The Founding Story
Ludo's Story — Why I Built SpotTail
A tribute to a white puppy who lived for 1.5 years and changed everything.
His name was Ludo. A white Pomeranian-mix with a blue collar and a tiny bell that rang every time he walked across the room. Gentle. Never aggressive. The kind of dog who carried himself with a quiet dignity that made you feel — without understanding why — that he was something special.
He came into our home and made it complete. My wife and I watched him grow from a tiny cotton-ball puppy into a small, fluffy dog full of life. He wore pink Hello Kitty shoes. He had his own chair. He had opinions about everything.
He was 1.5 years old when we lost him.
The Day Everything Changed
It started with nothing. Just a dull Tuesday. Ludo wasn't eating. He was quiet — quieter than usual. As a pet parent, you notice these things but you tell yourself it's nothing. He's just tired. He'll be fine tomorrow.
I told my wife to wait one more day and then take him to the vet.
"Wait one more day." Those four words will stay with me forever. Because in that one day, everything changed.
The next morning, she took him to the hospital. Blood tests. An antibiotic IV drip. The vet said to take him home and wait for the results. He seemed stable. We thought we had caught it in time.
We hadn't.
That night, Ludo started having blood in his motions. Then blood vomiting. My wife was terrified. She rushed him back to the hospital. They admitted him immediately.
The next morning — early, before the day had really begun — Ludo passed away.
The diagnosis: tick fever. A disease that kills hundreds of dogs in India every year. A disease that is entirely preventable. A disease that moves faster than most pet parents expect.
What is Tick Fever — and Why Every Indian Pet Parent Must Know This
Tick fever (Canine Ehrlichiosis or Canine Babesiosis) is a tick-borne disease common in India, especially in cities like Hyderabad where the climate supports tick populations year-round. It attacks your dog's red blood cells and platelets, causing internal bleeding — which is why Ludo deteriorated so fast in those final hours.
⚠️ Warning signs — do not wait
- Loss of appetite or sudden dullness
- Lethargy — more than usual tiredness
- Pale gums or pale tongue
- Fever (feel ears and paws)
- Unusual bleeding — from nose, in stool, in vomit
- Visible ticks on the body — check daily
If your dog shows even two of these signs together — do not wait. Go to the vet immediately. Do not wait one more day. Do not assume it will pass.
The tragedy of tick fever is not that it's incurable. It is treatable when caught early. The tragedy is that pet parents — including me — don't always know how fast it moves. And in Indian cities, where many of us are first-time pet owners without a community around us, that knowledge gap costs lives.
Why I Built SpotTail
After we lost Ludo, I couldn't stop thinking about one thing. He was lonely. We lived in Hyderabad — a city of millions — and we had no idea how to find other dogs near us for him to socialise with. No playmates. No community. No one nearby going through the same experience as us.
Isolation is dangerous for dogs. Lonely dogs are stressed dogs. Stressed dogs have weaker immune systems. And in India, where tick fever and other preventable diseases still claim young dogs every single year, that loneliness is a hidden risk that nobody talks about.
I built SpotTail because I wanted every pet parent in India to have what we didn't have — a community nearby. People who could tell you: "My dog had that symptom too. Go to the vet right now."
SpotTail is India's first location-based pet social discovery app. Find dogs and cats near you. Match pets by breed, size, and personality. Chat with pet parents in your neighbourhood. Plan meetups. Build the community your pet deserves — and that you deserve too.
Ludo never got to meet his perfect match. SpotTail exists so your pet can.
To Every Pet Parent
Check your dog for ticks today. Not tomorrow. Today. Run your fingers through their fur, especially around the ears, neck, between the toes, and under the collar. If you find one — remove it carefully with tweezers, pulling straight out. Then call your vet.
Ask your vet about tick prevention — spot-on treatments, tick collars, and regular blood tests if your dog spends time outdoors. These are not luxuries. They are necessities in Indian cities.
And connect with other pet parents near you. Because the most important thing Ludo taught me is that we shouldn't be doing this alone.