Holi is the festival of colours, marking the arrival of the spring season. This joyful occasion is filled with fun festivities like playing with colours and water balloons. While we're excited about this celebration, it's important to remember that pets and stray animals dislike getting hit by colours and water balloons. No colour is safe for animals, not even the non-toxic or herbal ones.
Effects of Colours on Pets & Strays:
Hair Loss And Skin Allergies: Most colours contain chemicals and metal oxides that can cause skin allergies and inflammation in animals. They can result in a range of issues including shedding, rashes, patches, cuts, and sores.
Respiratory Distress And Lung Infection: Pets and stray animals may inhale these colours through their nasal tract, leading to lung infections and respiratory issues due to the chemicals present.
Blindness: If colours come into contact with your animal’s eyes, it can cause itching, burning sensation, reddening, and even permanent loss of eyesight.
Acts As a Slow Poison: Animals typically groom themselves by licking their fur, which can lead to ingestion of the colours applied to their body. The colours and dyes often contain lead, which can be fatal for pets and stray animals.
Precautions to Be Taken:
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Don’t Put Colour On Pets: The colours and dyes contain harmful compounds like lead, zinc, chromium, copper, mercury, silica in the form of sulphates, bromides, and oxides, which may cause dermatitis, irritations, asthma, organ failure, and even cancer.
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Keep Your Pet Indoors: Keeping your pet indoors during the celebration is the best way to prevent them from being hit by colours and water balloons.
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Use Pet Shampoo To Remove Colours: If colours are accidentally applied to your pet, use a mild pet shampoo to remove the dirt and colour stains.
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Create Awareness In Your Area: Educate people in your locality about the dangers and risks of using colours on pets. Sensitize children in your neighborhood about pet safety.
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Watch Out For Symptoms: Symptoms of poisoning include excessive drooling, vomiting, loose stools, and behavioral changes like aggression. Seek immediate attention from your vet if you notice any of these warning signs.
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Check Stray Dogs And Cats In Your Locality: Extend your compassion and consideration to street animals. We should be attentive towards stray animals as they don’t enjoy the privilege of care and medical attention that is available to our pets.
This Holi, celebrate with your pet without making it uncomfortable for them. Take extra care of your pets and all the animals around you. Let’s make this Holi trouble-free for all of them.
