Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, May 25: The intense heat has affected not only humans but also animals. This has become a cause of concern for those who have pets as extra care is needed to help the animals or birds deal with the excessive and oppressive heat, whether one has a dog, cat, rabbit, bird or some small animal.
Extremely high temperature levels, with the Mercury crossing the 400 Celsius mark, result in dogs panting more frequently. Dogs, who are not able to bear the scorching summer sun, pant to counter the heat. However, the panting is not as effective as
sweating.
Dogs such as pugs, Pekingese, bulldog are some of those that are vulnerable to the heat wave. Some of the common symptoms include panting, lethargy, drooling, fever and vomiting.
If proper care is not taken, it may lead to permanent organ damage and death.
“All pet animals are very sensitive to extensive heat but we need to take extra care and precautions for small animals. We often advice our customers to spray water and fill the water bowl with fresh water and also keep a fan near them,” said Sudarsan Nayak, owner of a pet shop near Master Canteen.
“Water spray is the best way to keep all types of pets cool. It helps them to decrease their body temperature for a while. During summer, dogs love to roll in water but excess contact with water may damage their hair. To avoid that we should a wet cloth to ease them”, said Basant Kumar Das, another pet shop owner.
“Dogs easily adopt themselves to the environment of their owner and thus it is not a big problem. Give sufficient water and wet cloths to sleep on. Rub ice packs on their forehead to protect them from the extensive heat,” said veterinary doctor Niranjan Sahoo.
“I have a Labrador and a German Sheppard. I often find them near water. Whenever they get the opportunity, they start playing with water. To help them deal with the heatwave, we always fill their bowl with fresh water and sometimes even put some ice cubes in it. I read some of the top measures in internet and try to follow them for my pets,” said Sanjeev Mishra, a dog lover.
“It is really very hot and as a human being we are unable to bear this high temperature. So it is obvious that small animals must be facing a lot of difficulty as well. Some people have air conditioners in their homes and their pets will not face much difficulty. However, it would be nice if people could keep fresh water in an earthen bowl instead of a metal bowl. Summer is a stressful time for dogs so we need to be extra careful,” said Subrat Prusti, a secretary of Orissa Kennel Club.