Winter in Kashmir: Animals at receiving end; over 200 cases report to Central Veterinary Hospital daily

Srinagar: Forget humans, the dip in temperatures has hit animals hard in Kashmir.

According to the official figures, the Central Veterinary Hospital, Srinagar reports 100-200 cases of animals with different ailments daily. Likewise, the hospital records around 6000 cases in a month. The cases include stray, domesticated, and pet animals.

Veterinary Surgeon at Central Veterinary Hospital, Srinagar, Dr. Mudasir Qazi said the number of animal patients witnesses a surge in winter.

“The cold weather affects small and large animals differently. In large animals, the disease disrupts their production efficiency while in small animals like cats and dogs, there are chances of increased health complications owing to reduced body temperatures.  Further, the most common diseases which are respiratory in origin are found in canines and felines,” he told The Kashmir Monitor.

Dr. Mudasir noted that another common disease that affects production efficiency in large animals is mastitis. “Bovine mastitis is an inflammatory response of the udder tissue in the mammary gland caused due to physical trauma or microorganism infections. It is considered the most common disease leading to economic loss in dairy industries due to reduced yield and poor quality of milk. Therefore, cattle owners should ensure that cleanliness is maintained in the cow sheds and that milking is done hygienically. These measures can prevent the occurrence of the disease,” he said.

Dr. Mudasir stressed vaccination and de-worming to prevent diseases in animals in winter.

“The disease occurrence in small animals like cats and dogs can be prevented to a great extent by following recommended vaccination schedules. Most importantly, vaccination also prevents us from zoonotic diseases- those diseases which can transfer from animals to humans or vice versa. Therefore, it’s mandatory to get them vaccinated and dewormed as per the recommended schedule,” he said.

He added that owners should ensure their pets remain warm and are provided with a high protein-rich diet so that basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn as your body performs basic (basal) life-sustaining function remains maintained.

Dr. Mudasir insisted on the importance of Rabies Vaccination in animals. He said that Rabies is 100 percent preventable and zero percent curable. “If prophylactic anti-rabies vaccination is done and in cases of bite history post-bite vaccination schedule is strictly followed, the occurrence of the disease can be stopped by 100 percent in animals. Otherwise, the disease once acquired is not curable and there can be chances of spread to humans as well,” he said.