How to maintain pet hygiene during pandemic

Gulf Today Report

The first thing that all people, not just pet parents need to understand is that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has clearly stated that there is no evidence of animals, including dogs and cats, spreading the Covid-19 virus.

It is safe for families to interact with their pets, and there is no cause for alarm.

But pets can pick up spores from surfaces, when you send them outside your home. So be cautious.

Pets do require some movement, and if you don't have an exclusive garden or terrace for your pet to frolic in, create some scope for activity within your home. This way you will make sure your pet doesn't touch a contaminated surface. You can create an obstacle course for them inside your home. Also playing games like tug of war and fetch will keep them active in-doors. One piece of advice that works really well here is DIY toys. There's nothing our pets love more than a new toy and this can keep them entertained for hours.

A cat waiting to be adopted looks out of its cage.

Here are two DIY toys you can make easily with items available at home:

The Ball Tug Toy: Take an old T-shirt and cut it in three strategic places. Take a tennis ball, place it inside two of the pieces and take the smallest piece of cloth to tie the toy together. The remaining pieces can be cut into strips and can be further braided.

The Plastic Bottle Tug Toy: If you happen to have a plastic bottle at home, you can use it for a little while before tossing it into the garbage. All you need is about18 inches of bed sheet or similar unused cloth. Cut four 1-inch strips to be used to tie around. The rest of the fabric is wrapped around the bottle like paper around a sub sandwich. The 1-inch strips will tied after wrapping the fabric around. The rest of the hanging fabric can be braided.

Main hygiene protocols even for your pets

A senior vet at the American vet charity PSDA claims the hygiene protocols even for pets is still important. For example, if your pet in taken out, it could bring back the virus through its paws, which can infect your home for humans. Please don't skip sanitizing them. Wipe their paws with disinfectant and brush their fur down thoroughly every time they come back from answering nature's call.

A dog hugs it's owner.

Don't let pets come into contact with common areas in your housing development

For those living in high-rises or apartment complexes, when you're bringing your pet back from a walk, make sure it doesn't stand on the floor of the lift, or brush past walls. This is a small step you can take to minimize contact in common areas. Carry your pet through such parts of your residential complex, besides carrying a newspaper for it to relieve itself on.

Prevent your pet from coming into contact with potentially contaminated surfaces

If your dog is a small breed, you can prevent it from touching the ground outside your home by carrying it to a distance, and then getting in to answer nature's call on a newspaper. Alternately, train it to use a corner within your home, like the balcony, when it needs to relieve itself. Of course, pet-parents with smaller pets are at an advantage here, while those with larger pets will have to make a greater effort.