Diwali has been celebrated as a festival of Lights since many centuries in India... Inadvertently the festive luminous Diwali has been turned into a noisy one. Diwali turns out to be a nightmarish festival for the furry four legged creatures.Ever wondered at what cost are we celebrating this !!
How does it affect the pets :
- As we all know dogs are blessed with an amazing sense of hearing. Dogs detect sounds in the frequency range of approximately 67-45000 Hz , compared to the humans with a range from 64- 23000 Hz. Dogs have 18+ muscles in their ears allowing them to be mobile and they can move the ear in the direction of the sound,where as human beings have only 6 and can barely move their ears. This blessing turns out to be a bane during Diwali.
- Dogs thus can hear the sound of the crackers that much clearer and louder. This sudden high pitched sound creates fear and anxiety. Both can have detrimental effects on their health.
- Fear causes sudden change in behavior , the fight/flight response. Pets at home go and hide under a shelter or some may even escape out and run away. The stray dogs end up bearing the brunt of it as they have no place to getaway. Panic causes them to run away and many unfortunate dogs are victims of automobile accidents and are left to die for in a painful way on the street. Some stray dogs fall into the gutters or sewage canals and are severely injured / fracture their limbs and then end up contracting a fatal infection.
- Pets that suffer from Anxiety show signs of drooling, excessive salivation, increased heart rate,excessive panting. Behavioral changes like circling, pacing around the house,whimpering may be noted. Some pets may exhibit over-friendliness and ask for the owners comfort or some may become aggressive due to the unbearable trauma to their eardrums. Some may seek shelter under your bed or dark corners.
How to deal with this :
- To start with you can plug your Pets ear with cotton.
- Allow them to find a safe corner and make them comfortable there by shutting all the windows and doors and draw the curtains. You could sit with them and comfort them, this is the time when they need your love and comfort the most.Keep all your main doors locked to ensure your pet does not escape out of fear.
- If you take care of the stray dogs in your area,we would recommend to tie a collar with his identification and your contact details, make sure its large and readable . So that people can contact you in case of any unforeseen circumstances. (*Remember a common man does not know what to do when he sees a stray who has met with an accident or injured, the least he can do is inform you via the collar tag.)
- Get in touch with your Veterinarian , he may recommend some anti-anxiety medications for your pet Do not attempt to self-medicate your pet, animals respond differently to the medications than humans.So a "safe" human drug may turn fatal for your pet.
- Conditioning your pet to strange noises can be done , but it is to be done over a period of time. Your pet's behaviorist can help you with the same
- It is not recommended to leave your pet alone this stressful time,but just in case you have to,make your pet wear your T-shirt which is body hugging so that he feels comforted even when you are not around.
Create Awareness : Let your friends and acquaintances about the detrimental effects on pets and ask them to pass on the word to their friends. Together we can create awareness in our society and wish for a Noise free , Pet-safe Diwali in the near future.
Say NO to Crackers, Save Many Lives !!
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