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Doll up your doggie
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Once part of a cosmetics store, Glenand is the place to shop for pets' accessories
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TAKE YOUR PICK Glenand has everything from A to Z for pet lovers Photo: Murali Kumar K.
The cantonment that Bangalore was in the '40s had pet lovers heading for that "lone" pet shop in the city, Mr. David's, Glenand on M.G. Road. The store, earlier a cosmetics one, had a place for pets. And at that cosmetics store, you could get locally sewn leather collars, imported English products and biscuits for pets that came in consignments over three entire months by sea. Glenand, that name from breeding kennels for German Shepherds, is a fascinating story. All the more because the cosmetics store then is today Modern Radio. And as for Glenand, there is just a board.
But wait. Glenand has moved. To 48, Church Street. And continues to have everything from A to Z for pet lovers. Biscuits apart, a fascinating range of Indian and foreign products for dogs, cats and birds. Deodorants, brass dog tags with names, sprays, dry and wipe shampoos, tearless shampoos, no-love sprays, sweets for cats, electronic collars that help pets stop barking and locate them as well, mint mouth sprays, charcoal treats to help dogs cope with gas, jackets that keep them warm... How much more? Glenand even had chalk blocks that make dogs look fair! E.V. Jayakaran who runs Glenand on Church Street — 20 years there now — says in the many changes Bangalore has seen is also the change in preference for pets — cats over dogs. He attributes this trend to high-rises.
Jaykaran's son Prithvi too has a pet place at Indiranagar. "I had a Spitz for 16-and-a-half years. I love animals. After completing my education, I joined the business. The range we offer pet lovers is very good. And if we don't have something, we can get it for customers in 24 hours."
With the demand for pet products going up, Prithvi opened a distribution centre for veterinary products at Lakshmipuram near Indiranagar and a Glenand's outlet at Indiranagar with an exclusive pet parlour on the lines of those abroad complete with bathtubs, hand-showers, hair-driers, aromatic massages and grooming tables.
Glenand is now linked up with a few kennels to board dogs too. "These do not put pets in cages, but are fed with love and good food." So, if you'd like a pet that is not just another caged thing, Glenand is the place.
Some tips for a smiling pup
Spending quality time with your pet, regular grooming and taking your pet to a qualified veterinary doctor will go a long way in helping your pet says Hemanth W.A., a vet for 15 years.
A few pet care ideas from him:
* Buy a pet only if you can spend quality time with it every day. The type of home should determine your decision of the breed. Insist on seeing both parents of the pet.
* Make sure you take your pet to a veterinary doctor only and have the pet's health record stamped with the doctor's Veterinary Council number. Kennel owners and breeders are not qualified to practice veterinary medicine as most of them do.
* Immunisation is absolutely necessary for dogs against rabies, distemper, hepatitis and para-influenza among other infections. For cats, there are vaccines for respiratory problems and gastro enteritis.
* You can train your pet when four or five months old. Pet socialising is important.
* Daily grooming helps you check for ticks and fleas, bite allergies from parasites and skin diseases.
* Shampoo only once a month with dog/cat shampoos. Regular use of shampoo, especially those for humans, is not good for the skin and hair of your pet.
* Regular interaction with your pet will help recognise health/energy levels in your pet. Sunlight will keep your pet healthy and dry.
* Have the ears checked for wax and cut nails. Your pet may hurt the ears by scratching/itching
* De-worming once in two or three months is necessary for beef-eating; for vegetarian dogs, once in four to six months should do. Dogs carrying fleas may carry tapeworms too.
* Chewing of bones maintains dental hygiene.
* Exercise, depending on age and breed, balanced diet, accompanied by commercial pet food, is essential. Pets are vulnerable to degenerative disease of bones and joints and need appropriate doses of vitamins and minerals.
* Pets in their old age need your loving care.
* If you are not going to breed your pet, then get your pet spayed (obario hysterectomy) to avoid uterus infection and endometritis /pyometia (open and closed) and nuisance from stray male dogs.
MATILDA YORKE
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