Coronavirus lockdown: Scarcity of pet food worries owners in Patna

Archi Rani | TNN | Updated: Apr 5, 2020, 10:55 IST

Picture for representational purpose only.

PATNA: Pet owners in the city are a worried lot these days as the lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic has made life uncomfortable, if not difficult, for their furry friends.
The worry is primarily about the availability of pet food as also their confinement at home, which affects the well-being of pets such as dogs. Also, most veterinary clinics are shut, some are open only for emergency cases. Besides, pet owners rue that vets are charging high fees for home visits.
"Due to the sudden announcement of the lockdown, I couldn't stock food for my dog. I looked at several supermarkets, but couldn't find it anywhere. I am now forced to give my two-year-old Labrador cooked food, which he doesn't like so eats very less," said Aprajita Singh, a resident of Buddha Colony.
She added that there are not too many dedicated pet stores in the city and the ones that keep special pet diets have mostly run out of stock. Also, there are few commercial establishments that are delivering amid lockdown.
As dog owners can't take their pets out for a walk due to lockdown they are having to find ways to keep them engaged. "I always take my dog out for walks, but since it is not allowed due to lockdown, I have started taking him to the terrace where he tries to run around," said Priya Manish Kumar, who has a four-year-old Labrador.
Dr B Singh, a city-based veterinarian, advised that pet owners should make sure that their pets are taking proper diet and doing enough physical activities as the lockdown can have a long-term impact on them.
Cat owners have a similar complaint as unavailability of non-vegetarian food is affecting their pets and most stores don't keep cat food.
"As it is not possible to store meat and fish in huge quantities, we stocked 2kg meat 10 days back. It is about to get over now and I am scared it might cause problems for my cat, who hardly drinks milk or eats anything except meat," said Faiz Ahmed, who has a four-and-half-years-old Tabby cat. He added, "All non-vegetarian shops are shut due to the lockdown because of which it has become very difficult for my family to handle our cat. Besides, supermarkets and shops in Patna don't sell cat food."
On the availability of veterinary doctors, Ahmed said he is consulting vets over phone as the clinics are shut. Some pet owners claimed that vets are charging higher fees for home visits.
Boring Road resident Anurag Shankar said, "The vet who looks after my Rottweiler and Labrador said he would take extra convenience charge for any medical assistance."
Dr Vimal, a vet at Boring Road, said, "We have stopped giving services for normal routine check-ups owing to the risk of spread of the virus, but we are open for emergency services."