In this Post
–Wash Your Hands
–Play Carefully
–Essential Pet Supplies
–Emergency Pet Caregiver
–Create a Dossier
If you have pets at home and you want to keep them safe as the world deals with the spread of the coronavirus, you need to pay extra attention to their cleanliness and keep watchful eyes on their activities. However, as of now, no research suggests that animals can get infected from the COVID-19 virus but it is always a good idea to follow proper hygiene practices when dealing with pets at home. So, if you don’t know how to care for pets during the coronavirus outbreak, then you’re in luck. In a recent development, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has come out with some very important tips in this regard, which we are going to list down and discuss in this blog.
Let’s begin!
How to Care for Pets During the Coronavirus Outbreak: Tips by ASPCA
Keep your pets safe and healthy at home by following the below-listed precautionary tips:
- Wash Your Hands Before and After Touching Pets
- Play Carefully
- Stock Up on Essential Pet Supplies
- Look for An Emergency Caregiver
- Document All Information Regarding Your Pet
Wash Your Hands Before and After Touching Your Pets
Hand washing is one of the basic hygiene practices that everyone needs to pay attention to. You touch different surfaces with your hands, which make them carriers of different types of bacteria and germs. This is one of the main reasons why WHO is emphasising on the practice of washing hands for at least 20 seconds to properly santise them. The same practice should be followed in case of dealing with the animals around you. This may include washing your hands with hand soap or sanitising them using hand sanitiser thoroughly throughout the day especially before and after you make direct contact with your pets, their food, and other supplies related to them.
Note: If hand sanitisers are not easily available in your area, then fret not, take a look at this blog and learn about a recipe to make your own hand sanitiser at home with some basic ingredients.
Play Carefully
Although no cases have been reported of pets or other animals becoming sick from the coronavirus, so far, it is still recommended that people who show any symptoms of the COVID-19 should limit contact with the pets at home until more information is available in this regard. Even if you are not sick in any way, you should follow and maintain good hygiene practices when playing with the companion animal, for example, you can wear a face mask and gloves, if possible.
Also, don’t let your pets play outside amid the ingoing pandemic instead, try coming up with creative activities to keep them busy indoors. On a side note, you may also like to know more about ways to come up with a pet-friendly home to create an ideal living space for your companion animal.
Stock up on Essential Pet Supplies
When preparing for home quarantine, don’t forget to stock up on all the essential pet supplies and have an emergency kit on hand in case of any unforeseen situation. The emergency kit you prepare should have at least a 30-day supply of medications for your pets as well as food and other supplies that can last for at least 14 days. Also. make sure that all your pets wear collars or have tags on them with up-to-date identification information. You should write the name, and telephone number on your pet’s ID tag for identification purposes, just to be on the safe side.
Look for an Emergency Caregiver
If you have fallen sick or are in need of medical attention for the COVID-19 virus, you should take precautionary measures and avoid close contact with your pets and let any other member of your household take care of your animals. If you don’t have anyone in your family to look after your pet, identify someone in your social circle who could help you with their short- or long-term care during the period you are unable to take care of your pets. You can ask a favour from your close relative, friend, neighbour or peer; anyone who likes keeping pets. Looking for an emergency caregiver for your animals is one of the most useful tips on how to care for pets during the coronavirus outbreak, recommended by ASPCA.
Document All Necessary Information Regarding Your Pet
Make the process easier for the emergency caregiver, who will be looking after your pet in your absence, by having all the information about your companion animal in one place. Try creating a dossier and include important things like food preferences, habits, medical conditions and medications taken, yours and veterinarian contact information, medical history, and records related to behavioral tendencies.
These were some of the tips recommended by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) on how to care for pets during the coronavirus outbreak. We hope this blog will help you to keep your pets safe and healthy at home amid the ongoing pandemic. Let us know if you still have any questions or feedback in this regard by emailing us at blog@zameen.com.
Meanwhile, you might also be interested in reading our other pieces related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which include myths and facts about the coronavirus, WHO precautionary tips against the coronavirus outbreak, ways to clean and sanitise your home, ways to do the laundry to prevent the COVID-19 virus, the latest updates on the coronavirus in Pakistan and the medical testing facilities set up for it across the country.
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