With summer at its peak, it is not just human beings; pets too are having a harrowing time. No wonder pet lovers are trying their best to making this season bearable for their pets.
On a breezy Wednesday morning at Shamirpet, a team of Golden Retriever, St. Bernard and Cocker Spaniel strut around in their super trim hair cut. As kennel owner V. Shiva Kumar prepares their special ragi-based food, the 40 dogs of various breeds play around energetically. With no respite from the cruel May heat, Shiva Kumar says he depends on the ragi mix feed to cool his pets. “In one kg of chicken rice, we add a mix of ragi powder mixed in three litres of water. Ragi provides the cooling effect .
We also water the floor four times a day and use fans instead of coolers,” he points out. Designer Shilpa Reddy’s English Mastiff Vheera, which is four-months old has a diet that includes nariyal paani throughout the summer. “She is small so her diet has to be balanced and cannot be changed till she becomes a little bigger,” says Shilpa. Although the English Mastiff is Shilpa’s ‘adorable darling’, the designer ensures even the street dogs near her home are protected from the heat. “The pets at home are taken care of but it’s the street dogs which face the heat. We place cement pots filled with water outside our house and most of the times we see them sitting in it,” she smiles.
At the recent summer carnival organised by Petzotica, apet shop in Khairatabad, 40 dogs enjoyed the sunbathing and chillout by the pool. “Among the activities planned during the day, a walk in the swimming pool was the best enjoyed by the pets. They loved the water so much that they refused to come out of the pool,” smiles Tarun Varma of Petzotica.
It is the ice cubes shower which keeps the 25 inmates at Playmate Kennels in Ibrahimpatnam cool. Praveen Kumar of the kennel says the concern is to protect them from dehydration and sunstroke. In the afternoons, if the dogs enjoy vanilla ice cream, there is also water mixed with Electral powder to protect them from losing fluids in the body. Kavitha Sri of Westwoods Kennel in Kompally says they have ensured their ceiling is well protected. “Our desert coolers also make sure the temperature is maintained effectively at the kennel area and the 15 dogs are well protected,” she says.
Rohinton Behramsha of Koolmist talks about mist pipes and fans which significantly reduces the temperature. The company has supplied to individuals, who have bought them for their pets apart from restaurants, pubs and factories. “When water under high pressure comes out through sprinklers, the water droplets absorb heat and evaporate, while bringing down the temperature,” he explains. During excessive heat, the mist pipes provide an easy cooling solution. “If the water is low pressure, the pets get wet and their fur starts sinking and there is a risk of diseases. When I look at the beaming faces of pet owners and caretakers, I feel satisfied and happy,” he smiles.
The hot and humid weather spells danger for pets but clearly a little bit of aid and care can help them sail through the season happily.
