Summers equally harsh for dogs, pet owners take care!

Cuttack:  It is that time of the year when pets especially dogs and other small animals need extra care and attention by their owners. However, due to lack of awareness and care, dogs are often exposed to harsh sun rays which adversely affect their health, say experts.

It was only few days’ back when 29-year-old Sandeep Mohapatra of Cuttack learnt that controlling food intake of pets is highly essential during summer as they are vulnerable to appetite loss.

Mohapatra’s nine month old Labrador fell sick last week as no fluid diet was added to its regular diet. The veterinary doctors advised him to reduce solid diet and increase fluids so as to keep the body of the animal dehydrated.

The normal body temperature of dogs is 101.5 to 102 degrees while it rises by at least 2 to 3 degrees in summer. Hence, extra precaution should be taken to lower body temperature of the dogs by giving fluids and other antibiotics after they suffer from dehydration due to excess heat conditions.

Dr. Roshni Budh, chief assistant surgeon at Buxi Bazar veterinary hospital in Cuttack, says, summer is harsh for black dogs and other furry breeds. At present, they are attending nearly 70 to 80 dogs and other small pets suffering from weight loss, skin allergies and other diseases on a daily basis.

Most animal owners usually tend to give them a bath at odd hours to keep them cool which is wrong. The ideal time to give them a bath is during cool hours in the morning and evening, she adds.

“Hair loss, itchiness are the basic problems faced by dogs in summer. We advise owners to reduce their diet mostly carbohydrates, and keep them in cool place,” said Roshni.

Roshni further informed that the pet owners should also ensure that apart from normal water, to avoid dehydration, they must give the animals water added with glucose and ORS during summer.