About kosa and dog walking

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It's spring, and it's been a fun season for a walk and outing.

However, spring is also the season of yellow sand.

Since April 13th, yellow sand has been flying all over Japan, and it is having an impact.

Therefore, this time, we will introduce what dog lovers are wondering about yellow sand and what they want to be careful about when walking with their dogs.

What is kosa in the first place?

First of all, I'm curious about what kosa is in the first place.

Yellow sand is a phenomenon in which dust storms that occur in desert areas such as China and Mongolia are blown to surrounding areas such as Japan and South Korea due to the influence of monsoons.

Originally it is just sand, but it is said that it contains minerals and pollutants as it is carried by the wind, which may affect human health and transportation due to dense fog.

They are much smaller than pollen and arrive mainly from spring to early summer.

What effect does kosa have on the human body?

Regarding the effects of kosa on the human body, it can affect the respiratory system and eyes.

By inhaling yellow dust, it can enter the trachea and lungs , causing inflammation and irritation to the mucous membranes of the nose and eyes, and symptoms such as allergic symptoms and itchy eyes and skin may appear.

If you have asthma, atopic dermatitis, or allergic rhinitis, your symptoms may get worse, so even healthy people need to be careful.

*Refer to the website of the Ministry of the Environment and the Japan Meteorological Agency

What effect does kosa have on my dog?

We confirmed the opinions of veterinarians about the effects of kosa on dogs.

[Small particles such as pollen, exhaust gas, and yellow sand accumulate in the lungs. However, as long as it doesn't block your vision, you'll be inhaling exhaust fumes during your walks in your daily life, so it shouldn't be a big problem. However, if the concentration of kosa is high, it is better to refrain from going out or taking a walk. ]

Should I go for a walk or not?

Based on the above answers, it is considered that it is not necessary to force yourself to go out or go for a walk on days when yellow sand is flying.

Even the human body is said to be affected, so we must consider the invisible effects for smaller dogs.

Like humans, some dogs may not be affected by kosa, but dogs with allergies should be especially careful.

Time when kosa stops coming

Finally, yellow dust often occurs from March to May, and almost stops coming around June.

Depending on weather conditions such as the strength of seasonal winds and rainy weather, there are years when yellow sand does not come.

I just pray that kosa won't fly as soon as possible in 2023

summary

To summarize the above, on days when there is a lot of yellow dust, it is safe to refrain from walking or going out unless it is urgent.

However, it is not possible for a dog who is always outside to use the toilet, so you should give priority to letting him live as usual.

As other measures that can be easily taken...

Use a mask when going out, use an air purifier, do not hang laundry outside, take a shower after returning home, take measures against your pet dog by wearing clothes when going for a walk to avoid sticking to it even a little, when returning home You can consider brushing your whole body or wiping your whole body with a wet type body towel.

It is yellow sand that is said to affect people.

Let's get over the yellow sand by being careful not to take in yellow sand as much as possible so that both people and dogs can live safely and securely.