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Q.When and how often should I deworm my dog?

A.Deworming is crucial to your dog’s health. Dogs in Nepal tend to suffer from internal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, heartworms, tapeworms and other infections. As a result your dog will have poor and stunted growth, allergies and skin diseases, rough coat and anaemia. Dogs should be dewormed from the age of 30 days. Till the dog is 6 months old repeat every 6 weeks. Above 6 months repeat every 3 months. |back|

Q.When and how often should I vaccinate my dog?

A.At 45 days: 6-in-1 (distemper, parvo virus, hepatitis, leptosporasis, para-influenzo) 2,5 months: Booster (to be repeated each year) 3 months : Anti-rabies (to be repeated once a year) |back|

Q.What kind of food should I feed my dog?

A.Suggested diet for puppies (1-4 months): Puppies need to be fed small quantities of food every 3 hours. 7 am: whole milk, boiled or fried egg, toast 11 am: porridge (litho) or dry food for puppies 2 pm: Cooked rice with vegetable (fish or meat can be added) 6 pm: porridge or dry food for puppies 10 pm: milk with toast Dogs above 4 months: Older dogs can be fed two times per day. In between you can give the dog a snack, such as a bone, dog biscuits, dry food or boiled egg. Don’t give sweets regularly! Dogs can eat ‘human food’ but make sure it does not get only left overs. Dogs need nutritious food like humans do (including vegetables, lentils, etc). They should not be fed too much meat as this disturbs the balance of calcium and fosfor causing bone problems. Most specialists agree that commercially produced dry food is the best food for dogs. This can be expensive. If you cook dog food instead make sure you offer a variety. Suggested diets: - Rice and lentils mixed with vegetables and buff mince, cooked together with 1 clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder. - Instead of rice use maize or wheat grits; buff mice can be replaced with other kinds of meat (but never include chicken bones as they obstruct bowel movement) - Beaten rice with fried egg - Rice or maize grits mixed with tuna fish - Chappatis with curd. |back|

Q.My dog has fleas! What to do?

A.Buy an anti-flee device at the vet shop. If you use powder wear a protective mask and make sure you de-flee the dog outside, in the sun. Leave the dog out in the sun for at least an hour. Put some powder in the dog’s basket or blanket and vacuum the house regularly. Powder treatment must be repeated when black eggs are found in the dog’s coat. Make sure you deworm your dog regularly as flea and worm infections often go together. |back|

Q.My dog has scabies/mange! What should I do?

A.Scabies is a serious diseases and must be treated by a professional vet. He or she will administer Ivermet injections, deworm, bathing, dressing and/or antibiotics, as well as a suggested diet recommendation (immune-system builders). It is important to keep your pet from licking the areas of infection, as this will negate any topical creams applied. Bandages or head-basket may be needed. |back|

Q.Does my dog need its own place?

A.Yes, it does. If you can provide it with a dog basket or a blanket. Even a box or cushion will do. |back|

Q.How much exercise does my dog need?

A.This depends on the size and breed. Small dogs generally need to walk 1-3 km per day, middle size dogs 5-10 km per day and big dogs 10-15 km per day. If possible walk your dog in the morning and in the evening. |back|

Q.My dog is locked up in a cage all day. Is that alright?

A.No, it isn’t. Dogs develop self-injury such as self-biting, hair pulling and repetitive motions. People only cage dogs if they cannot handle them but this is not the solution as caged dogs ALWAYS bite! Instead, give the dog obedience training. If you feel you must lock your dog up make sure it has a water bowl and is fed regularly. Also release the dog twice a day for an hour, and at night. Caged dogs need interaction with peers and people, like humans do! So put yourself in the dog’s position and treat it with kindness and understanding. If you do that you will find that your dog is your most loyal friend. |back|

Q.My dog destroys everything in the house! What to do?

A.Although puppies by nature like to chew on things, mature dogs generally become naughty when feeling bored or not properly trained. When leaving the dog alone make sure it’s left with a toy or bone to chew on. Upon your return if the dog has broken something ignore it. If it did not destroy anything praise it with your voice and/or giving it a treat. Slowly increase the time that you leave the dog alone. |back|

Q.Does my dog need obedience training?

A.Yes, it does. You can either do this yourself by ignoring the dog when it does something wrong and praising it when it does a good job, or hire a professional trainer. The best time to start training a dog is when it’s 3 months old. animalNEPAL with the help of an Australian dog trainer, has certified many trainers. Please download this document for names and more information on training.

Q.What is better, an imported breed dog or local mixed breed (street dog)?

A.Most people want to own an expensive breed dog. However, local “mixed-breed” dogs make excellent pets – very intelligent and protective, generally healthy, and well-adapted to local conditions. If you adopt one from a shelter you actually provide a future for a dog which otherwise has little chances. Be proud to be Nepali – own a Nepali dog! |back|

Q.I don’t want my female dog to have (more) puppies. What to do?

A.The greatest gift you can give to your female dog and the community is to have it spayed/neutered. This is a relatively safe operation which will ensure that she does not become pregnant (again). Her health will improve and her life will become much more relaxed. Neuter your dog to avoid: • Undesired pregnancy • Running away, getting lost and having accidents in the streets • Problems and diseases caused by pregnancy and delivery • Aggressive behaviour during mating season • Unwanted four-legged visitors in your yard during mating season • Increasing the stray dog population If you opt for birth control injections make sure this is not repeated more than 2 times to avoid tumours and infections in the uterus. |back|

Q.When should I contact the vet?

A.Hurry to your vet when your dog shows any of these symptoms: • Loss of appetite, regular vomiting, losing weight • Scared and hiding in dark places • Blood in urine, mucus or blood in stool • Swollen stomach or bad smelling stool • Discharge from the mouth, nose, or the eyes • Regular coughing • Itching or biting the feet – change or dryness of skin • Shaking head all the time or scratching the ears. |back|

Q.I found as sick/injured dog on the street. What should I do?

A.First of all check out our First Aid for Dogs brochure. Most people think animal welfare organisations are the ones taking care of sick or injured dogs. However, in Nepal, existing organisations are not set up to rescue animals nor do they have the required funding for this. To start with, there is no animal ambulance in the country. Ever tried transporting a scared, bleeding animal in a taxi? So the best thing to do is to contact your local vet and ask him/her to come over to treat the dog on the spot. This way you do not have to worry about housing during the recovery. If you can provide (temporary) housing have the animal checked up by a vet and take care of it at your residence. If treatment on the spot or in your house really is not an option then contact one of the animal welfare organisations (for Kathmandu call KAT, Tel 4373169 or SPCAN Tel 4467953, for Lalitpur call animalNEPAL, 9841-334537). They will try their best when you bring a sick or injured dog to them. If you can, leave a contribution towards the medical costs and food bill. Make sure you check on the animal regularly and help to rehabilitate it back unto the street if it cannot be given up for adoption. Remember that taking care of Nepal’s disadvantages animals is everyone’s responsibility! |back|

Q.What do you do (in general) about the suffering of stray dogs in Kathmandu Valley?

A.The stray dog situation in Kathmandu Valley is a painful subject. Every day those four legged loyal friends remind us of the fact that we fail to provide a space for ‘man’s best friend’. They lie injured along busy highways, are being chased away even when giving birth, and sometimes are injured deliberately by angry youth or shopkeepers. Still, Nepal’s stray dogs are among the funniest and most dignified living beings we’ve ever come across. animalNEPAL has been running a rescue programme in Patan for the past three years. Needy dogs are picked up, taken to a vet and rehabilitated either on the street itself or at a volunteer’s residence. Funds are very limited (maximum US$ 250 per year) which is why we only address the biggest needs. However, treating individual dogs is not the answer to the country’s pressing animal welfare problem. There are around 30-35.000 dogs in the urban area of Kathmandu Valley. Most urban stray dogs are discarded pets that have become sick, pregnant or developed aggressive behaviour, or are the offspring of such animals. Such a large population has serious implications for human health. Some 200 people die a terrible death from rabies every year in Nepal. An unknown number of people, especially beggars, sweepers and vendors receive dog bites, resulting in an even more ambiguous relation with humans’ ‘most trusted friend’. As Animal People (US) magazine in its November, 2003 editorial points out: “No humane society anywhere should even think about starting a shelter until and unless … the numbers of homeless dogs and cats are markedly reduced, and until the public shows increased sympathy and tolerance toward them…Public education can begin with as little as one volunteer sharing knowledge by word-of-mouth…If sterilization and vaccination is properly promoted, and humane education is successful, a community will never need conventional animal control shelters.” This is why animalNEPAL in cooperation with Mobile Veterinary Consultancy Service and the government, is in the process of building an Animal Birth Control Center cum Education Centre on the outskirts of Nakhu, Lalitpur District. For more information see our ABC Project Proposal.|back|

Q.Is it true that Nepal has no animal welfare legislation?

A.Nepal has some laws that protect animals but they relate to wildlife and livestock only. Nepal is one of the few countries in the world that has no legal protection of pets and stray animals. animalNEPAL for years has encouraged the government to draft an animal welfare law. In 2005 a committee drafted a bill but this is yet to be send to the Parliament. You can help by sending your own letter to the goverment. |back|

Q.If I see someone abusing an animal, what should I do?

A.Unfortunately contacting the police generally will not get you anywhere due to the lack of legal sanctions. So the best thing to do is to convince the person to stop being cruel to animals. If this does not work contact the Ward chairman or a respected member of the community. Ask him/her to talk to the person on your behalf. If this too does not work try contacting an animal welfare organisation in your neighbourhood (for Kathmandu call KAT, Tel 4373169 or SPCAN Tel 4467953, for Lalitpur call animalNEPAL, 9841-334537). Note that they do not have the required funds or manpower for solving such problems but they can help you with advice. |back|

Q.I heard that animals in Nepal are transported and slaughtered in a very cruel manner. Is that true?

A.Yes, that is true. In order to meet the growing meat demands of Kathmandu residents, an average of 500 buffaloes are killed her each day. The slaughter takes place in unkept places such as Humath and Dallu along the Bagmati River (Kathmandu) and Ithitol and Tapahiti (Patan). The buffaloes, before being killed, suffer tremendously during the long, packed ride from the Terai. The rides can take as long as fifteen hours or more since animals are brought in from as far as Nepalgunj and India. The buffaloes are tied from their (extremely sensitive) noses to prevent them from moving, causing bleeding and excessive trauma, and are not fed or watered. Quite a number of them die on the way to Kathmandu and are simply thrown out of the vehicle. After their arrival, the animals are slaughtered immediately, using a traditional method in which the animal is tied on a pole, hit with a hammer on the forehead and its throat slashed with a khukuri knife. The animals witness their relatives and peers being hammered or cut to death before undergoing a similar treatment. They usually do not die immediately and accidents in which distressed animals kicks the butcher occur regularly. Although the government passed the Meat Act, introducing humane and hygienic transport and slaughter of livestock in 1998, there has been virtually no improvement. In Kathmandu only one slaughterhouse introducing humane, hygienic slaughter (but not humane transport) has been established with help of the government in 2000. The transport and slaughter of livestock should be one of the first priorities for civil society and animal welfare organisations in Nepal. |back|

Q.Is it dangerous to eat meat in Nepal?

A.Generally, due to unsafe and inhumane transport and slaughter, meat in Nepal is far from hygienic. During a recent research 90% of random meat samples in Kathmandu proved to be contaminated with bacteria such as salmonella. Eating contaminated meat causes all sorts of health problems, such as headaches, diarrhoea and vomiting. It is believed that salmonella poisoning causes the majority of typhoid cases in city dwellers. The safest and kindest thing to do is to become a vegetarian. If you cannot, then make sure you buy meat from a cruelty free business. Ask supermarkets, restaurants and hotels to buy cruelty free meat. |back|

Q. I am new in the country and want to do something for Nepal’s animals. How to go about it?

A. Decide what kind of support you like to give: financial support or volunteering. If you want to offer financial assistance contact any of the animal welfare organisations (for Kathmandu call KAT, Tel 4373169 or SPCAN Tel 4467953, for Lalitpur call animalNEPAL, 9841-334537). If you want to volunteer decide if you want to do hands on work with animals or administrative jobs. Then contact the organisations to see who can make best use of your skills. Please note that if you want to help Nepal’s animals you can simply start by feeding or treating a stray animal in your neighbourhood. That’s what we try to do: helping Nepal’s animals, one by one. |back|

Q.I hear that Nepalese monkeys are going to be exported to US labs. Is this true?

A.Unfortunately it is. In 2004 the government allowed certain wildlife species to be bred and exported, including rhesus monkeys. If you disagree with this practice, please sign our petition. For more info on our campaign against this Monkey Business visit www.stopmonkeybusiness.org |back|

Q.What can I do about cruel animal sacrifices?

A. Can you imagine a live goat being thrown in a pond and torn apart by young men? Can you picture 7,000 young buffaloes being rounded up and killed by a thousand drunk men carrying khukuri knives? A festival where 200,000 animals are killed to please a goddess? Public beheading of countless young buffaloes and goats carried out by government and army? Perhaps you cannot. However, events such as these take place regularly in Nepal, where animal sacrifice is an important ritual to the majority of the Hindu population. In 1780, Nepal outlawed human sacrifice. Animals, however, are allowed to be killed to satisfy the goddess Kali, and for other ceremonies. Mass sacrifice takes place during different festivals, especially in Terai districts. Not everyone agrees to these practices. In fact, during Dasain, the largest Nepalese festival during which hundreds of thousands animals are killed, the media, religious leaders and the public at large increasingly speaks out against animal sacrifice (See News for write-ups). Our aim is to make the public aware of these events, to raise awareness about alternatives and ultimately to try to prevent cruelty conducted in the name of culture or religion. For more information, see our Campaign page and please use the letter template on our Petitions page to write to your goverment.|back|

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