Our voiceless friends always deserve help from us, the creatures often fail to survive extreme climate exposure. They either freeze to death or die from heat exhaustion. We as humans must help them spend the harsh climate conditions with some degree of comfort. The abnormally high temperature has led the animals, especially the stray ones, to struggle against blistering heat and dehydration while the extreme cold in winter leaves them vulnerable due to swelling under their paws. Most of the time, these animals do not even get proper food and drinking water which could lead them to miserable condition.
The other day I was just going through an interview of a veterinary doctor from Kolkata with a national daily, where he stated that in recent years the continuous rise in temperature and humidity was leading to increased cases of heat stroke among stray dogs and cats of the city.
During the extremely cold winter in India, the strays suffer the most. The dogs are generally seen being curled up either by covering themselves in dust or they cover themselves in dry leaves on the roadside. Kudos to some NGOs who work to help the strays with warm cloth materials, but it’s very difficult for them to get the strays to wear clothes. It is also our responsibility to help the strays to fight these extreme conditions.
Want to help them? Follow a few simple steps and it could go a long way to keep the animals and birds safe and happy.
PROVIDE THEM TEMPORARY SHELTERS:
If possible, create a summer shelter for the strays. Lay out old mats or newspapers outside your house so that the strays can rest there during noon.
During winter, allow them inside our compounds or create small wooden shelters with wooden cardboard, and keep it in one corner of your house boundaries. The best thing would be to line up the wooden shelter with thermocol and throw in a blanket, which would be a great way to protect them at night. If this is not possible then just put a sack or an old blanket in a corner.
FEED THEM GENEROUSLY:
During summer, keep an earthen pot outside your home or apartment filled with clean water. An earthen pot will keep the water cool for a long time. Make sure to change the water every day and clean the bowl regularly to avoid waterborne infections. Besides, if you are into the habit of offering food to the strays every day, offer water also.
During the extreme winter, finding food is the most difficult thing for them. Feeding them warm milk and glucose biscuits will help them to keep their body warm and generate energy. Providing them with a meal will help them as they have to go out less in search of food during the extreme winter.
CHECK FOR ANY ILLNESS:
During winter, keep checking for any symptoms of illness, and keep medicines for fever and cough handy to help them whenever required.
Treating the swelled paws in winter with Betadine and salt helps them a lot.
INFORM LOCAL GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS:
Keep help handy. Whenever you notice a stray animal in distress, seek the help of an experienced veterinary doctor or get in touch with organizations working for stray animals. There are umpteenth social media pages with details of organizations providing contact numbers of ambulances and vets. Do not hesitate to reach out to them and you could save a life. Believe me, the feeling is wonderful.
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