Flood season: protecting your pets
Before the rains and when the water rises: a plan for dogs, cats and other animals.
General guidance, awaiting review by a Guyanese vet. Always ask a vet about your own animal.
Flooding in coastal Guyana and along the rivers can rise fast. Animals left tied up or shut in low pens drown. A simple plan made before the rainy season saves lives.
Before the rains
- Decide where your animals will go if water rises: a raised platform, an upstairs room, or a friend or relative on higher ground.
- Put a collar with your phone number on every dog and cat. Take a clear photo of each pet now, in case you need to post them as lost.
- Keep a small bag ready: a week of food in a sealed container, a leash, any medicines, and a bowl.
- Clear drains around pens and kennels.
When the water rises
- Never leave an animal tied up or locked in when you evacuate. If you truly cannot take them, untie them so they can swim and climb.
- Keep pets out of floodwater where you can. It carries sewage, chemicals, and the bacteria that cause leptospirosis.
After the flood
- Wash off floodwater with clean water and dry your pet well, especially between the toes.
- Watch for fever, weakness, vomiting, yellow gums or eyes, or reduced urination in the days after. These can be signs of leptospirosis, which can also infect people. See a vet quickly.
- Ask your vet whether a leptospirosis vaccine is right for your dog.
- Lost a pet in the flood, or found one? Post it on Guyana Paws.