HYDERABAD: Toxic city air not only affects humans, but also poses an equal, if not greater, threat to ‘urban’ animals. Experts in the city note that cases of animals suffering from lung, eye, throat infections, even tumours and heart ailments, increase during winters, in line with the seasonal decline in air quality levels.
While domesticated animals have an increased risk of tumours when exposed to polluted air over an extended period, the effects are worse on stray animals, like monkeys, that live and sleep outdoors. "Both humans and animals respond similarly to air pollution. In the last few years with the increase in the pollution, we have seen 10 to 15 per cent rise of upper respiratory tract diseases, more cases of bronchiolitis and eye and throat infections in animals," said Murlidhar, of Doctor Dog hospital.
Speaking to Express, PETA India’s CEO and veterinarian Dr Manilal Valliyate said that the harmful particulate matter in the air has been linked to cardiac arrest, acute cardiovascular ailments, coronary artery disease, and sometimes even death, among animals, “Generally speaking, air pollution affects all kinds of animals.
Working animals such as bullocks, donkeys, horses, camels, and other species are affected more since they’re on the road throughout the day, inhaling the polluted air emitted from the vehicles that surround them,” he said.
Talking about preventive measures that can be taken to reduce the effect of growing air pollution among animals, Dr Manilal said that companion animals should be kept indoors when PM levels are higher and that long walks should be avoided. He also suggested that the use of air conditioners or air purifiers at home might help curb effects of pollution. As for working or outdoor animals, avoiding dry food helps reduce inhalation of dust, he said. “Concentrate feeds should be dampened to reduce dust inhalation. This is particularly important when nosebags are used,” he said.