Celebrate Green Diwali While Keeping Your Dogs Healthy

Dogs are best companions of human beings. Research shows that both dogs and human beings benefit from this cohabitation and there are many health benefits for humans also. Dogs can use aural and visual cues to distinguish human emotions but they themselves are too sensitive. 

Diwali is the main festival in India. The modern way of celebrating Diwali includes bursting fire crackers that produce high pitch loud noises. Dr. S.S. Randhawa, Director Veterinary Clinics, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana (GADVASU) informed that the pet and stray dogs are very sensitive to this continuous noise and become restless, run away and exhibit signs of anxiety or stress.

It happens as auditory pain threshold in dogs is approximately 95 decibels which is quite less than humans with 130 decibels. Fireworks usually produce sound of 190 decibels which is harmful for the human ears too. Some dogs develop a permanent sound phobia or excessive fear of loud noises and may develop epilepsy and other nervous signs.

These dogs unreasonably hide from people, urinate, defecate, drool, pant and develop separation anxiety. Dr. Randhawa informed that for rest of life, dogs could be scared of even harmless sounds like door opening or sound of doorbell and may remain in door. Stray dogs may get seriously injured because of accidents. 

Moreover, the poisonous gases and harmful particulate matter may lead to severe lung edema in dogs and even will be dangerous for the people already having respiratory diseases like asthma. Dogs accidently may chew the firecrackers, leading to vomiting and diarrhea. Carelessness while bursting crackers can also cause serious burns, wounds or other type of mutilations in dogs. 

To check any harm to your pet and stray dogs, keep in mind the following things.

• Stop using firecrackers/fireworks and enjoy green Diwali by distributing tree saplings to near and dear ones.

• Keep your pets indoors.

• Keep the radio or television set on to distract dogs from loud noises.

• Better not to move your pet from home on the festival night to reduce the stress level.

• Play with your pets to distract them from outside noises.

• Keep firecrackers out of reach of pets.

• Ensure that the stray dogs or other pets are quite away from the place where the crackers burst.

• Give rigorous exercise to dogs during day time so that they fall asleep in the evening before time of bursting crackers.

• Cover the pets with blankets during sleep.

• Children should not be allowed to harm any stray animal out of fun.

• Keep first-aid kit ready with dressing material, antiseptics, analgesic and medicines.  

• Secure the lost pet, if any in a safe place and hand over to its genuine owner.

• Note down any sign of anxiety/ stress in your dog if he encounters some loud noise. 

• Sought immediate veterinary intervention whenever needed.

• Tell your children the importance of celebrating green Diwali.

Note:  Emergency veterinary doctor will be available on Diwali day and night in the Veterinary Hospital of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana