Smog in Pakistan: Effects on Livestock and Wildlife

Learn how smog in Pakistan affect livestock, pets, poultry, wildlife, farm incomes, and food security, and explore practical steps to protect animal and ecosystem health.

PUBLIC HEALTH ECONOMICS

Sadaf Faiz, M. Kashif Saleemi & Aisha Khatoon

11/4/2026

a couple of cows are standing in a field

Every winter, a thick grey-yellow blanket descends over Punjab’s plains. Cities such as Lahore, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala experience deteriorating visibility and air quality, while the atmosphere carries the acrid smell of smoke and burning. This is smog, a toxic mixture of air pollutants that has become one of Pakistan’s most persistent environmental challenges. Public attention generally focuses on its effects on human health, including coughing, eye irritation, asthma, and respiratory diseases.

However, another crisis receives far less attention: the impact of polluted air on domestic pets, farm animals, and wildlife. These animals breathe the same contaminated atmosphere, often spending long hours outdoors without protection. Their exposure raises serious concerns for animal welfare, livestock productivity, food security, rural livelihoods, and ecosystem health.

Smog develops when pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in sunlight to produce ground-level ozone. Fine particulate matter, particularly PM2.5 and PM10, also contributes to hazardous air quality. In Pakistan, emissions from vehicles, industries, power generation, construction activities, and the burning of agricultural residues intensify the problem. Smoke from crop-residue burning across Punjab and neighbouring northern India can travel considerable distances, adding to the regional pollution burden.

Winter weather conditions make matters worse. Temperature inversion occurs when a layer of warm air prevents cooler air near the ground from rising and dispersing. Consequently, pollutants become trapped close to the surface, allowing their concentrations to build up over several days. Limited wind and dry conditions can further prolong these episodes.

During severe smog events, Lahore and Faisalabad have recorded Air Quality Index readings above 300, indicating hazardous conditions. Such pollution exposes animals to harmful particles and gases that can irritate their eyes and respiratory systems. Livestock, pets, and wildlife are particularly vulnerable because they cannot independently avoid polluted environments. Smog, therefore, is not merely an urban inconvenience or a human health concern; it is a wider environmental threat that demands attention to animal health and ecosystem protection.

How Smog Threatens Animal Health and Livestock Productivity

Animals face continuous exposure to polluted air, often without the protection available to humans. Unlike people, they cannot wear masks, install air purifiers, or consistently move to cleaner environments. Consequently, prolonged exposure to smog can affect their respiratory systems, eyes, skin, immunity, and overall health, with serious implications for animal welfare and agricultural productivity.

The respiratory system is particularly vulnerable. Fine particulate matter, especially PM2.5, can penetrate deep into the lungs, causing inflammation and interfering with normal breathing. Animals exposed to polluted air may develop coughing, nasal discharge, wheezing, and breathing difficulties. Dogs and cats can experience worsening respiratory conditions, while dairy cattle and buffaloes may suffer from airway irritation, reduced feed intake, and declining milk production. Working animals, including donkeys, horses, and mules, face additional risks because they spend long hours outdoors performing physically demanding tasks while breathing contaminated air.

Smog also irritates animals’ eyes and skin. Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ground-level ozone can inflame sensitive tissues and mucous membranes. Common signs include watery eyes, redness, swollen eyelids, and discomfort. Dust and other airborne particles may settle on feathers and skin, causing irritation and increasing the risk of secondary infections, particularly when animals are already experiencing poor health. Birds and outdoor animals are especially exposed because they have limited opportunities to avoid polluted surroundings.

Another concern is the potential effect of air pollution on immune function. Prolonged exposure to particulate matter and other pollutants can trigger oxidative stress and inflammation, potentially weakening the body's ability to resist infections. Poultry, cattle, buffaloes, and other livestock may become more vulnerable to respiratory complications, including secondary bacterial infections. However, disease outbreaks such as Newcastle disease and infectious bronchitis have multiple causes, and their occurrence should not automatically be attributed to smog. Maintaining vaccination schedules, hygiene, ventilation, and veterinary supervision remains essential during pollution episodes.

The economic consequences can be equally serious. Respiratory discomfort and inflammation may reduce feed consumption, disturb normal metabolic functions, and lower productivity. Dairy animals experiencing prolonged respiratory stress may produce less milk, while poultry can show reduced growth and poorer performance under adverse environmental conditions. Reproductive health may also be affected by chronic environmental stress, although the specific effects of smog exposure require further investigation.

For livestock-dependent households, these health problems can mean higher veterinary expenses, production losses, and reduced income. Protecting animals from severe pollution through improved housing, cleaner indoor air, reduced outdoor exposure, and timely veterinary care is therefore an important part of Pakistan’s broader response to the smog crisis.

Beyond Livestock: Smog’s Impact on Poultry, Wildlife, and Working Animals

Poultry birds are particularly vulnerable to poor air quality because their respiratory systems are highly efficient and sensitive to airborne pollutants. During winter smog episodes, poultry farms in Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Okara, and surrounding areas may face increased respiratory problems and production challenges. Affected birds can develop coughing, nasal discharge, swollen eyes, and reduced feed intake. Under severe or prolonged stress, egg production, shell quality, growth, and feed efficiency may also decline. Conditions inside poultry sheds can further aggravate the problem when dust, ammonia, and inadequate ventilation combine with outdoor pollution. Although farmers often reduce airflow during winter to conserve heat, maintaining suitable ventilation and litter hygiene is essential for protecting bird health.

The effects of smog extend beyond farms into natural ecosystems. Dense haze can reduce visibility and interfere with birds’ movement, feeding, and migration. Pollutants deposited on vegetation and soil may affect plant health and habitat quality, while polluted runoff can carry contaminants into ponds, rivers, and wetlands, threatening aquatic organisms. Wildlife in zoos and sanctuaries is also exposed to poor air quality, potentially experiencing respiratory discomfort and eye irritation. Prolonged environmental pollution can place additional pressure on already vulnerable species and ecosystems.

Air pollution may also affect animals through contaminated feed and water. Particulate matter and certain pollutants can settle on grass, fodder, and water sources. Where industrial or traffic-related contamination includes toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury, repeated exposure may create risks of accumulation in animal tissues. This raises concerns about food safety because some contaminants can enter the human food chain through milk, meat, and eggs. However, contamination levels depend on the pollutant source, exposure, and environmental conditions and require proper monitoring.

Working animals, including donkeys, horses, and camels, are another overlooked group. They often spend long hours outdoors carrying loads, transporting people, or supporting agricultural activities. Continuous exposure to polluted air, combined with physical exertion, can aggravate respiratory and eye problems. Limited owner awareness and inadequate veterinary access may delay treatment. Community education, mobile veterinary services, cleaner animal shelters, and practical protection measures are therefore essential to safeguard these animals during Pakistan’s increasingly severe smog seasons.

A One Health Response: Protecting Animals from Smog

Diagnosing and treating smog-related illnesses presents significant challenges for veterinarians. Symptoms such as coughing, nasal discharge, eye irritation, and breathing difficulties often resemble common respiratory infections, making it difficult to identify air pollution as the underlying cause. Limited air-quality monitoring around veterinary clinics, farms, and animal shelters further complicates diagnosis. Treatment generally focuses on supportive care, including hydration, oxygen therapy where necessary, and medication prescribed according to the animal’s condition. Antibiotics are appropriate only when bacterial infections are suspected or confirmed. Preventive measures include reducing outdoor exposure during severe smog episodes, providing clean drinking water and uncontaminated feed, and maintaining adequate ventilation in animal shelters and poultry sheds.

Smog should also be understood through a One Health perspective, which recognises the close connections between human, animal, and environmental health. Polluted air affects people and animals sharing the same environment, while declining livestock productivity can threaten household incomes, food availability, and nutrition. Contaminants entering feed and water may also create food-safety concerns. Addressing these interconnected risks requires cooperation among veterinarians, farmers, public-health professionals, environmental agencies, and policymakers. Veterinary services can contribute through disease surveillance, farmer education, animal-health monitoring, and research into the effects of prolonged pollution exposure.

Pakistan needs a coordinated response that combines pollution prevention with practical animal-protection measures. Controlling industrial and vehicle emissions, reducing crop-residue burning, improving waste management, and promoting cleaner energy are essential for improving air quality. At the farm level, better housing, appropriate ventilation, regular health checks, and timely veterinary care can reduce animals’ exposure and vulnerability.

Ultimately, smog is not only a human health emergency but also an animal-welfare, agricultural, and ecological challenge. Protecting animals is essential for sustainable livestock production, food security, and healthy ecosystems. The animals affected by Pakistan’s polluted air cannot speak for themselves, but farmers, veterinarians, communities, and policymakers can act on their behalf. Cleaner air and healthier animals must become shared national priorities.

Conclusion

Smog is more than a seasonal air pollution problem; it is a growing threat to animal welfare, agricultural productivity, biodiversity, and public health in Pakistan. From respiratory illnesses in pets and livestock to declining poultry performance and risks to wildlife, its consequences extend far beyond urban populations. For livestock-dependent households, animal illness and reduced productivity can increase veterinary expenses, weaken incomes, and threaten food security. Addressing this challenge requires more than treating affected animals. Pakistan must strengthen pollution control, reduce crop-residue burning, improve farm ventilation, ensure access to veterinary services, and monitor possible contamination of feed and water. A coordinated One Health approach can bring veterinarians, farmers, environmental experts, and policymakers together to protect human, animal, and ecosystem health. Animals share the same air and environment as people, yet their vulnerability often goes unnoticed. Recognising their suffering and incorporating animal protection into national air-quality policies are essential steps towards cleaner air, healthier livestock, sustainable agriculture, and safer communities.

Please note that the views expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of any organization.

The writers are affiliated with The Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalanad, Pakistan and can be reached at sadaf.pathology@uaf.edu.pk

Smog in Pakistan: Effects on Livestock and Wildlife

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