Tips to Take care of your pets during the COVID-19 Pandemic
While the threat of the COVID-19 threat to the animal world still remains foggy, The World Health Organization currently reported that there is “no evidence that companion animals/pets such as dogs or cats can be infected with the new coronavirus.” However, the first dog to test positive for coronavirus died in Hong Kong Monday, causing alarm for many pet owners.
Anyways, as they say ‘prevention is always better than cure’, we bring you a number of focus points on how you can take care of your pets to prevent any kind of future possible health threats.
- Be careful not to expose your pet to the virus
Those who are sick with the coronavirus should ‘restrict contact with any animals just like you would around other people’. A healthy household member should take care of the pet, or if that is not a possibility, the infected individual should wear a face mask and wash their hands thoroughly before and after feeding, walking or interacting with the pet.
- Animals may be ‘fomites’
While there is yet no solid evidence that animals can carry the virus, they still may be fomites for it.
A fomite is a surface that can transmit disease. Anything can be a fomite - a door handle, a tote bag, a phone screen — and your guinea pig.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently found that people affected by COVID-19 have live virus in their stool, so it can spread through fecal matter as well as droplets from sneezing and coughing.
German researchers report coronavirus can indeed live on inanimate surfaces such as metal, glass or plastic — for up to nine days. Published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, the study analysed data from 22 previous studies on human coronaviruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and endemic human coronavirus (HCoV).
- Walk your dog, but avoid areas where there’s a crowd.
Try keeping a distance of two metres or more between one another if possible. Also, avoid letting your dog sniff, lick, or eat anything on the ground or grass.
There are some more ways that would help keep your pet safe, such as;
- If you want to entertain your pets at home instead of taking walks outside, you can get them some toys that stimulate their need to forage, such as a toy ball containing treats which they have to ‘work at’ to dislodge. A hardy squeaky toy will do as well. Most of the time, human interaction is sufficient to replace physical walks outside.
- Avoid letting them lick your face, avoid sharing food with them, and avoid exchanging bodily fluids with them. Wash your hands after touching them, and keep your home clean. Clear their urine or poo as soon as possible, then clean the area with household detergent.
- Cook their food thoroughly, especially if your pets are on a canned or raw diet. Remember, high temperatures kill everything, including viruses, bacteria, and worms. Have your pets consume their food shortly after cooking. As the food cools, its bacteria count will increase over time.
This is a crucial time when our communities can come together to help one another. Now is the time to create mutual pet care plans with the people around you so if the time comes for someone to go to the hospital, their pets will have a place to go.
We, at Apeksha News Network ask you all to stay home with your pets, accept the comfort they provide, keep safe and listen to the experts.
Stay home. Stay safe!
