The annual haze crisis hit many cities in Southeast Asia once again. Due to the prolonged damage in the air quality, we also had to postpone our event – Raise the Woof at Central Bark to later next month (20th October).
We definitely hope that the haze situation improves by then, but for now, please don’t forget to check in on your dog’s health during this period.
Here are a few tips on how to protect your dog from the haze:
How will the haze affect my dog?
While the haze condition is bad, please don’t panic! If your dog is generally healthy he/she will not be severely affected.
However, we should point out that certain dogs are a little more vulnerable towards the haze situation and more prone to have their health affected. We have listed a few examples down below:
- Dogs with a short snout e.g. Bulldogs, Pugs, Shih Tzus and more.
- Puppies.
- Dogs with respiratory issues.
- Dogs with a history of health problems in their eyes/ heart/ kidneys (Eye drops might help with clearing possible pollutants that could enter your pup’s eyes).
In general, these are symptoms you should be looking out for if you suspect that your dog is affected by the haze:
- Eye irritation like eye discharge and eye rubbing.
- Skin irritation.
- Respiratory problems like sneezing and coughing.
We recommend you to consult a vet if any of the above-mentioned symptoms are prolonged or excessive.
Preventive measures to keep your dog in the pink of health
Our best advice would be keeping your pets indoors as much as possible and keep the outdoor activities short. While you guys are staying indoors, it’s definitely a good idea to play some games with them to stimulate their minds. The use of an air purifier or air conditioner would be helpful as well.
Also, It would be best to wipe your dogs down after coming home from the outside in order to keep their skin and fur clean and free from dust particles.
Do take note of their food and water bowls as well to check if they have been contaminated with dust and other pollutants from the air. Boost your dog’s immunity with some fresh food that is high in antioxidants such as turmeric, blueberries, apples and tomatoes!
No N95 masks for the pups!
We certainly hope that you have your supplies of masks by now – but please do not put one on your dog when you take him out for walks. While it’s useful for humans, the masks might do more harm than good for your dog as it could trap heat and possibly lead to a heat stroke.
As the saying goes ‘Prevention is better than cure’ so while we protect ourselves with extra precaution, let’s also do the same for our furry friends and avoid having them fall ill. We would advise you to seek medical attention for your pets if any abnormalities occur.