I feel like a Doomsday Prepper!
So the officially reported PSI index hovers around 300 and at one point it was 400 today. Hazardous all the way~
Seniors, mums-to-be, children and people with heart or respiratory problems are advised to don the N95 respiratory mask when outside and in general to avoid outdoors. Healthy persons should also be masked if “prolonged and strenuous outdoor activity is unavoidable.”
But what about dogs who need their daily walks? And some dogs are outdoor dogs, what about them?
Keep all pets indoors during the haze and if your rabbits or small pets are kept in balconies, bring them in. They are especially at risk for smoke inhalation due to their small lung capacity. Smoke inhalation can cause chronic pneumonia and can be fatal if the animal is no longer able to compensate. Note any signs of breathing difficulty and bring them to your vet immediately.
And the Mount Pleasant Animal Medical Centre says:
Animals have an increased sensitivity to foreign particles and constant exposure to polluted air may place them in the position to develop respiratory problems.
Pets that are in greater danger include:
- pets with heart/lung disease
- young pets less than 1 year old
- geriatric pets above 6-7 years old
- pets with debilitating conditions, e.g. kidney, liver problems
- pets with eye conditions
However, the advice they posted on their Facebook pages should probably apply to all pets:
- Keep pets indoors where possible
- Do short but more frequent toilet breaks instead of long walks
- Wipe down face, body and paws thoroughly with damp cloth after walks
- Use artificial tears 2-3x daily to flush away possible eye irritants
- Turn on air conditioner/fan where possible
- Change water bowls often
- Monitor for redness in eye, abnormal eye discharge, excessive sneezing or coughing. If observed, seek medical attention
- Monitor PSI and PM2.5 levels via the NEA website at http://www.nea.gov.sg/psi/
- PSI
- PM2.5 (PM2.5 concentrations measure smaller particles that can settle in the lungs.)
- less than 40 = safe (– Donna and I go out for short walks due haze period)
- more than 40= unsafe – Donna and I go out for loo breaks
In terms of the possible effects of smoke haze on pets:
- Irritation of the nose and throat
- Increased mucous production
- Tendency to cough
- Eye irritation, redness and discharge
- Lung problems if severe; bronchitis, asthma
- Skin irritation; rashes
In general, its good to have your regular vet clinic’s contact number as well as the nearest emergency after-hours vet contact. So if the above effects manifest themselves excessively or your pet is finding it hard to breathe, you’d be able to reach medical attention quickly.
I’ve consolidated the points above from 2 posters. You can view the original information at here and here. And also news references here and here.
And why do I feel like a Doomsday Prepper? I spent a good part of the morning calling and hunting for N95 masks to no avail. They are just not in stock and if they are, there are long queues or sold out the next second. We are not too concerned for ourselves since we are healthy adults but it would be nice to get some for our older parents and grandparents. Of course, getting stubborn parents/grandparents to wear them is another matter!! :P
The fat dog is too chill to be a doomsday prepper! :P
rubytheblacklabrador
Poor Donna – stuck inside with the smog. Sounds like you need to make an obstacle course and do some agility work inside with her – smokin’ parkour anyone?
weliveinaflat
For the record, there was once before the haze struck when I thought it would be easier/safer to try some parkour at home where Donna could be leashless, rather than on the leash.
I had this empty longish book box that was perhaps 15cm in height that I set in the middle of the long corridor (pictured here if you need a visual). The idea I had was, she could sit and wait on one end of the corridor and I can be on the other end, and when I say “come”, she would run and jump over the box and continue running to me.
Unfortunately, she was quite the smart and lazy dog and the box wasn’t long enough, so she skirted around it. Although soon she became so excited, she just ran and took running leaps. And then she became too excited and bumped into the box. Luckily, it was a lightweight plastic box and she was not hurt in anyway. But perhaps the flat is too small for parkour when a dog decides to pick up speed :( So now we just get her to run up and down the corridor from one bed to another to exercise her.
I read somewhere that some ingenious fellow trained his dog to do laps. Apparently when he tells the dog “do your laps”, the dog will run up and down on its own doing laps! Not sure if it is urban legend though. But wouldn’t it be nice to get the dog to exercise itself without doing anything more than issue the command “do your laps”? :P Tis a dream!!
rubytheblacklabrador
Yes I fear a dream indeed. Your smog alert reached page 14 of our newspaper today. Quite impressive given most of our news is highly superficial ie. Mrs Black’s cat stuck up a tree, person falls down a hole. new hair straightening product sold out etc etc :) Although I have to say the article showed a photo with the caption ‘Risk: A photographer in a mask at a pre-wedding shoot’. Note the bride wasn’t wearing a mask…
weliveinaflat
If that’s the case, we may see Ruby the hurricane food gobbler on the news soon. Perhaps you should start selecting your best picture of the dear girl to send to the press! :D Make sure they credit you. :P
Pre-wedding packages are expensive. I imagine it would be quite a horror for her to end up with photos of her most important day all masked up when they paid so much for it :P Here’s a wedding couple with masks on in front of our current most famous landmark – http://news.insing.com/gallery/singapores-in-a-haze/id-da3b0400/525339 – can’t really tell who is getting married to who can you? :P
Sonel
Lovely photo of Donna again! She looks like she doesn’t have a care in the world and I am sure she doesn’t. Lying half-way on the bed again I see..hahahaha. She is so adorable! Best will be to keep her indoors and a few days without walking won’t do her any harm. *big hugs to both of you* :D
weliveinaflat
Like Ruby pointed out, she is just deeply bored… bored… bored. The poor thing. She is mostly indoors but practically bounces like a bubble when she gets to go out for loo break. Hugs to you and Simba too!
Sonel
Awww shame, yes I can totally understand that. Wish you could come and visit us. Simba and I just went for a little walk down the street to get some “neighbourhood” photos. No haze here..just fresh air and the mountains and the streets are so quiet. I love it when it’s like that. :D
weliveinaflat
Where you live sounds idyllic! Can’t wait to see the photos! Enjoy fresh air, it’s something we took for granted for too much! :P
completelydisappear
My friend just got back from business trip in Singapore on 21 June and she said the air there was terrible because of the haze. Her eyes were soar during walking outside. She and her colleagues mostly spent their time inside or underground.
Hopefully, everything is getting better soon.
weliveinaflat
From what I understand, the burning season lasts until September, and it all depends on the direction of the wind so yes, all we can do is keep our fingers crossed. :)