Be alert to your pet's needs

Do you feel sick when you travel? Most people feel vomitish when they travel long distances. It is the same for your pets as well. Today, Dr. D.A.U. Saman Kumara, Veterinary Surgeon of the Kirindiwela Animal Clinic describes what we should do to avoid this complex situation.

Not many animals face this problem while travelling, but a few do. So, if you know that your pet suffers from problems like vomitting, diarrhoea and phlegm while travelling, you should stop feeding it at least two hours before the journey starts.

There are also medicines that will give some relief for the pet. For example, a medicine known as metacloramide can be given half an hour before you leave. You could let the dog look out of the window while you travel, but you should not allow it to lean out of the window too much, since the rush of air may affect its eyes and ears.

You may be stopping for breaks in the middle of the journey. If you are leaving the pet in the car, you must keep at least one inch of the window down, so that your pet can get some ventilation.

If you are having food on the way, you can give a little bit to your pet too. However, remember to give the tablet at least 10 minutes before you start on the journey again.

Post-festive care

You may have been very busy during the festive season and may have neglected your pet a bit. Now is the time to pay attention to it again. Make sure that your pet is clean and free from fleas. Because, if it starts spreading, you will find it difficult to treat its flea problems.

Insects which spread diseases might affect your pet as well, through its food. It's important to pay close attention to your pets during any festive season especially when fireworks are going off. Some of them may have got scared and tried to run away from home while others, especially Pomeranians, who are very sensitive, may have become depressed and stopped feeding.

You must pay special attention to your pet if it's pregnant, because when they get scared, their hormone levels change. This might lead to a premature birth. We may be able to save premature babies in the human world, but this is not so with animals. So your pet might loose its babies if we are not careful.

If your pet is fierce and bites strangers, you should be really careful. You must always keep it in the cage when you have visitors in the house.

Janani Amarasekara