PET'S BEST FRIEND

Having a pet is one of the great joys of life. Be it a dog, a cat, a parrot, a guinea pig or something else, it becomes equal member of the family or a beloved and needed companion in the single household. Their antics, quirks and peculiarities make us smile and we are eager to share these with our friends and relatives. Their presence soothes in dark times and the trust and unconditional love we see in their eyes are sometimes enough to lift our mood. They grow up with us, they teach our children care and responsibility, they forge strong memories in our lives.

The quality of the food and its nutrients are a constant worry, particularly when the pet has its own preferences. Whatever you choose, it will be wise that the food contains all the vitamins and needed ingredients for the health of the particular animal. The "leisure" time of our animals is also something that takes a significant part of our thoughts. Is there a cat's owner who haven't brought home a cardboard box only for the sheer hilarity of the animal's playing with it? Is there a dog's owner who hasn't contemplated at least once buying that fancy collar, or food bowl? And don't let me start on the various hamster toys and fish tank decorations.

True members of our families pets might be, but they have a shortcoming. They cannot speak, and this turns into a real disadvantage when their health is in danger. A cat, a dog or a parrot cannot explain where the pain is or what is wrong with it. It is up to the owner, but even more so to the professional vet to discover the problem and to prescribe the needed treatment.

Healthcare of domestic animals is making a significant progress, applying high technology. The best clinics have specialists and technology for treatment of cancers, skin diseases and allergies, to perform blood transfusion, to take care of animal's teeth and even to prescribe special diets.

With its 45 specialists the Central Veterinary Clinic (Sofia, 25B Chavdar Mutafov St, phone: 0888 100 970; www.centralvetclinic.com) is the biggest veterinary hospital not in Bulgaria and on the Balkans. Apart from the standard procedures, the clinic offers neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, cardiology, orthopaedics. The priorities of the clinic are the excellent service and treatment, the attention to the patients and their owners, the minimisation of stress, and the application of the most modern procedures and technologies in vet medicine like the pacemaker implantation for animals with pathological arrhythmia and seizures. For patients with ruptured knee ligaments, growth problems or pathologies, orthopaedic implants are applied. The clinic offers as well total hip replacement. Another rare procedure is applied to small dogs, such as chihuahua, pug, spitz or pinscher dogs – when their breathing becomes too difficult, the doctors place tracheal stent.

Doyran Veterinary Clinic (Sofia, 12-А Doyran St, phone: 0878 817 633, www.doiranvet.com) is one of the most modern and high-category animal clinics in Bulgaria. Equipped with the latest technology, the clinic is staffed by some of the finest professionals in the field, for whom animal care is not only work, but pleasure and mission. The clinic offers treatment in orthopedy, internal diseases, surgery and anaesthesiology, infectious diseases, obstetrics and gynaecology, imaging diagnostics, cardiology, ophthalmology. The clinic has also a clinical laboratory. In the specialised hotel at Doyran Veterinary Clinic your pet will feel special. The hotel is of the highest category in Bulgaria and offers individual care for each of its guests. The health and the comfort of its residents are of utmost importance, and for their pleasant stay there are services like Jacuzzi and massage, and a yard to run freely.

Dogs, just like people, suffer from modern sedentary living: their diets are often monotonous, heavy on bad ingredients and lacking of needed vitamins. Happily, the market is now witnessing the arrival of foods that imitate the natural dog food, thus making pets happier, healthier and more energetic. Made in UK, Essential Foods are now in Bulgaria (www.essentialfoods.bg). Following the principle of Behavioural Optimising Food, Essential Foods reproduce the natural food of dogs in modern conditions. Prepared only of top quality ingredients and with no animal tests, they contain 60/65/70 percent of fresh and dried meat, eggs and fish, and 40/35/30 percent of vegetables, fruit, seeds, herbs, vitamins and minerals in a variety of combinations. Meat, game, poultry and fish form the basis, as they are best assimilated by the dog's organism, and the vegetables, fruit, seeds, probiotics and vitamins provide additional nutrition. Essential Foods have developed foods for puppies and old dogs, together with a variety of combinations for adult animals, including food for the overweight, pregnant or highly active ones. Combining the pleasant with the beneficial, the company also offers dog delights that also take care of the nutrition, dental hygiene and motivation.

When you need food, medicines and animal care products of the best quality, search for Farma Vet's label (www.farmavet.bg) at your vet or specialised pet shop. The Bulgarian producer with a wide distribution network is a reliable partner to all who want to give only the best to their pets, exotic or farm animals. Farma Vet offers a wide range of medication for animals, including farm and exotic ones, in spray, tablet or liquid form, and it continues to work on developing new forms of delivering antibiotics for even better healthcare. In addition to antibiotics, Farma Vet provides supplements, including vitamins, and shampoos and sprays for keeping the coat of a pet or a farm animal clean and their skin healthy. Besides medications, Farma Vet offers a variety of products for all-around pet care like insecticide sprays and its own brand of affordable dog food containing the ideal balance of nutrients. Rodenticides are also available to help remove rodents from your home and garden, along with sprays to protect flowers from insects.