Have you ever wondered where most of your society’s stray dogs vanish on Diwali night? They flee far away from these ” loud booms”; scared and trembling, searching for places to hide. With no one to take care of them or to tend to them, stray animals and birds are the most affected. Unaware of the approaching festivities, they get very anxious with the sudden change in the environment. Many of them get injured, suffer from burns, trauma and even deafness and blindness. They often run helter-skelter in panic and meet with accidents.
For all of you worried about your furry babies on the streets, we’ve got a few tips and tricks for you guys! Needless to say, this might be a little more difficult to manage than it is for pets, but definitely not impossible!
Create awareness
Educate your society/campus in favour of these animals. In a country as diverse as ours, it is important that you keep people’s sentiments in mind while speaking to them about alterations in their ways of celebration. Tell them that animals can hear sounds at a much higher frequency and from four times the distance as an average human being. The sounds of fireworks can lead to deafness which makes them more prone to road accidents. Teach children empathy and that teasing, taunting and threatening the animals with firecrackers can be injurious to both parties.
Localize the celebrations
Propose a plan to demarcate an area, preferably away from where the strays normally rest, especially for the purpose of bursting firecrackers. It is important that everyone is on-board with your plan and they understand that this is a really good and safe compromise between people and animals.
Shelter
Try and make sure that in case the animals get startled, they have a safe space to retreat to. It could be the space in your stairwell or your apartment building’s waiting lobby. Keep bowls of water for relief and to make them seek out these spots for safety.
While you may get most of the animals to take shelter there, some of them may choose to go and hide under the vehicles. So make sure that when you move your cars, you check underneath to make sure no animals get injured.
Preemptively, feed the animals before the celebrations begin so that they have a full belly and aren’t forced to step out of their shelter with the basic need to satisfy their hunger.
First Aid
While with these three steps, you will be able to prevent most injuries. Unfortunately, there are possibilities that you will find a few injured animals post-festival. But never fear, we’ve got you covered! A little first aid goes a long way in preventing worsening of their condition.
First things first, get ready with a small first aid kit in advance. You will need :-
- Gauze Bandages
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Cotton
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Adhesive medical Tape
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Scissors
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Antiseptic, Antibiotic Ointment
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Betadine Lotion
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Betadine solution
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Himax ointment
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Negasunt powder
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Disposable Gloves
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Clean piece of white cloth
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Tissue Paper
Disclaimer: The most important thing is that you must always put your safety first. When going to tend to a wounded stray, make sure to gauge their temperament first, even if you know them. Because they might react dangerously when in pain or scared. You don’t want to get bitten.
Once you have made sure you’re not going to get yourself injured, put your gloves on and wash the wounds with diluted betadine solution. Use a soaked cotton to clear out the debris and dirt stuck to the tissue. Then apply the betadine ointment.
Fold the gauge bandage in half and put a wad of cotton in the fold. Use this to bandage the wound. This will make redressing later easier for you and less painful for the animal by preventing the adhesion on cotton to the wound.
If bandaging the wound isn’t possible, make sure to apply himax around the wound after you’ve applied the betadine ointment. This prevents maggots from developing in the wound.
In case you do see one of these babies with a wound that has flies buzzing around it or has a stink to it, clean it and then pack it with negasunt powder. This will kill the maggots inside the wound. Maggot wounds heal fast because they don’t have an infection. So, don’t worry too much. Apply Himax ointment around the wound to keep flies from sitting on the wound.
If the animal has suffered from a burn injury, wash the area with plenty of cold water. Cover the area with a clean dry soft cloth or with a cloth soaked in tea decoction. Keep the animal clean and warm and maintain the glucose level with some glucose water or honey.
In any case, if the situation worsens, consult a veterinarian and get the animal medical help. Contact information for veterinary mobile ambulances, non profit organizations dedicated to animals and private veterinary clinics in your area are all just a google search away!
Festivals, worldwide, are a time for great joy! Let us try and make it happy and safe for not just people but animals too. Let us pledge to help animals cope better with this sudden burst of activity and change in their surroundings. This Diwali, let us bring light to everyone’s lives.
VetQuest 