Excuse my hiatus from blogging; I started a new journey in midwifery and women's health. For those of you considering advancing your education, I will soon share my experiences with furry friends and pursuing a master's degree. This blog, unfortunately, is to address the issue of the pandemic we are facing with COVID-19. I hope to share some tips, tricks, and advice to help you and your furry family (and no, I'm not talking about your hairy uncle) during this stressful and chaotic time.
Some critical facts from the CDC regarding the spread of COVID-19 and animals:
As of right now, pets are not known to be susceptible to COVID-19 in particular. However, due to the genetic nature of the virus and the ability to mutate, it is not impossible for it to develop a mutation that allows transfer to our beloved pets. As a society, we should be practicing good hand hygiene and social distancing. Whatever the course of action is, your fur baby is family. Please do not abandon your animal during these times. If you are unable to care for your pet, please seek out resources/personnel available to do so.
Things you can do for your animal that are important:
Have an emergency contact list readily available: Athena's vet distributes magnets with their number. This information is easily located on the fridge, along with her chip identification. I also like to keep a 24-Hour emergency vet line available in case of emergencies.
Hand Hygiene: Wash your hands before engaging with your pet or dealing with their food or water supply. Increase your washing frequency of their bowls to prevent "dirty" or contaminated areas.
Pet Supplies: It is essential to have pet supplies available if you must be home for 14-30 days. Unfortunately, Costco or even Amazon options are limited in their availability to deliver dog food at this time. Ensure that you have the essentials for your animal, but restrict your stock to what you need. Other necessary supplies would be any medications that your animal requires.
Engage: Don't forget that your furry friend will be responsive to your stress level during this time. This may lead to atypical behaviors. Suddenly, Fido is stealing shoes or chewing on furniture. It could be stress-related, or it may also be essential to consider daily habits. Did your beloved pet get enough exercise? Social distancing is necessary at this time; so, avoiding dog parks can be in your best interest. However, this could mean decreased activity to burn the zoomies. Walking is a great healthy alternative for you and your pet! You can also spend an hour working on training skills followed by playtime such as fetch.
Let's all be thankful that at this time, our animals are not affected by this pandemic. I pray that COVID-19 is controlled, and the transmission never reaches our pets. Until then, let's also practice humanity for one another in addition to social distancing/ increased hygiene.
With more emphasis than usual,
Be cautious but stay pawsitive!
#flattenthecurve #socialdistancing #petsandpandemics #keepourfurryfriendssafe #furbabies #petsandsocialdistance #walkyourdog #protectouranimals #COVID-19 #pawsitivevibes