Data were collected from two adjoining and borderingdistricts ofFerozepur and Fazilka. A sample survey was designed and survey performa was prepared by the expert committee. This survey performa included the queries regarding the feeding practices followed by the dog owners such as kind and quantity of food like cereal, milk and milk products, protein sources and non-veg foodsoffered to their pets on daily basis.

Total 132 dog owners were randomly selected from the urban and rural areas of Ferozepur and Fazilkadistricts. 70 urban dog owners, 38 and 32 were Ferozepur and Fazilka Districts, respectively were selected. Similarly 62 rural dog owners, 30 and 32 dogs were from the rural areas of Ferozepur and Fazilka districts, respectively were interviewed either by visiting their homes or from owners visiting with pets in the veterinary hospitals of the area.

The dog food samples were collected from the dog owners as per the availability of food. The dog feed samples were analysed for proximate, physicochemical (pH, Free Fatty Acids and Peroxide Value) and microbiological, (Standard Plate Count (SPC) and coliforms count parameters.

The data was analyzed using software package for social science (SPSS version 21.0) and SAS (2011). The average values are reported along with standard error. The statistical significance was estimated at 5% level (P<0.05) and evaluated with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT).

Feeding practices followed by urban dog owners in both districts (Table 1) showed that milkconsumption (584.40 ml) was higher (P≤0.05) in urban areas of Fazilka as compared to Ferozepurdistrict. Feeding of milk product, curd, sweet, chapatti, and vegetables showed nonsignificant (P≤0.05) driftsin urban area of both the districts. Quantity of dal (43.75 g) and veggie (45.94g) given to dog by dog owner of Fazilka district werehigher (P≤0.05) than offered to dogs by owners in Ferozepur district (17.11g, 27.63 g). Consumption of rice fed to dogs of Ferozepur (92.11 g) was higher as compared to Fazilka district. As far as the consumption of non-vegetarian feedstuffs are concerned it was observed that quantity of eggs, meat and bone offered to dogs, shows no significant (P≤0.05) difference between both the districts. In a survey of pet feeding practices, Dodd et al. (2019) found that 74% of the pet owners concern of feeding only plant based pet food was their nutritional completeness.

The persual of the data of rural dogs of these districts depict that milk, milk product, curd,sweet and dal given by dog owners to their dog was highest (P≤0.05) in Ferozepur district than Fazilka district (Table 1). Rural areas of Ferozepur districtshowed higher (P≤0.05) consumption of rice (66.67 g) and veggie (41.33 g) by dogs as compared to rural area of Fazilka. Similarly consumption of meat was higher (P≤0.05) in Ferozepur district (167.33 g) as compared to Fazilka (96.88 g). But vice- versa in case of consumption of bone was observed as it was maximum (P≤0.05) inFazilka district (26.56 g). Laflamme et al. (2008) found that more than 90% of pet dogs fed commercial foodsbut 23.6% of dogs were fed with bones or raw foods at least on weekly basis.

Value in parenthesis represents number of respondents; Figures with different superscripts in a row differ significantly (P≤0.05).

X,Y depicts the significant difference in variable between rural areas of both districts; a, b depicts the significant difference in variable between urban areas of both districts; A,B depicts the significant difference in variable between urban and rural areas of both districts.

Data regarding feeding pattern of urban and rural dogs of Ferozepur district is presented in Table 1. Average milk consumption (728.30 ml) of dogs of rural area was more (P≤0.05) in comparison to urban areas of this district. The milk consumption in rural areas was 113% higher (Fig. 1) than the urban areas of Ferozepur.

Non-significant (P≤0.05) differences were observed between urban and rural areas w.r.t milk product, sweet and curd consumption in this district. Seneviratne et al. (2016) also reported that in addition to normal diet, forty-nine per cent of dogs were fed milk as a separate meal.

Average number of chapattis (7.17) and quantity of dal (36.67 g) offered to dog in rural areas was higher (P≤0.05) than urban areas. Dog owners of rural areas offered 105% more chapattis 114% more dal in contrast to urban areas. Feeding of rice and veggies showed non-significant (P≤0.05) differences in rural and urban areas.

As far as the consumption of non vegetarian feedstuffs are concerned it was observed that consumption of bones (34.21 g) were higher (P≤0.05) in urban areas of this district as compared to rural areas. Dog owners offer 51% less bone in the rural areas of Ferozepur district. However, quantity of eggs and meat offered to dogs revealed no significant (P≤0.05) difference between urban and rural areas.

Interpretation of the data from urban and rural areas of Fazilka district regarding feeding of dogs (Table 1), indicated that veggies is the only food item which was fed significantly (P≤0.05) in higher amount to the dogs of urban areas (45.94 g) in contrast to rural areas (15.63 g).The rural dog owners offered 66% less veggies as compare to urban dog owners. Non-significant (P≤0.05) difference in feeding of milk and milk products, cereals, and non-vegetarian feed stuffs were registered in urban and rural areas of this district.

The dog feed samples collected from different areas were examined for physicochemical (pH, Free Fatty Acids and Peroxide Value) and microbiological, (Standard Plate Count, SPC) and coliforms count parameters. The data of dog feed samples (Table 2) revealed that, the pH value was less than 4.0 i.e. the samples were acidic in nature which might be due to the higher proportion of milk and milk products which when dried lead to acidic conditions.

Figure with different superscripts in a row differ significantly (P≤0.05).

Estimation of Free fatty acids and peroxide value (Table 2) revealed hardly any fat rancidity indicative of good quality of different food ingredients offered to the dogs. The mean value of the microbiological parameters such as SPC and Coliforms were also well below the prescribed limits of the dog foods indicative of fresh food being offered to pets. In contrary to the present findings the results found by Fredriksson-Ahomaa et al. (2017) concluded that 28% of the raw meat based diets (RMBD) showed enteric pathogens and Campylobacter was the most frequent (15%) pathogen found in the RMBDs,whereas all the samples were negative for Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. Salmonella was detected in only 2% of the samples and, surprisingly, Y. pseudotuberculosis was also detected in two samples.Similarly in other study Weese et al. (2005) observed that Escherichia coli was identified in 64% diets, Salmonella spp. were detected in 20% diets. Spore forming bacteria were identified in 16% samples on direct culture. Clostridium perfringens was identified in 20% samples. It indicated that microbial load was variable as per the freshness of diet.