Royal Canine brand which is made in France is a blessing.

The problem is that most dog owners even of pedigree breeds and show stoppers cannot afford Royal Canine which comes at Rs 905 for a four kg pack compared to the American brands which cost around Rs 700 for the same quantity.

Adult large breeds consume up to one kg of dog food per day which means one needs up to 30 kg of Royal Canine costing Rs 7,000 per month.

Some of the dog owners who used the now suspended American brands are switching to an Indian brand, says Dr T Suresh, veterinarian and supplier of Purinas Dog Chow brand.

The owners of show varieties are however not satisfied with Indian made dog-food which costs much less at Rs 275 for a three kg pack because they feel that it is of inferior quality.

Mr S A Raj, owner of a Boxer dog who had fed his pup on Royal Canine found the pet developed an upset stomach on two occasions when the local brand was introduced.

Dr Nagarajan says that local brands are cheaper as they use meat flavour and other animal products in their dog feed unlike the premium imported brands that actually contain meat. However, Dr Nagarjan adds it is not necessary to give premium foods for show dogs. ''After all we had show dogs even before the advent of imported dog food,'' he says. Indian dogs which have been traditionally used to home foods may be able to adjust sooner and with less medical repercussions than their imported bretheren feels Dr Nagarajan.

The biggest draw of processed food for pet owners is the convenience in feeding as against in the old days when pet owners had to go great lengths to cook meat and add vitamin supplements and still make the food palatable.

The pelletised form makes the food convenient to store and transport.

With the American authorities trying to convince the Indian government that their pet food is absolutely safe as it is cooked in temperatures exceeding 250 degrees centigrade leaving no chance for any contamination, dog owners are hopeful that their pets will soon get their favourite chow back.

UNI