Winter pet care in north India: smog, cold and heaters

Petym found no Indian veterinary guidance on smog and pets, and India's AQI health statements are written for people. The nearest official advice is the US Environmental Protection Agency's 2026 fact sheet on pets and smoke. It says smoke can irritate a pet's eyes and airways, that older, younger and pregnant animals and those with heart or lung disease are especially at risk, and that short-nosed dogs such as Pugs and Bulldogs can have trouble breathing in smoke. Pet birds are particularly sensitive.

The EPA's advice translates well to a Delhi winter: keep pets indoors as much as you can with windows closed on bad days, keep toilet breaks short, cut back on running and play outdoors, and keep indoor air clean. That means not adding smoke indoors from frying, incense, candles, or a coal or wood fire, and using an air purifier in the room where your pet sleeps if you have one.

RSPCA Queensland notes that senior pets may have arthritis and mobility problems that show more in the cold: stiffness, chewing or licking particular joints, difficulty with stairs, and changes in behaviour. RSPCA Tasmania adds that an arthritic pet may be slow to get up or move less. Both advise taking a pet with these signs to the vet for a check-up. Do not give your pet any human painkiller: some are dangerous to dogs and cats, and only your vet can say what is safe.

Practical help at home is simple: a thick, padded bed in a warm corner, a rug on slippery tiled floors, a ramp or a lift instead of stairs where you can, and shorter, more frequent walks instead of one long one.

• Diwali falls on 8 November in 2026, when firecracker smoke adds to the season's poor air. Plan the safe room for the noise and for the smoke.
• Winter weddings and parties bring music, crowds and rich food. Keep fried snacks, sweets and anything with onion, garlic or raisins away from pets.
• Bonfires at Lohri and on cold evenings in the society compound: keep dogs on a leash and away from the flames and the smoke.
• Fog and short days mean more walks in the dark. A reflective collar and a torch help drivers see you both.
• School holidays and year-end trips: if you travel, book care early, and write the winter rules into your pet's plan.

When Petym opens in a city, a sitter will follow your pet's plan as you write it, log walks, meals and medicines as they happen, and send a photo update every day of the booking. For winter, add the walk rules for smog and cold-wave days, where the coat and blankets are kept, which heater may be used and how, and which room your pet sleeps in.

If your pet has breathing trouble or shows any of the warning signs above, the sitter will call you and take it to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list. Tell the sitter about any heart, lung or joint condition before the first booking, at the free meet and greet.