Tips for pet lovers

Bahraini Abdulrahman Salah Al Khan, who traded in his desk job with a leading financial institute to set up the popular Pet Arabia enterprise, has joined the GulfWeekly team as a guest columnist. He will be offering advice and useful tips so pet-loving readers can fully enjoy their four-legged friends for life.

Question: I like dogs and cats but I am allergic, what should I do?
Answer: Depending on the level of severity of your allergy, it may still be possible to own a pet. No breed is truly 100 per cent allergen-free, but if your allergy is a milder form and you are willing to make a focused effort to manage an allergy-aware home and regularly maintain and groom your dog or cat, it is within your power to own the pet of your dreams.

First of all, consider a hypoallergenic dog breed such as a Bichon Fries, Maltese, or a Poodle if you’re looking to get a dog, and hypoallergenic felines like the Russian blue, Siamese, or Sphynx if you’d like to own a cat.

Secondly, vacuum the house and sofas regularly, clean and change the cat’s litter box at least twice-a-day, and wash pet bedding and toys on a regular basis. Wear a mask when you brush your pet and use a de-shedding tool, found at your local pet store, to remove most dead undercoat fur.

Finally, over-the-counter antihistamine pills can often help significantly (check with your family doctor or pharmacist for more information) and an air cleaner with a HEPA filter can improve the air quality in your home and filter some of the allergens.

Question: Should I feed table scraps to my dog and cat?
Answer: Table scraps should not be given to your pets. Prepared human food is often full of fat, salt and calories, all of which are detrimental to the overall health of your pet. It isn’t uncommon for dogs to suffer with gastrointestinal issues, diabetes, heart disease and obesity, especially if their diet isn’t managed to include nutritionally-rich foods and treats limited to 10 per cent of their daily nutritional intake.

Many foods are toxic for dogs such as raisins, grapes, onions, chocolate, cooked bones, fruit pits, and walnuts. Some foods such as corn, soy and wheat are also known to be a root-cause for food intolerances and allergies in dogs.

If you do choose to feed your pet from the table, refrain from offering scraps that are seasoned, fried, breaded as those foods could have no nutritional value, or contain sugar. Not only are these foods unhealthy, but very flavourful compared to normal pet food and your pet will begin to beg for food on a regular basis and may turn away from their normal diet.

* For more information on pet needs and a wide range of top-quality pet products and services, visit petarabia.com. We can also be reached by telephone at 17592288, by email at info@petarabia.com, and, if you’re not already, please like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube @petarabia.