Pets too need attention,during this lockdown situation when sources are limited. They need proper diet and exercise.They too undergo a lot of stress at this time.Take similar precautions with your pet that you would take with your family members.
Pets need attention, a proper diet and exercise especially during this lockdown when sources are limited. We have seen and heard of people getting restless, anxious, some go into depression and domestic violence is on the rise during this period. Working from home adds to the stress. The same thing happens to your pets too. They too undergo a lot of stress at this time. The three main points to look at are:
1. Lack of Exercises: Pets love the outdoors with its new sights, sounds and smells. Restriction on pet walking within communities includes shorter walks or no walks, which translate to less exercise, which leads to your pets gaining weight. To tackle this, we need to provide alternatives like more time at home to indulge in games like fetch, hide and seek to provide a modicum of exercise. Diet plays an important role to prevent weight gain – Dogs and cats are fed either with packed food or home-cooked food. Portion control or a reduction in carbohydrate content in home-cooked food will go a long way to control weight gain.
2. Attention seeking: Now that you are home all day, your pet is going to see more of you all the time. Puppies and kittens especially will be more demanding. This is a great time for you to start training your pets, all you need is lots of patience and practice the old adage of repetition and reward, repetition and reward again and again. Make a schedule of 15 mins 3 times daily and you will start to see results in a week time. You could also indulge them with games involving interactive toys. A simple homemade toy can be made with an empty pringles box or plastic bottle. Make a few holes in it and put in their favourite treats and they will be busy rolling it all over the place trying to get at the treat. You will be disturbed frequently by your pets. It is important for you to exercise some control, do not lose your temper or be tempted to whack them. This is a strict NO NO.
3. Be prepared: Stock up on the needs of your pet be it for toys / treats / litter faucets. Ask your vet to give you a list of basic medicines for common illness like upset stomachs, allergies etc. Talk to your vet about telephonic consultations, food supplies; check on whether routine preventive healthcare, like vaccinations, deworming, tick and flea control, can it be postponed or needs to be done at this time. Your vet will be able to guide you on this front.
Some Do’s and Don’ts for your pets:
1. Do exercise at home with simple games, don’t lose your temper and maintain social distance when you take your pets for a walk.
2.Always keep them on a leash and shorten your walk but increase the frequency if possible. Use a brush to clean their paws after a walk.
3..Don’t use masks on your pets – it hampers their breathing.
4. Don’t allow people to hug, cuddle or touch your pets.
5. Don’t use sanitizers on your pets, especially on their paws.
6. Do not allow your pet to sit or sleep on the floor which has just been mopped with Lizol or Phenol which is still wet.
7. Don’t abandon your pets because of rumours that they can transmit COVID-19. This is not true.
The WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) and WHO have confirmed that pets cannot transmit Covide-19. Few cases of cats and dogs who have tested positive were done to check if they had the virus. This was to see if they had caught the virus from their pet owners who had tested positive. Contact tracing from these animals, which tested positive showed that the new handlers who came in contact with the Covid-19 positive animals did not contract the infection.
What if you are Covid-19 positive? What happens to you or your pets? Take similar precautions with your pet that you would take with your family members. Maintain social distance, wear a mask, wash your hand regularly and avoid contact with your pet until you are okay.
Dr. Michel Morton
Chief Veterinarian
The BlueRidge Pet Speciality and Research Centre
Hennur-Jakkur Link Road, Kothanur, Bangalore – 560077
Ph: +91-80-69993838, +91-80-69998712
