BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Occidental issued reminders to livestock raisers to take precautionary measures. The state weather bureau forecasted rainy weather in the next few days brought by a combination of shear line and low pressure area (LPA).
As of yesterday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) was tracking an LPA outside the Philippine area of responsibility and its trough was already affecting Mindanao and some parts of the Visayas, including Negros island.
The trough of the LPA is expected to bring light to moderate with at times heavy rains in the next couple of days.
Meteorologists from the weather bureau are not expecting the LPA to develop into a tropical depression, although rains are expected to last at least until the weekend.
In an advisory, the PVO told livestock raisers that the rainy weather could cause hypothermia among livestock, especially if they are exposed in the rains. They also warned that hypothermia could be deadly if action is not taken.
Other issues that raisers must look into are cases of footrot, wherein the livestock could get an infection if they are standing in floodwaters for long periods, as well as parasites and bacterial infections such as leptospirosis, colibacillosis and salmonellosis.
Raisers are also advised to change their livestock’s food regularly as molds or “agup-op” could grow on animal feeds brought by the wet conditions.
The PVO further stated that livestock raisers should make sure that their livestock shelters must have adequate run offs for water in order to keep the animal pens dry, and to give feeds with high energy content which could help animals to get additional warmth.
If exposed to floodwaters, raisers must immediately wash the livestock’s foot using clean water with 10 percent zinc sulfate in order to prevent footrot.
Feeds should also be stored in a dry place.
During last month’s inclement weather condition which was also caused by a combination of shear line and LPA, Negros Occidental’s livestock damage was estimated at P245,000.
It affected at least 12 villages from six different cities and municipalities, with damage most noted in the third and fourth districts.
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 para-veterinarian whom they could tap for assistance, Lemana added.
Para-veterinarians are also the ones monitoring the situation in the villages for any damage./PN
