Does your dog need a hydro massage? A carb-free diet regimen? A play date for the weekend? A dabba of home- cooked dog food that comes to the doorstep?
There’s all this and more for dogaholics in the city who want to pamper their four-legged companions. They could head to a dog spa, where canine massages are on offer, with soothing music playing through overhead speakers and aromatic candles flickering in softly-lit rooms. Or they could arrange a play date for their dogs and let them enjoy an afternoon of fun and frolic. As for an overweight dog, he or she might require a customised diet and a health farm experience to knock off the extra pounds.
At Shevar Spa and Grooming Centre for Pets, the oil massage for dogs is the most popular. Says Sherry Daroch who runs the centre with her husband Varun, “My husband and I are dentists by profession and dog lovers by choice. We were so keen on working with dogs that we went to Singapore to do special courses on canine massage and grooming before launching our pet spa.”
At Shevar, a spa treatment includes a 40-60 minute massage during which Sherry works on de-stressing the dogs. After the massage, the dogs are served coconut water, followed by a soothing hydro-bath. Finally, they go in for the regular grooming treatment which would include a blow dry, ear cleaning, nail clipping and hair-cut.
After the massage session, the pet owner is usually given a CD that will show them how the massage was done and how the dog reacted to it.
At another centre called Pets Stepin, dogs can be brought in for a play date. Says Pranjal Bonde, manager at the centre, “I have seen really shy dogs come here, but by the time they are ready to go home, they are having a great time with other dogs. If a dog is ferocious, it’s kept separately.” Pet Stepin also offers over-night stays, grooming, a puppy creche and a day-care service. The owner Dr Nezhat, who is also a vet, offers diet advice and has provisions for a short weight loss stint at the centre. The cost of treatments in most of these centres range from Rs400 to Rs 3,000 depending on the size of the dog and the procedures required. Many of them also take in cats, guinea pigs, parrots and other pets.
For home-cooked pet food and unique meal plans for dogs, Pets Dhaba in ISRO layout is the newest in the city. The meal plans at this centre are designed keeping a pet’s nutrition requirements in mind. For example, a vegetarian meal plan would have the right mix of cereals, vegetables, fruits and nuts, milk and oils (for coat conditioning), while non-vegetarian meal plans would include chicken and cereals, vegetables, fruits and nuts. Says Shubha Kutty who runs the centre, “We also have premium meal plans which include salads like macaroni salad or sprouts. On weekends, I send out foods like idli and chicken stew. Each meal plan is created in accordance with the needs of the dogs specified by owners and we send the food to their homes every morning.”
Who doesn’t want a dog’s life now?
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