Here’s 4 steps you can take to keep your pets safe before, during, and after a flood.

For the past week or so, our country has been slowly recovering from the insane amount of damage that the recent floods have caused. In addition to the tens of thousands who lost their homes and property, the number of human casualties, along with the animal lives that were lost in the flood have been even more heartbreaking, as many pet-owners were forced to leave their pets behind to get help.

And with the flood expected to return within the week, this left many pet-owners in fear of what will happen to their beloved fur-babies in case they were to make another last-minute escape from their homes. So, in recognition of this issue, Royal Canin (who you might recognize as the company that makes pet food) came up with their very own guidelines on how pet-owners can care for their pets during the flood. Here’s what they are…

1. Prep your pets, pet food, and important documents BEFORE the storm.

Like the popular saying goes, “sediakan payung sebelum hujan“. But in this case, it’d probably best for you to prepare more than just an umbrella.

First of all, pet-owners should ensure that their pets are wearing proper identification; a collar on your pet cat/dog with both yours and your pet’s details would help if you happen to get separated from your pet at any point. This could help you locate your pet, or help a rescuer that found your pet locate you, so that the both of you can be reunited once the storm subsides.

Pet-owners should also make sure that their pets are already vaccinated. But if they aren’t, Royal Canin suggests vaccinating them against leptospirosis, which can affect both human beings and animals. Because leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can be found in rat urine, that can contaminate water (which can be bad, if you’re literally in the middle of a flood).

It’s also important to note that floods can potentially last weeks or even longer. So, to make sure that your pet won’t end up starving and thinking that you’re just a giant yummy talking hotdog, get yourself stocked up on pet food and medicine, in addition to your own food and medicine. And who knows? If you ever find yourself in a similar situation to the one that one of our writer’s experienced, the cat food you bought for Oyen might even end up saving your life.

The moment it seems like a storm is about to brew, pet-owners should then quickly place all of their pets’ important documents like vaccination records and vet’s details in a sealed, waterproof bag, along with a photo of their pet too (just in case). If you don’t have that in your possession, apparently Tupperware works too. Oh, and don’t forget to do this with your own important documents too, k?

2. Keep your pets AWAY from the water.

Bath time with your furry buddy may be fun, but swimming in the middle of a flood with your pet dog struggling to stay afloat isn’t. If you are trying to take a look around and get help, avoid bringing your pets along with you as exposing them to floodwater can be a serious health risk.

Floodwater can be highly contaminated with all sorts of toxic waste and bacteria, so your pet should not drink any of the floodwater, even if there isn’t any other source of water around. Contamination aside, the waters from the flood and the heavy downpour will make your pet incredibly cold and wet, which will put them at risk of suffering from skin damage and even hypothermia.

And for the love of all things good, please don’t assume that your pets can swim. Even more so when it’s paired with stormy weather and strong currents.

Most importantly, if any of your pets do get caught in the flood, do not jump in after them as it could put you in danger as well. The flood currents might be strong, and could end up sweeping you away. Your own safety is still the top priority. Leave the rescuing to the emergency services, or rescuers on boats.

3. If you have to leave your pets behind, make sure they can be reached.

Realistically, if you have to evacuate your home due to the flood emergency, there is a chance you might need to leave your pets behind. Though this might be terrifying and uncertain, the best thing that a pet-owner can do is to improve their pets’ chances of survival the best they can.

First of all, the most important thing to remember is to not leave your pet inside their carriers or cages unattended, as this would leave them trapped and unable to save themselves. Instead, release them and place them on a higher elevation that would most likely stay dry (like a roof, or the top floor of a house), with plenty of food and water.

Before leaving, leave a note on your door, windows, or anywhere where it can be seen, to inform emergency services that there are pets inside the house. If you have nearby relatives, friends, or even just a neighbour, do also let them know that you’ll be leaving your pets in the house so that they may be able to rescue your pets when the opportunity arises.

4. When the storm calms down, it’s all about recovery.

If you happened to be separated from your fur-baby at any point, now’s the time to begin your search. If you left them back in your house, chances are they might still be there. But if they aren’t, they might have been rescued. Don’t fret though! There are a number of social media groups out there that have been created to reconnect lost pets with their owners, and the identification on your pet should be able to help rescuers get in touch with you.

Once you are able to reunite with your pets, it’s important to immediately bring them to the vet for a check-up and to get treatment if necessary. Even though it may not seem obvious, the trip that your pet took to safety might have accidentally hurt it. So, a quick visit to a nearby vet would be able to ensure that your pet is healthy and not suffering from any internal damage.

Much like human beings, animals are also susceptible to trauma and stress. And because they aren’t able to speak, the stress manifests itself through their actions and in worse cases… by affecting the animal’s health. Pet-owners should monitor their pets’ behavior closely and bring them to a vet the moment it seems like something is ‘off’.

Need help but don’t know how to get it? These places might help.

Alternatively, the Malaysians Small Animal Veterinary Association (MSAVA), Malaysian Veterinary Medical Association (MAVMA), and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) have also hosted mobile clinics, which provide medical care to animals FOR FREE.

They were previously stationed in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam up until the 27th of this month. So, we gave them a call and found out that their next stop would most likely be in Taman Sri Nanding, Hulu Langat who was also heavily hit by the floods. The mobile clinic will be stationed there over the weekend, from 9 am to 6 pm.

Rescuers and pet-owners can also contact MAVMA at 012-612 7101 for more details.