Hi everyone! This is the follow up and final part in this series highlighting commonly asked questions you may have about your pet(s) during COVID-19.
For Part I, please see here. Let’s jump right in!
What are some general tips for keeping pets safe during COVID?
The best advice is to care for your pet(s) similarly to how you’re caring for yourself: exercise thorough hygienic habits and practice social distancing when possible. Pets have several advantages during this pandemic that include them being less likely to catch the virus which puts them at a good position from the start. However, when it comes to owners, we definitely have the ability to catch the virus because we know it affects us more. So, if you’re doing all the steps to keep yourself safe and you’re doing the same for your pet(s), you’re definitely winning the race.
Also, during this time, I wouldn’t recommend dog parks because we should be practicing social distancing. Again, you never know what someone else might have in their household, their immunities, and/or their pets’ immunities. While the disease spreading from pets to humans is a rarity/abnormality, it’s just inviting the option of the virus spreading in your home. So, to reiterate, I don’t believe it’s ideal for us to treat our pet(s) any differently than we’re treating ourselves.
Should I walk my pet?
Yes, I think it’s very important that you still walk your pet(s) for several important reasons, namely to keep routines consistent. You don’t want, at the end of this pandemic, to develop a type of environment that has led your pet(s) to believe the normal routine has changed. So, when you go back to work or begin traveling again, your pet(s) wouldn’t have developed bad habits because you hadn’t stuck to their routine. And, this can include behaviors such as anxiety because it always thought you’d be there; tearing up cages or the house; whining; urinating; and/or defecating in forbidden places. So, I feel it’s important you continue walking your pet(s) for that reason alone.
I also believe it’s important to maintain a regular exercise regimen because we’re storing up fat during quarantine. As a result, we should strive to keep our pet(s) healthy. Remember obesity is still a top disease, right behind dental disease, we see in pets. So, exercise your pet(s) in order to prevent obesity and susceptibility to other diseases that are more common like diabetes, thyroid disease, and kidney failure versus COVID-19.
Can I still adopt pets from shelters?
Yes, you can still adopt pets from shelters. To alleviate any concerns, there are and have been disease processes in place to screen animals before entering any shelter. So, if you are in the process of adopting or thinking about adopting, I strongly advise you to perform your due diligence and be safe as usual.
If you have recently adopted, be sure not to mistake common illnesses and/or diseases with coronavirus such as kennel cough, Bordetella bronchiseptica, or the average upper respiratory bacterial viral infection. These diseases commonly occur in dogs and cats so we shouldn’t be fearful that these animals have COVID. Just about every cat in a shelter has a herpes infection, so you’ll see respiratory signs like sneezing, eye discharge, coughing, and fever which again, shouldn’t be confused with coronavirus.
Plus, there’s truthfully never been a better time to adopt. Why? While we’re quarantining, animals still have to be taken care of otherwise they’re taken to a shelter. And since most shelters are “no kill” operations, meaning animals cannot be euthanized unless they’ve sat at a shelter for an extended period of time, right now is probably the best time to save an animal’s life.
I hope I’ve answered any questions you may have about keeping your pets safe during this pandemic. I know these are trying times, but we’ll all get through this together with our four legged friends by our side.
If you have any further questions or are looking for clarification to any of the questions above, please feel free to contact me and I’ll be glad to assist you and your pet.
Understand during this time, veterinarians are considered essential workers and for the most part, open. If your pet is ill with anything other than COVID, these are issues we should still address if you’re seeing symptoms or witnessing any type of erratic behaviors. Most veterinarians have adjusted their hours to accommodate you during this time, especially at Cyfair Animal Hospital. We accept walks ins and have changed our entrance procedures to ensure everyone’s safety. We are available to you and want to make sure you’re taking great care of your pet(s).