Like humans, animals also suffer in several ways in summer, leading to behavioural changes, reproduction and development changes, diseases, stress and more. You might have noticed your pets becoming inactive or resting for longer periods during hot seasons. They can even become nocturnal in certain cases, display different eating habits and sometimes, even experience issues like dehydration and skin problems. In such a scenario, how to care for your favourite pets? Here's what you can do:
1) Animals would lose their appetite when the humidity in the atmosphere rises. Make sure to give them food in the morning as well as in the evening. Moreover, ensure that there is enough air circulation in their sheds.
2) In the farms, do not crowd the cattle in the sheds. The number of animals in a shed shouldn’t exceed the stipulated number. A hen grown for eggs requires at least one and a half sqft of space.
3) Avoid taking pet animals like cats and dogs in vehicles. You could trim their hair at timely intervals.
4) In case you have to transport the animals to different locations, you could do that in the morning or evening.
5) Make sure that clean drinking water is provided to animals at all times.
6) Young ones, animals that are bigger in size, animals that have given birth recently and black-coloured animals are more likely to get affected by the heat.
7) If the pipeline of the automatic drinker installed in cattle, chicken or pig farms is above the surface of the soil, the animals would be getting hot water. The pipelines should be installed at least half a foot under the soil.
8) It is better to use a sprinkler or mist sprinkler in the cattle shed. If the cows seem to be panting more, then put a cold sack or cloth over their body. Goats are able to tolerate heat better than many other animals. Meanwhile, the HS variety of cows cannot tolerate too much heat.
Information courtesy: Dr. P Biju, Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Government Veterinary Hospital, Ettumanoor.