Humans, wildlife, pets and livestock depend on each other and on the global environment. Today, every species is threatened by climate change. Diseases that were once found in tropical regions have migrated in northern areas. In Africa, the outbreak of Ebola in humans has been linked to the large numbers of deaths among gorillas in nearby areas. Even the Arctic-dwelling species are facing new threats every day. All these stories hint toward the growing need to focus on animal healthcare. And one such organization which has been working to ensure the best care for animals with its medicines and vaccines is Zoetis. The company was a subsidiary of Pfizer but with Pfizer’s spinoff in 2013, the firm it is now a completely independent company.
Zoetis is a global animal health company dedicated to supporting customers and their businesses in ever better ways. “Our name, Zoetis (zO-EH-tis), has its root in zo, familiar in words such as zoo and zoology and derived from zoetic, meaning “pertaining to life.” It signals our company’s dedication to supporting the veterinarians and livestock producers everywhere who raise and care for the farm and companion animals on which we all depend,” says
Mr. Y. Hari Prasad, Managing Director – India and BNS (Distributor Markets) at Zoetis India.
The company develops and manufactures animal-health medicines and vaccines for companion animals, dairy and poultry. For companion animals, Zoetis products cover therapeutic areas of Anti-Infective, Ectoparasiticides, Endoparasiticides, Nutritional and Vaccines. In the dairy sector, the company has products for Anti Infective, Hormone, Parasiticide and Vaccine. Thirdly, Zoetis also works for Poultry with its products such as Anticoccidials, Anti-Infectives, Disinfectants, MFA, Toxin Binder and Vaccines. Today, the company has over 300 product lines globally, operating in more than 100 countries.
In addition to producing vaccines, parasiticides, anti-infectives, medicinal feed additives and other pharmaceuticals, the company’s complementary businesses include diagnostics and genetics, as well as services such as dairy data management, e-learning and professional consulting. Zoetis experts also provide customer service, technical education and business support to help those who raise and care for animals manage their businesses more effectively.
As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. We believe that our products and services should be the most valued by all and our core belief is that our colleagues make a difference and we are customer obsessed, so at every step, we are dedicated to produce quality, result-oriented products.” says Mr Hari.
Going forward, the company plans to develop more preventative vaccines and aims to continuously work for the betterment of animal healthcare across India. “We are driven by a mission that our products and services should be the most valued by all and our core belief is that our colleagues make a difference and we are customer obsessed, so at every step, we are dedicated to produce quality, result-oriented products,” concludes Mr. Hari.
Mr Yethirajyam Hari Prasad is the Managing Director – India
and BNS Markets, Zoetis, for the past one year and three
months. He started his professional career from Glaxo
Animal Health in 1988 and joined Pfizer Animal Health in
December 1989. He started as veterinary Service officer, and
worked as Key Accounts Executive, District Manager, Product
Manager, Manager – Field Force Effectiveness & New Products
Development, Zonal Sales Manager, Sales Manager, Marketing
Director APAC Region based at Shanghai , BUD Poultry, BUD
Poultry & CA Business, Interim GM & Managing Director – India
and BNS (Distributor Markets) from May 1, 2020, in a career
journey of over 31 years at Pfizer/ Zoetis.
Career’s highlight & achievements: In his journey from
frontline to MD, he has worked in 15 APAC countries in his
regional marketing role at Shanghai (2010 to 2012 Aug). He is a
well-known animal health colleague in the Indian Animal Health
Industry.
Family members: His wife Sumana, M. Sc (Physics), is a
homemaker and has two daughters Manjushree (MS Business
Analytics & B. Tech Computers) and she works at Thermo
Fishers, Boston; while Deepthishree is pursuing her M. Sc
Digital Marketing at Kings’ College, London.
Hobbies: Travelling & meeting different people
Extracurricular activities: Watching Movies
Career goals: To Take Zoetis to next level in India
Website: www.zoetis.in
WSAVA’s updated Global Nutrition Toolkit helps vets inform pet owners on optimal nutrition
The World Small animal Veterinary
Association’s (WSAVA’s) Global Nutrition
Committee (GNC) has updated its Global
Nutrition Toolkit which helps veterinary
healthcare teams educate clients on
optimal nutrition for their dog or cat. The
first update is a revision to its ‘Selecting a pet food’
tool. While many owners regard the ingredient list as
the most important factor in choosing a pet food, a
list alone gives no reassurance as to the quality of
the products used, nor does it give an indication as
to whether a fully qualified nutritionist was involved
in the food’s formulation. The revised version points
out the most useful advice to be found on the label
and highlights the importance of the manufacturer
providing contact details so that follow up questions
can be asked. It also reminds veterinarians and owners
of the benefits but limitations of Association
of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
adequacy statements.
With ‘raw feeding’ growing in popularity, the GNC
has also created a new and engaging infographic to
illustrate the potential risks of the use of raw foods
in pet diets. Commenting, Dr Marge Chandler, WSAVA
GNC Co-Chair, said: “Owners want the best for their
pets but there is so much confusing or simply wrong
information out there that it can be hard for them
to navigate their way. Veterinary healthcare teams
should, of course, be the first port of call for advice
on nutrition and, we hope they will find that the
educational resources we have created in our toolkit,
together with the WSAVA’s Global Nutrition Guidelines,
give them the confidence to engage proactively with
owners on the subject of nutrition and put them on
the right path to feeding their pets an appropriate and
well-formulated diet.” The WSAVA’s Global Nutrition
Committee promotes the importance of high-quality
nutrition for companion animals and recommends
that veterinarians perform a nutritional assessment
on every animal at every visit. It also advocates the
inclusion of nutrition as a component of all veterinary and veterinary nurse/technician curricula. Fully
independent in its work, the GNC is co-chaired by
Marge Chandler and Gregg Takashima DVM, owner and
clinician at The Parkway Veterinary Hospital in Oregon,
USA. The Committee’s members, who are based
around the world and hold different roles within the
profession, lecture and publish widely on all aspects
of nutrition for companion animals. The WSAVA
represents more than 200,000 veterinarians worldwide
through its 115 member associations and works to
enhance standards of clinical care for companion
animals. Its core activities include the development
of WSAVA Global Guidelines in key areas of veterinary
practice, including nutrition, pain management and
vaccination, together with lobbying on important issues
affecting companion animal care worldwide.
Problems Caused by Insufficient Dental Care
Proper dental hygiene will help prevent your pet from developing a wide range of dental health complications, such as periodontal disease caused by mouth bacteria accumulation. These bacteria produce a film over the teeth called plaque. They become calcified by the calcium in the saliva as the bacteria die. Tartar is considered as the calcified plaque, and it can ultimately lead to gingivitis, which can lead to an inflammation of the tooth’s root. The tissues around the tooth are damaged in the late stages of periodontal disease, and the socket that keeps the tooth in place erodes, which makes the tooth loss. Broken teeth are another common dental concern. It can break your dog’s teeth by chewing on rough toys and bones. A broken tooth, which is very painful for your pet, can expose the tooth’s nerve. In addition, the exposed nerve can become infected and cause your pet even more problems. The tooth will need to be removed at this stage.
The Right Choice For Your Pets
As veterinary dentistry can dissolve built-up plaque, which is why pets must go in for periodic dental cleanings. There are a few things you can do at home, however, to help keep the teeth and gums of your pet safe as well. Brushing their teeth is the best thing you can do with your pet’s oral health. Tartar and plaque build-up can be avoided by frequent brushing.
You can start brushing your pet’s teeth slowly by buying pet-specific toothpaste and either a normal or finger toothbrush. You’ll want to continue in a way that makes it easier for your dog to get used to brushing. Enable your pet to lick off the brush with some of the toothpaste. This helps them get used to the toothpaste’s taste and the brush’s feel. Only brush the fronts for the first few days. As time passes, you can start brushing all their teeth if your pet feels more relaxed. For a little reward, follow the brushing with a treat.
You can also buy oral products with liquid and foam that help kill some of the bacteria in your dog’s mouth. There are also toys and treats that can help clear the build-up of plaque and tartar from the teeth of your pet, but not all of them. Dental treats and dental toys also work. Thus, dental care will definitely improve your dog’s overall health in the following ways by preventing:
– Tooth loss
– Bad breath
– Oral pain
– Organ damage
– Worsening dental disease
Get your pet the best treatment and secure their health for a lifetime!
What is spaying and neutering:
One of the most important health choices you can make is to spay or neuter your dog, whether you’ve just adopted a pet or you’re considering it. Spaying is the removal of a female dog’s reproductive organs- ovaries and uterus. It’s a veterinary operation that needs limited hospitalization and provides health benefits for a lifetime. Neutering is removing your male dog’s testicles that will significantly enhance your pet’s behaviour and keep him within boundaries. Many states and counties have built low-cost neuter/spay services that make surgery readily available and affordable.
Here’s a list of reasons to spay/neuter your dog if you haven’t already:
- Health benefits: In addition to eliminating unnecessary litter, testicular cancer is avoided by neutering your male dog.
- No heat: Although cycles can vary, during the breeding season, female dogs typically go into heat four to five days every three weeks. They’ll yowl and urinate more often in an attempt to mate, often all over the place!
- Longer and healthier lives: In about 50 per cent of dogs, spaying helps avoid uterine infections and breast cancer, which is lethal. The best protection from these diseases is given by spaying your pet before her first heat.
- No roaming far away from home: To find a mate, an intact male can cross limits. That involves digging his way under the fence and letting himself escape from the house. Plus, he risks injury in traffic and battles with other males until he’s free to roam.
- Better behaviour: Cats and dogs that are neutered focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs can cause a havoc by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. By early neutering, many aggression problems can be prevented.
- Fit pets: Spaying or neutering does not make your pet fat. A deficit of exercise and letting your pet binge-eat will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds. As long as you continue to provide exercise and track food intake, your pet will remain fit and trim.
- Pocket-friendly: The cost of spay/neuter surgery for your pet is much less than the cost of having and taking care of a litter. In cases when your unneutered dog escapes and gets into fights with the neighbourhood stray, it also beats the price of treatment!
- Benefits the community: In many parts of the country, stray animals pose a real problem. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, harm local wildlife and scare children. In reducing the number of animals on the streets, spaying and neutering is a real boon.
- Reduces overpopulation: Millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer like strays every year. The peeking stats are due to a poorly estimated litter that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.
Get your dog neutered now! One of the most important choices you make to affect your long-term health and your wallet could be the option to spay or neuter your pet!
An all-round meal for your puppy:
It takes a certain amount of effort on your part when you want to feed your puppy home-prepared food. Make sure you have the time to prepare the food on a regular basis. Dogs have unique caloric needs, much like humans, and need some vitamins and minerals to remain healthy. In order to grow at a reasonable pace and thrive, puppies have much more unique needs. It must be full and compatible with the food you feed your puppy and support their development.
Prepare a healthy platter:
Puppies usually require about twice as many calories a day as their adult counterparts. Make sure their meal has a proper balance of:
- Proteins like fish, chicken, turkey, and lean beef
- Carbohydrates like pasta, rice, potatoes
- Vegetables like green beans, peas, carrots
- Fats like vegetable oil
- Vitamins and mineral supplements
Use your best ingredients and prepare a wholesome meal for your pup. Set up a regular weekly schedule, allowing them some treats every now and then. Don’t forget to increase portions as your puppy grows, and their appetite increases.
Try out these innovative homemade recipes:
When it comes to creativity, there are plenty of dog food recipes available! Some of them are:
- A tasty salmon meal for your puppers along with some cooked and crunchy salmon skin make a delicious dish. Add broccoli stem, peeled carrots, and squash to make a bite-size meal on the go!
- An easy and inclusive meal made of brown rice, turkey/chicken, and veggies like baby spinach, carrots, and zucchini
- Turn the above dish into a delicious stew for a soupy treat
- Meat and veggie mash
- Meatballs for a fun and interesting meal. Add a portion of pumpkin puree and the oat bran to ensure effective digestion
- Food cakes made with a combination of ingredients above, including a dash of peaches, plums, and pears
- Meat cakes and meatloaf
- Homemade crunchy kibbles made with whole wheat or oat
- Scrambled spinach and salmon- the perfect mix of health and taste for your puppy
- Veggie bowl- mix up some mashed sweet potatoes, black beans, brown rice, and spinach stems
- Chicken rice balls- all of your pup’s favourites: meat, sweet potatoes, and eggs
- Mini omelettes
- Chicken casseroles
To ensure that your puppy maintains good health, make sure you weigh your dog regularly. Before beginning the homemade diet, take your dog to the vet so that your doctor may decide their optimal weight. Customize the diet of your puppy, appease picky eaters, combat problems of food allergies, and embrace just the bond-building enjoyment of preparing your pup a home-cooked meal.
Whichever approach you prefer, remember that every pup is different and ensure to attend to the customized needs of your puppy!
Is your pet often showing these signs of aggression?
Occasional aggression in your pets is expected, however, needs to be checked if it’s getting out of control. A feisty temper usually begins on a passive note, but can ultimately lead to attacks, causing everyone to stay yards away from you and your pet. Here are some signs that your dog is aggressive:
- Constant growling
- Rigid posture
- Snarling and showing teeth
- Threatening barks
- Jumping at every human insight
- Light or repetitive biting
- Snapping without leaving a mark
- Bruising
Why your dog gets aggressive
There are multiple reasons for your dog to lose temper, which include environmental, territorial, possessive, protective, and defensive factors. An exception to these reasons may be pain or abuse, which calls for a visit to the vet as soon as possible. Irrespective of external factors, identifying the reason for your dog’s temper and bringing in gradual changes in their environment is the key to improvement. Once you cross that hurdle, you can customize their training and personalize it.
Here are 7 steps to bring your dog’s feisty temper under control:
- Identify the reason for aggression:
Once you’re aware of what triggers your dog and who he is abusive towards, it’s time to consult with a licensed dog trainer. Always, consult your veterinarian for a recommendation if you’re not sure who to employ.
- Don’t ignore symptoms of aggression:
A bad temper is always undesirable. When your own dog shows these characteristics, it’s best to take it seriously as soon as possible. Pet parents often overlook these initial signs, and may end up unintentionally encouraging these paw babies.
- Never punish your dog:
Dogs do not understand discipline naturally, and when punishment is used, they are more likely to act out or act more aggressively. The easiest way to train violent behaviour is to encourage good behavior with incentives. Often your dog will need a little reminder that you are in control, but eventually, through reward-based training, he will react best to reconditioning.
- Teach them to impulse control:
It is important to train a dog’s impulse control and develop their tolerance of frustration. Here are some tips and tricks to change the way your dog reacts. Teach them to:
- Wait at the door instead, and let them be patient before bolting out
- Sit and wait for a command to enter the car
- Wait for the food bowl to come to them
- Whining and barking won’t get them attention
- Reward split seconds of calm behaviour
- Change little patterns that can make a big difference:
Stop your dog from chasing cars, chewing, eating stool, excessive digging, excessive guarding, jumping, and leash pulling.
- Use hacks to calm them down:
Give a brisk shake to the fur under their ear, called a ‘scruff shake’. You can also gently push them over to their side and lean over them, to remind them of who the boss is.
- Say no:
This helps as ignoring your dogs can make them conscious of their actions.
Above all, remember, do not handle aggression with aggression. Treat your baby with love & care while being firm instead of just plain strict.
Try these tips and let us know the changes you witness in your dog?
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New Delhi, February 18, 2020: Tick bites in dogs are a common problem but a serious one. For they can irritate your pet and transmit disease, it’s important to give your dogs flea and tick preventative medications, check them for ticks after they’ve been outdoors and remove any ticks that have become attached.
Types of ticks
Blacklegged deer tick. This tick species is well-known for carrying Lyme disease, which can be transmitted to both dogs and humans. However, it can also cause canine anaplasmosis.
Lone star tick. The lone start tick, along with the American dog tick, carries a pathogen that causes tularemia. This tick species can also transmit Ehrlichiosis in humans and dogs and, in humans, southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), which has symptoms similar to Lyme disease.
Brown dog tick. The brown dog tick has been known to transmit the organism that causes canine babesia — a mild infection of a dog’s red blood cells that can be more severe in young animals.
All tick bites. Tick bites can cause irritation and sometimes become infected.
Checking for ticks
Tick prefer to attach themselves in areas that are warm, protected and have thinner skin, but they can be found anywhere on your dog’s body.
Common attachment locations include:
Between back legs (groin)
Under front legs
Around eyes
In and around ears, including the small pocket on your dog’s ear flap
Under collar
Between toes
Around tail
In between any skin folds
How to remove a tick from your dog
Once you find a tick on your dog, remove it immediately to prevent the spread of disease. Follow these steps:
Use a pair of fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the pest and pull upwards with firm, consistent pressure. Be careful not to squeeze the tick too hard when removing it as it could regurgitate potential pathogens into your dog through the bite site. Additionally, don’t apply anything to the tick before removal, including oils, petroleum jelly, heat or fire, paint or nail polish remover.
After the tick is removed, double-check the bite site on your dog to make sure you didn’t leave part of its mouth behind, which could cause infection. Completely sterilize the wound left behind at the bite site. Use a match to burn the tick, smother it with mayonnaise or freeze it.
London, February 16, 2020: Introducing a new person to your home can set off all kinds of alarm bells for your dog. Like us, dogs can be a bit anxious about change, and the sudden attention you’re paying to another human, rather than them, can cause jealousy. Dogs love hard. Think about how excited they get when you come home after an hour gone.
According to Ben Cunningham, behavioural specialist and education manager at GroomArts, if your normally neat and gentle dog starts destroying your home, something’s clearly wrong. Ben says: ‘We know that cats will scratch and claw your furniture but if this is something your dog adopts in situations where your attention and affection are not solely focused on them, then this can become a problem.
‘Whether it’s biting chunks out of the sofa, clawing at the carpets or simply jumping on surfaces they know they’re not allowed on, wilfully disobedient or destructive behaviour in dogs demonstrates that they’re feeling neglected.After all, if they’re lacking attention, destroying household items is a bold statement that’s bound to get them some, whether that is positive or negative.’
‘Picture the scene,’ says Ben. ‘It’s Valentine’s evening. You’ve lit some candles, cooked an exquisite steak dinner and got the latest Oscar-winning movie all ready to go on the TV. You’re expecting the dog to maybe curl up at your feet, or take a position on the end of the sofa next to the two of you.
Just as you sit down and cuddle up with a glass of wine, your dog jumps on the sofa and pushes between the two of you, making it very clear that either the three of you are having a romantic night in, or no one is.‘If your dog can’t let anyone else get near you without barging into their way, this is a sure sign that your attention isn’t being divided equally enough.’ If your dog seems desperate for attention, they’re probably acting out of jealousy. Pushy behaviour such as constant whining and shoving their way on to your lap is a way for dogs to express their sadness and assert their importance in your lives.
Story by Metro.co.uk
The breed played significant role in tracking down Osama Bin Laden
Kolkata, February 13, 2020: In order combat the terror activities in the city, Kolkata police is all set to raise the squad of four footed commandos. The highly specialized combat force will be constituted of Belgian Malinois, a dog breed which helped in tracking of Osama Bin Laden.
To accommodate the anti-terror warriors, a new kennel for the ‘attack dogs’ is being set up near ‘Nabanna’, the state secretariat. Lately Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has also introduced the Belgian Malinois dogs.Various state police have also written to Home ministry seeking the permission for the acquisition of the same dog breed.
In Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and other European countries, as well as in the United States, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong, the Malinois is bred primarily as a working dog for personal protection, detection, police work, search and rescue, and sport work like Schutzhund. United States Navy SEALs used a Belgian Malinois war dog named “Cairo” in Operation Neptune Spear, in which Osama bin Laden was killed.
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The WSAVA ’s response to the Court ruling has been led by its Hereditary Disease Committee (HDC), whose members include world-leading veterinary geneticists, with the support of the WSAVA ’s Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee (AWWC). The Chair of the HDC, Dr Jerold Bell DVM , a practising veterinarian and Adjunct Professor of Genetics at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Massachusetts, USA, explains: “We recognise the serious welfare issues that exist in relation to brachycephaly, as well as other extreme anatomy and hereditary diseases in dogs and all purposefully-bred animals. We believe that health focused breeding and husbandry practices are the means to improve the health and welfare of these animals. This is effectively ‘health quality control.’
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