Kayastha, who had been left heartbroken after the death of her previous dog, had reluctantly taken Sanju home given by her aunt eight years ago.[break] “I gave up my resolve to never keep a pet dog once I set my eyes on the puppy,” Kayastha revealed. She accepted the gift and the puppy as if it were her own child.
Sanju has gastric ulcer, the problem which has kept Kaystha at the hospital for three days during Dashain and two in Tihar, while her son has taken a two-day leave to remain at the hospital now.
“I have raised him feeding milk by the spoon,” she says pointing toward the bed-ridden dog with tears rolling down her cheeks. She says the dog sleeps below her feet on her bed during winter and the family has gotten used to non-spicy food as the dog cannot digest it.
“I have never returned home without bringing anything to my pet. I don´t bring the vegetables that he doesn´t like,” she adds. But the dog has now stopped eating. The hospital says it has lost blood due to the disease.
“His illness has made me realize how much I love him,” she breaks into tears for the third time during the conversation.
The hospital is witness to many such incidents when the owners break down at the slightest suffering of their canine friends. Sonam Pem Yangchen, 49, has come to the hospital for the treatment of her Peku suffering from chest infection, uterine infection and high fever. The Yangchens have formed a strong association with the pug in the last four years and Sonam has been bringing it to the hospital every morning for the last four days. “I´m scared and worried about her,” Yangchen said.
“I have brought biscuits and balls for her. She is like my child,” Sonam said with misty eyes. Money is not a concern when it comes to saving the life of her beloved pooch. She reveals that she and her husband had worshipped Manjushree goddess at Bouddha for the pug´s well-being Monday.
“We being Buddhists worshipped Manjushree and lit the oil-fed lamp in the name of Peku,” she revealed. The Yangchens have their two daughters studying in Darjeeling and Sonam says they always ask about the dog.
Chief veterinarian at the hospital Dr Saroj Yadav says more than a dozen cases come to the hospital every day. “People take their dogs as family members and do not hesitate to spend money for their treatment,” Dr Yadav states.
Dr Yadav has seen hundreds of such cases in the two-year history of the hospital. “A girl once took exception when I called her pet a dog,” he reminisces. The owners often burst into hysterical cries when a dog dies in the hospital.
“The dogs respond toward human affection. They spend most of their lifetime with humans,” Dr Yadav explains.
The hospital provides services like pathology, x-ray, ECG, ICU and surgery. “Animals also have problems like human beings,” Dr Yadav says. The hospital charges Rs 1,000-1,200 per night for a bed.
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