Ahead of Eid ul Azha, sacrificial animals are facing various diseases in this heatwave.
According to reports, more than 3000 animals are suffering from fever, cough, cold, and tick infestations.
According to officials, nearly 250 small and large livestock animals are being brought daily to the emergency unit of the government veterinary hospital in Lahore.
Veterinary experts said diseases are spreading because livestock are being kept in cramped spaces and alongside other sick animals.
They also said that feeding animals items such as bread, burgers, pizza, and watermelon instead of proper fodder is making them sick. Experts added that tick infestation is also common among animals, and buyers should carefully check the body and ears of animals before purchasing them from the market.
There are only a few days left until Eid ul Azha and now the prices of sacrificial animals in cattle markets are at all time high.
A spokesperson for the Punjab Cattle Market Management and Development Company, Sheikh Asad Zafar, said there is no official formula or standard mechanism for fixing the prices of sacrificial animals.
According to him, traders independently determine prices based on breed, weight, health, and appearance, and the company does not intervene in the pricing process.
He added that action is taken whenever complaints of fraud or deception are received from either buyers or sellers. The spokesperson advised citizens to purchase animals only from registered cattle markets and designated enclosures set up by the company, and to avoid buying from roadside sellers.
He further clarified that sacrificial animals are not officially tagged or numbered through any formal system.
