Water, important for animals too

The prevailing hot and humid weather conditions pose adverse effects not only for us human beings, but also for our animal friends. If you have pets at home, you should ensure that they have adequate supplies of water to quench their thirst.

It is very easy for dogs to become dehydrated, much more than for human beings, and it’s also harder for them to recover from the condition. Did you know that a dog could even die of dehydration? Yes, it’s that serious, but preventing your darling doggy from becoming dehydrated is very easy.

When there is extreme loss of bodily fluids, essential minerals known as electrolytes are depleted from the body. As dogs don’t have sweat glands to cool themselves, the way we humans do, they pant hard to regulate body temperature. But the loss of bodily fluids can result in dehydration if these electrolytes aren’t replaced.

This is why it’s important for us to ensure that our dogs are provided for with water. If your dog lives indoors, you should keep at least one bowl of fresh, clean water which could be easily accessed by your pet.

In a fairly large house, you could even keep two or three bowls of water in different sections. If it’s extremely hot and humid, it’s best to keep your dog indoors. If your dog lives outside, you should provide it not only with plenty of water, but also with shade.

Symptoms of dehydration include tight-looking skin, dried out eyes and dry tongue and nose. The animal could also have problems in its circulation system. A way to check this is to push your fingers into its gums until the area directly under the fingers turns white. Then remove your fingers. If it takes some time for the white area to regain its normal colour, your dog is suffering from a fluid problem.

In such an event, cool it off and start replenishing it with fluids. However, don’t give it too much water as it could start vomiting, which would mean more loss of fluids and the animal’s condition worsening. Wrap the dog in a cool, wet towel, especially the head and underbelly areas (these contain its important organs) and immediately take it to the vet.

Being exposed to heat and the lack of water are only a few of the reasons for dogs to become dehydrated. Sickness can also make them so.

If left for too long without being attended to, the animal’s organs can fail, leading to its death. So, even if the animal recovers from its initial dehydrated state, take it to the vet. Your doggy’s future health may depend on it.

Dear Brawo

My pet is a dog named Brawo. It likes to eat meat and drink milk. Every morning I take it for a walk.

Brawo is very rough and tough and is a good provider of security to our house. All my family members like my dog. When it rains, Brawo doesn’t like to come out of the house.

J.P. Anuradha Kavinda, Ranpokunagama Maha Vidyalaya.

I love Jimmi

I have a pet,
It is a cat
Its name is Jimmi
And it is chubby
It likes to eat lots of meat
Its eyes are blue like a pool
I love my pet and it is fat.

M. Husney Haneefa,Grade 5, St. Sylvester's Boys College,Kandy.

My pet dog

My pet is a dog. Its name is Pinky. It's pink and brown in colour. It likes to drink milk and eat chocolate.It has eight puppies who are very cute. Pinky loves to play with me everyday. It runs around with me. It sleeps in its kennel. I love it very much.

Aathik Fazeel,Grade 5, Daybridge International School.