Tucked into a quiet bend of the road that wraps itself around Mahalaxmi race-course in the heart of Mumbai is PetZone, a very different type of veterinary clinic.

Enter, and you’ll know why.

There are the usual trappings of a clinic, where the doctor examines and treats your pet. A huge glass window gives you a view into the therapy room that has a tread-mill, an activities space and a huge pool – for the pet.

It is 9.30 a.m. on a regular week-day and people rush about their lives. But oblivious to the hurly-burly outside, Auric, an ageing labrador with a muscular development problem, goes about his swim in the pool at PetZone, helped by a representative from the clinic, and watched over by his adoring owner and doctors.

The word on PetZone’s specialisation in physio- and hydrotherapy has steadily got around. But Founder-partner Leena Dalal speaks with cautious optimism of the idea that took 10 years to become a reality.

It took the longest time to get a suitable place, given the exorbitant prices, but yes, there it is, she says, of her second vet clinic in the city – this one started with former-intern-turned-partner Deep Vasudeo.

While 52-year-old Dalal is a surgeon, with a specialisation in orthopaedics and diagnostic imaging, 26-year-old Vasudeo is a veterinary physician, specialising in physiotherapy and hydro-therapy.

The clinic completes one year in August. To budding vets looking to venture out on their own, Dalal cautions, you need to be fired by the passion to run a good professional set-up. “It is not easy and not a money-spinner,” she says, giving a reality check and dispelling the notion that it’s all fun and games involving pets.

Running it involves getting licences, compliances, audits, keeping the pool water clean, giving the dog a bath before it gets into the pool, having the jacket for it to help its weightlessness and so on, she says, listing a string of regular things-to-do at the clinic.

At the end of the day, it needs to benefit the pet, she says, pointing out that reputation and trust get a leg up, only when an owner sees her pet improve in health or walk again.

Sound model

Unlike humans, where doctor specialisations are common, when it comes to animals, pet-owners take their pet to a standard vet, no matter what the problem is. Vets are expected to treat the entire gamut of ailments. “But that’s because vets don’t have a choice,” says Dalal, adding that the financials of running a veterinary clinic are not simple.

“You have to have a sound business model,” she says. Initial expense on the new clinic was about Rs 30 lakh outside of working capital. From its first month, the clinic has been able to cover its rent and expenses, she says, adding that besides the pool and physio, there is the clinic, a grooming setup and activity centre to buoy revenues. The clinic’s monthly bill of Rs 1 lakh-plus includes rent and amenities, and not salaries, utilities or other expenses, she points out.

Other challenges involve human resources at all levels, veterinary and otherwise. It is not easy to find people happy to work with animals, she adds.

While it is early days for specialised vet clinics in the country, Dalal agrees that PetZone is “possibly one of its kind” hydro-therapy clinic in the country.

Ortho incidence

Orthopaedics is Dalal’s area of expertise. Ortho problems are common, say both the vets. Earlier, people may have said the pet is old and if the problem got too bad, in some cases, the animal is put down or abandoned, says Dalal. But with rising disposable incomes, people take the pet to a vet to sort out the problem.

Detailing some often seen problems, Vasudeo says, labradors are known to have a problem where their hips are wobbly, explaining a medical condition, simply. In post-surgery cases, the pet needs physiotherapy to build its muscles or for gait correction. After a surgery, the pet loses its muscle mass, or in some cases the muscle begins to degenerate and the dog will not be able to move, he says, of a situation that is stressful for the pet and owner.

Dachshunds have a spine problem, German Shepherds have a non-treatable condition where their spinal-cord degenerates and the pet could lose the function of its hind legs, says Dalal.

And while labradors may be comfortable in water, a German Shepeherd is not, says Vasudeo. So while the doctors were convinced of the benefits of the treadmill and the pool, they had to figure out the execution.

For the pool, the doctors’ pets were the “guinea pigs”. And while Vasudeo’s labrador retriever loved the swim, Dalal’s golden retriever did not, recalls Vasudeo. The insight from that - though retrievers are known to instinctively take to water, each pet needs to be handled differently.

Challenges & benefits

The new clinic “did not have to start from scratch”, since there was a readymade client base, particularly since Dalal has an established practice in South Mumbai. But there was a day when Dalal started with zero patients, she recalls, at her first clinic, in 2001. “My kids had grown up and I started practising,” she recalls, when half the day was spent at the family business and the rest at her clinic.

It is not a money-making place, she says, adding that she would have made more money if had she stuck with the family’s business in cotton. Nevertheless, the business background has helped “to not make a lot of mistakes” and to be able to run a sustainable venture, she says. More facilities are being planned for the clinic, including an under-water treadmill and more specialised clinics. This one’s a start, she says, because, finally it is about your passion and helping the pet to get better.

At the end of the day, it is all about Zoey, the mixed-breed with bent paws being able to walk again; Golly, the ageing labrador with the bad spine feeling as fit as any 14-year-old; Zac getting comfortable with the water; and, Buddy bringing down his post-neutering weight from 64 kg to 45 kg – much to the delight of the owners and their pets.

Please send feedback, comments or suggestions to emergingentrepreneurs@thehindu.co.in

jyothi.datta@thehindu.co.in

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