CONSEQUENCES AND MANAGEMENT OF HEATWAVES IN ANIMALS

CONSEQUENCES AND MANAGEMENT OF HEATWAVES IN ANIMALS

Priya Singh¹, Dharmendra Kumar¹, Neelam Tandia¹, Shailesh Kumar Patel¹, Swatantra singh¹, Ankush Kiran Niranjan¹, Aditya Agrawal¹, Kumar Govil¹, Sriti Pandey¹, Shilpa Gajhbhiye¹, Deepak Ningwal¹

Assistant Professor, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Rewa (M.P.)

Managing animals in high temperatures requires good planning. Extreme heat causes significant stress for all animals.  Animals need to be checked regularly throughout the day for signs of heat stress, along with water points to ensure animals have access to ample cool water. Heat stress caused by these events can have detrimental effects on animal reproduction. If your animal has a pre-existing medical condition (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, respiratory disease or previous heat injury) pay extra attention as this may affect their ability to regulate their body temperature. Breeds of animals with a shortened nose (brachycephalic dogs) such as a pug or Persian cat, cannot regulate their body temperature well and are more susceptible to heat stress. Take extra precaution for animals with bare skin, short coats or no pigment in their skin such as nose, ears and stomach as they are more susceptible to sunburn. Animals with pink skin lack pigment therefore they burn and are susceptible to skin cancer. Young, pregnant or lactating animals may be more susceptible to heat stress so extra care should be taken in monitoring them. Breed, age, sex and fleece may affect your animal’s ability to withstand heat changes and special attention should be given to ensure your animal is coping in a heat wave.

Following are the effects of heat on animal populations are as under-

• Heat stress and death- Animals that are not adapted to hot weather can easily succumb to heat stress, which can lead to death. This is especially true for young animals, old animals and animals with underlying health conditions just like humans.
• Dehydration-Animals that lose too much water through sweating or panting can become dehydrated, which can lead to many health problems — just like humans.
• Disruption of food sources-Excessive heat can kill plants and animals, making it difficult for surviving animals to find food. This can lead to malnutrition and starvation.
• Increased predation-Animals that are weakened by heat stress or dehydration are more likely to be preyed upon by predators.
• Disease-Hot weather can create ideal conditions for the spread of diseases, such as heatstroke, mosquito-borne illnesses and poisoning caused by salmonella and E. coli bacteria.

 Signs of Heat Stress-

• Panting
• Rapid panting with tongue out
• Sweating
• Increased drinking
• lack of appetite
• Decrease in milk production
• Reduction in movement
• Herds standing in a clump
• lowering of head
• Aggression
• Change in posture
• Continual shade seeking
• Prolonged time at water source
• Open beak panting
• Holding wings out
• Lying outstretched
• Dry nose
• Weakness
• Muscle tremors
• Salivation
• Hysteria
• Collapse
• Swollen abdomen.

 Preparation for combating Heat Stress-

• Make sure to provide adequate feed and water for several days.
• Animal may consume three times more water than usual.
• If animal may experience a decrease in appetite. Providing high quality feed will help animal to receive necessary nutrition.
• Provide adequate shade with ventilation provided before the heat wave.
• Removal of excess hair or wool may help keep your animal cool.
• Cooling mats can be purchased to help keep animal cool.
• Move them to the shade immediately, preferably somewhere with a breeze. If animals are too stressed to move, pick them up and move them or provide shade where they are.
• For small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs, frozen water bottles can be added to cages to help keep them cool. Never directly place frozen water on an animal as is it may cause extreme temperature change, shock and pain.
• It is recommended not to handle animals in extreme heat unless absolutely necessary. If necessary, make sure it is done as early or late in the day as possible when temperatures are lower.
• Moving animals during cooler hours can decrease the impact of high temperatures on production performance.
• Increase air movement around them with fans, ventilation, or wind movement.
• If the animal shows no sign of improvement contact your local vet for assistance.

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