By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Livestock owners in Negros Occidental were reminded to take precautionary measures to protect their livestock as another round of rainy weather was forecasted in the next few days.
In an advisory issued by the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) on its official Facebook page, they advised raisers that the cold weather — triggered by a low pressure area (LPA) — could cause hypothermia in their livestock, especially if they are exposed to the rains.
The PVO said hypothermia could be deadly if action is not taken.
Other issues that livestock owners must look into are cases of footrot, wherein the livestock could get an infection, and also leptospirosis, colibacillosis and salmonellosis if they are immersed in flood waters for a long period of time.
If exposed to flood waters, livestock must be washed immediately using clean water with 10 percent zinc sulfate to prevent footrot.
The PVO also advised raisers to change their livestock’s food regularly as molds or “agup-op” could grow on animal feeds brought by the wet conditions.
Raisers should make sure that livestock shelters must have adequate run offs for water to keep the animal pens dry, and to give feeds with high-energy content which could help animals to get additional warmth.
Feeds should also be restored in a dry place.
PVO head Dr. Placeda Lemana said the province has several animal health centers in every district which could give technical advice and supplements to livestock raisers.
Each village in the province has a trained paraveterinarian whom they could tap for assistance, Lemana added.
Paraveterinarians are also the ones monitoring the situation in the villages for any damage.
As of yesterday morning, the state weather bureau, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is tracking an LPA outside the Philippine area of responsibility, and its trough is already affecting Mindanao and some parts of the Visayas, including Negros Island.
The trough is expected to bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains in the next couple of days.
PAGASA is not expecting the LPA to develop into a tropical depression, although rains are expected to last until the weekend.
Negros Occidental’s livestock damage was estimated at P245,000 during last month’s inclement weather conditions caused by a combination of a shear line and an LPA.
The damage affected at least 12 villages from six cities and municipalities in the province, mostly in the third and fourth districts./DGB, WDJ