Diwali: Keep pets safe

More than 80 pigeons died last year and over 37 dogs and cats had to be rushed to veterinary care as a result of excessive bursting of firecrackers and rockets. With Deepavali approaching in less than two weeks, various animal welfare organisations are keeping a strict vigil.

Dogs have more sensitive ears than humans do and while some dogs don't appear to mind the noise, others will bark, whine, howl, hide, cower or run into furniture and walls," said Dr. Melissa Bain of the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine's Clinical Animal Behavior Service.

'Caring Hands For Animals' has been giving away handouts to people on how they can keep their pets safe during festive times. Bundla Padmaja, founder president, said, “The ears of most animals are far more sensitive than humans. For dogs, their hearing range is approximately 40 - 60 kHz, which is much greater than that of humans.

The ears of a dog are controlled by at least 18 muscles, allowing the sound to be clearly heard. Many breeds have upright and curved ears, which directly amplify the sounds, which are heard at higher frequency.”

While, the cats don’t seem to mind fireworks, they get stressed at all the commotion.

Excessive noise can lead some anxious hounds to fly the coop. Dogs that can't escape could hurt themselves in other ways trying to seek shelter from the thundering sounds.

Experts say you can prevent a personal doggie drama from becoming a tragedy by taking some simple steps:

• Take a walk and wear your dog out before sundown.
• Plan on staying home with your pet when fireworks shows are scheduled nearby.
• Close the doors and windows, turn on the television, music, fans and any other noisy devices to try and drown out the noise and percussion of the explosions.

• Just sit with the dog. Don't force cuddling because fear can turn some animals aggressive. Have treats available but most dogs won't eat through fireworks.
• Put cotton in your pet's ears to muffle the sounds.
• Leaving a dog in a crate or cage may not protect it. Dogs can chip their teeth and break their nails on cages.
• If a pet doesn’t have a microchip or an ID tag with updated information, get that before the festive season starts.
• If all else fails, drop your pet off at an animal care shelter.