Representative Image of a stray cow.
Credit: iStock
Hisar: Over 20 stray cows were found dead here during the past three days, with health complications due to excessive consumption of food items like 'halwa', 'poori' offered by people a suspected reason behind the deaths.
During the ongoing festival season, many people offer these food items to the cows thinking they are doing a virtuous act, but in reality they prove detrimental to the health of cows, said Sita Ram Singal, founder-director of the 'Gau Seva Helpline Samiti', Hisar.
During past many years, Singal's NGO has been involved in taking care of stray cows, rescuing those who are ailing or have met with an accident and getting them treated by veterinary doctors.
Singal said as per daily average Hisar city sees death of only one or two stray cows. In this, either the animal may have died of natural causes or may have been ailing or its death may have been caused by an accident.
He, however, pointed out that during the past three days more than 20 cows have died in different parts of the city.
Their deaths, most likely, have been caused by consumption of items like 'halwa' and 'poori', which causes complications like acidosis in them ultimately resulting in their death.
The cows died near Mahavir Colony, PLA Area, Sector 14, Mirzapur Road, Shanti Nagar area, Mill Gate area and other locations.
He said that some persons may think that offering just one 'poori' or small quantity of 'halwa' will not harm the cow, but they do not know that the animal may have already consumed in excess as other people too may have offered the stray these things at other locations.
Singal stated that when cows consume excessive amounts of fried food, these become indigestible after some time, proving fatal for them.
When contacted on Tuesday, Dr Nilesh Sindhu, veterinary expert at Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences here said, "Excessive consumption of fried foods like 'poori' and 'halwa' causes complications in animals...Without timely treatment, they die."
He advised that animals should be fed their original diet -- green fodder and straw.
Avoid feeding fried foods like 'pooris' and 'halwa', etc., as they are harmful to animals, he said.
Hisar Mayor Parveen Popli has appealed to city residents to refrain from feeding fried foods, halwa, poori, sweets, and other such foods to cows and other animals. These foods have adverse effects on animals, as they can harm their digestive systems and lead to numerous health problems.
They can also lead to serious conditions that could endanger the animals' lives, he warned.