Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Pet owners should avoid feeding home-cooked food to their animals and instead stick to a disciplined diet of pet food twice a day, experts advised at the 17th FSAPAI International Conference held in Indore. The three-day event concluded with live demonstrations of eye and abdominal general surgeries, highlighting advancements in veterinary care.
Speaking at the conference, veterinary cardiologist Ranjita Tiwari from Hyderabad noted that while human cardiology has evolved over more than a century, veterinary cardiology has developed significantly over the past 25 years. She emphasised that rapid technological progress in the last five years has made it possible to detect heart diseases in pets early through heart ultrasounds, chest X-rays and blood tests.
“Almost every pet is likely to develop some form of heart condition as it ages, so awareness among pet parents is critical,” she said. Tiwari advised that dogs should be fed only designated pet food at fixed times twice daily to ensure long-term health.
She further recommended that dogs undergo a full-body health checkup at age five. Smaller breeds like Pomeranians and Beagles are more prone to heart issues after this age, while larger breeds such as Labradors, Dobermans and Golden Retrievers face increased risks due to obesity.
The conference, organised at Brilliant Convention Centre under the joint aegis of Federation of Small Animal Practitioners Association of India (FSAPAI) and the United Small Animal Practitioners Association of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, also focused on sustainable practices.
Organising secretary Narendra Chauhan said the event was designed to be eco-friendly, with cloth bags distributed to delegates and seed-embedded brochures encouraging tree planting. Vice president Padam Jain highlighted that banners and posters were also made using cloth to minimise environmental impact.
Experts also addressed behavioural concerns, noting that dogs tend to become aggressive when hungry or distressed. Veterinarian Aditi Chitnis stressed that pets are family members, not status symbols, and warned against feeding harmful items such as chocolate and grapes. She also emphasised vaccination, regular exercise and grooming as essential components of responsible pet care.
