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Thanks for the suggestion Sebring, we also apply coconut oil once a week, a day before his bath day, the shedding has reduced considerably in the last couple of days, hopefully, that's the end of it this season. lol:

Moulting/shedding is part of a natural cycle for dogs. In countries with more clear-cut climates, they grow more fur for cold winters, and shed it for the warmer summer. (I say clear-cut, but I forgot central heating in those countries!).

I have never known why some people bath dogs. Absolutely not necessary, unless your dog has rolled in something that nobody would want in their house! Animals regulate their skin/fur oils wonderfully, bathing only interferes with that. Brushing, on the other hand, is good.

After lots of dilly-dallying, I finally decided to get my cat neutered. As he's not yet vaccinated, the vet advised to get the vaccination done first and then he'll do the operation. His first vaccine is Biofel PCHR injection, for protection against panleukopenia in cats and rabies of cats. Booster dose is after 3 weeks and then I'll get him neutered. Still it is a difficult decision for me as a pet parent. I know the benefits of neutering but somehow I keep thinking I'm depriving him of his rights (for the lack of words, but hope you get the gist) Fellow pet owners, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this, please.
I tried to let him outside once, but he was so scared outside and severely dehydrated, couldn't find his way back home. Somehow managed to bring him inside and since then I've not let him outside on his own. I do take him out on leash, he enjoys it. I'll get him a partner first and then get him neutered :) Here's your mandatory cat tax :

It is a much easier decision to take when, having started off with one cat, you suddenly have five!

OK, it is a little unusual that my tom kept his girlfriend at home, but you can be sure that neither they nor the kittens produced any further offspring!

(sadly, only two, father and daughter, have survived the local dogs. So far.)

This is how my dogo looks inside the kitchen when I am preparing his breakfast:uncontrol

But that is just the problem! Unspeakable rubbish is what seems to draw them like a magnet (our boxers loved manure heaps, plentiful in Lucknow).:)
So giving them a bath once a week became the routine. And we found them none the worse for it!

BHPians, I need some answers to a few questions (urgently).

I would be getting my first dog (a Shitzu) home tomorrow. He is going to be coming from the breeders themselves. But, the drive from my place to them is quite a long one

- What are the precautionary measures I should take when bringing him back?
- What is the right time to start training him? I plan to home-train him if it is feasible and easier.
- What are some of the measures I should take to ensure that my dog is healthy?

Questions that can be answered later:

- What is the minimum age for him to fly with us? What is the documentation required for him to fly with us?
- In Pune, would I require a certificate from the PMC (pet registration)?

Thanks in Advance!

I don't know about dogs but I can say for sure cats don't need one. I tried to bathe my cat once a month or two when he was a kitten. After 2-3 times (each time I was mauled), I tried to read & figure out if he did need it. And it seems there is there is no need. It's many years now since he had his last bath but he still smells far better than me. And he is an indoor-outdoor cat so he roads outside all the time but still ends up clean after he grooms himself.

Very true. And yes, my cats smell better than me too rl:

Occasionally, disgusting things happen to cats, though. After falling into an outside drain, one of my cats was taken into the shower, held, and rinsed down with the hand shower. He took it quite well, although such an operation could involve considerable risk to human skin.

Yes, certainly he would have cleaned himself up, but I didn't think it a good idea that he should ingest that muck, and, I wasn't keen on living with the work in progress!

Other than such emergencies, my life with cats, and my mother's life with dogs, amounts to two generations of not bathing animals.

My son, gives his cats ( he has 2) a hot towel wipe once in a way. My daughter who has adopted a cat, also does the same. When i used to have a German Shepard, i used to bathe it once in 15 days or so. He used to look woebegone during the bath and after.:)

We had dogs and despite keeping them inside our compound they will start smelling after a while. Outdoor you couldn't smell them but as soon as they came inside the home, we could smell the distinct odor. Our last dog definitely needed a wash every week or so and he ENJOYED that, as in not so much the process itself but afterwards. He would be ecstatic after and incredibly energetic. The home smelt better too.

Now we have stray cats who have domesticated themselves and even though we rarely let them inside I can say with confidence that each of them is exceedingly clean and odorless.
Our super aggressive tomcat goes in a fight every few days, rolls in dust and dirt and is clean like a whistle in few hours. More than the injuries he tends to dirt on his body. I have had many temptations to try and wash but he'll destroy me in the tussle besides he's so, so clean all the time.
Same for the other cat who hardly gets into fights but is always cleaning her body. We suspect she has OCD.

So, I agree with the sentiment that cats don't need a bath. Not to mention they will topple and thrash (literally) any plans to bring water close to them.
But jokes apart, my mind boggles how clean these animals are.

I have visions of you son's cats reclining on loungers by the pool at some special feline spa!

Cats are God's favorites, rather I'd say they're Gods themselves :D I bathed my cat only ones when I first found him, he was covered in mud, and ink - his fur was stuck in that ink. So I gave him warm water bath, cleaned him off. That's the only bath he has had. I take him outdoors, he rolls around alot, his fur does get dirty but he cleans it off well so I never bothered with bathing him. Be aware - cats are more prone to catch cold, so never use cold water - use lukewarm water. And dry their fur ASAP and warm them up earliest. With the weather getting cooler past few weeks, I've seen my cat sneezing a lot, and he curls himself when he sleeps. So we put a small blanket around him, so as to keep him warm, or he simply hops in my chair and sleeps on my lap :) Yes, I've a spoiled cat !

I had a Shih Tzu earlier. I can answer a couple of breed specific and general questions.

If he is crate trained by the breeders, things are going to be very easy for you. If not, don't worry, there is still time to crate train him and that will make all your journeys and regular life easier.

-- What are the precautionary measures I should take when bringing him back? --> Ask the breeder to provide you a towel or a cloth which carries the mother's scent. This will give the pup a familiar scent and you can use it as a blanket for his basket.
Play with him an hour or so before the journey. This will tire him out and he will happily sleep for the first couple of hours.
Whenever he wakes up, stop the car, take him for a walk and let him relieve himself and sip some water.
Some veterinarians recommend anti anxiety or sleeping pills, I'm not a fan of either if it's not neccessary.

- What is the right time to start training him? I plan to home-train him if it is feasible and easier. -->
Training starts from day-1. If the pup is around 60 days of age, it is never too late to train him. Also, please ensure that the pup is at least 60 days old before you bring him home. There are a lot of bad breeders who sell 30-45 days old puppies.
Home training is good. You will create a relationship with the pup and will also have a lot of fun.

- What are some of the measures I should take to ensure that my dog is healthy?
--> Good food, good play, good rest ...just like us humans. Also, please get him vaccinated according to his schedule(again, just like us humans).

- What is the minimum age for him to fly with us? What is the documentation required for him to fly with us? --> I'm not sure about a minimum age, but usually puppies above 45 days of age can fly within India. Not sure about rules for international travel, you can use a reputed dog transport company for that.

*** Very important point*** Shih Tzus are a Brachycephalic breed, which means they have small nasal airways which makes it a bit difficult for them to breath in some environments. That is why some airlines don't allow Shih Tzus, Pugs and similar breeds on board(both in cabin and hold). There are some international airlines which allow Shih Tzus and the good thing is that you can carry them with you in the cabin.

For travel withn India, you can check the procedure in Air India. I prefer travelling with dogs in a train, much easier sometimes.

Hope this helps.

When my son goes on a holiday he checks them in a cat hotel which could have what you say. I went once, though i didn't look around.