Diwali has become more of an environmental concern than an enjoyable festival in this day and age. This article has stated some guidelines to help pet parents take care of their pets and keep them safe during Diwali.
Diwali is a celebration of lights and the victory of good over evil. People all over India look forward to this occasion and light up the entire sky with crackers. However, the festivity is also associated with air and noise pollution that persists not only on Diwali but many days later.
We can protect ourselves as humans, but our pets need protection too. Our pets are dependent on us, and we must take care of them so that the joyous festival does not become a matter of serious concern regarding their health. The following points will help pet parents keep their pets safe during Diwali.
Protection from the Loud Noise
Diwali is synonymous with firecrackers and bombs with loud noises. No matter how much the government imposes restrictions on their usage, it is tough to eliminate the age-old practices of using deafening bursts on this day. Therefore, you should not take the risk of taking your pet outside on Diwali. You should properly close all the doors and windows of your pet’s room, preventing any noise from entering.
Check for Anxiety
Apart from being harmful to their ears, loud sounds also create nervousness in the pets. Many animals, such as dogs, have highly sensitive hearing organs, making them more prone to noise pollution during Diwali. If your pet has already come across loud noises of the firecrackers in your absence, you must check for signs of anxiety in them. If you find your pet is behaving strangely, it is probably an aftereffect of the sudden bang they just heard.
In such an instance, you must offer your pet plenty of water that may help them tackle their nervousness. Moreover, you should be near your pets and contact the veterinarian if your pet continues to show signs of anxiety.
Restricting Access to Candles and Oil Lamps
Diwali is a festival of lights, and even if you oppose loud firecrackers or smoky illuminations, lighting candles and diyas is a mandate on this day to celebrate the festival. However, if you have a pet at your home, you should restrict them in a room to prevent them from going near the fire items.
Your pets are innocent, and they do not know that fire could injure them. However, if left free, they will probably go near the candles or lamps to explore them, threatening to harm them. Thus, as a pet parent, you should not let your pets go near the fire and restrict them to one room until the fire is quenched.
Cover the Ears
The sounds of the fireworks at Diwali seem to be banging on our doors and windows, and at times, even penetrate them. Moreover, the hearing ability of some animals, especially dogs, is much more than ours, and what we feel is inaudible or very low in volume may be a disturbing and annoying noise to our pets.
Thus, it is best to cover your pets’ ears with earmuffs or soft clothing items to reduce the loud noise entering their hearing organs. You may also play some calm melodies in your pet’s room to divert them from the noise outside.
Check the Diet
On this occasion, the households are filled with sweets and desserts, and people satisfy their sweet tooth for many days even after the festival. However, our digestive system differs from our pets, and we must not experiment with their food items. Thus, we should offer the pets their normal diet and not give them the sweet food items we consume on this occasion.
Maintain Proper Hygiene
Once the festival is over, we find our terrace or the streets enveloped with burnt ash and harmful chemicals as remnants of the explosives. These residues could also remain in our homes. Thus, we must clean the surfaces properly with disinfectants to make them safe for our pets to walk on and sit. Also, it would help if you did not take your pets outside till the streets are clean and free from toxic materials.
The Final Thoughts
Our pets are dependent on us and do not know how to differentiate between right and wrong. Thus, if we are not alert during this festival, it may lead to unwanted situations, harming our lovable pets. Therefore, we should follow the above instructions and maintain the utmost cautiousness during Diwali. This festival has much more significance than adding to the air and noise pollution of our environment. Therefore, we should focus on the true meaning of Diwali and protect our pets while celebrating it.
