As more of us are practicing social distancing and are working remotely, or not working, we are home with our pets. During a quarantine, when citizens are asked to stay home, practice social distancing or shelter-in-place, the one silver lining is being home with your pet.
The American Kennel Club has some tips for sheltering in place with your pets.
1. Stock up on needed supplies. This doesn’t mean to get more than you need, but you do need to plan for enough to not have to go to the store often. Food, and litter will be your biggest needs during a quarantine.
2. Make sure you have enough medications on hand. Shelter-in-place orders make exceptions for pharmacies for humans, but this may not be the case for pets. Anxiety medication, heartworm prevention medications, and other maintenance drugs should be on-hand with enough to get you through a few weeks of quarantine. Cimarron Animal Hospital has an online pharmacy you can use to get your pet’s medications delivered to you.
2. If your pets get restless, make sure you keep them mentally stimulated with toys. Interactive toys are great to keep your pets occupied while you work from home. These can include licking mats, puzzle toys, and treat toys. Chewy has some great options that can be delivered straight to your door.
3. If you are training your dog, being quarantined or sheltering-in-place is a great time to keep it up! This is also a great time to teach your dog some new tricks which is mentally stimulating for both you and your pet!
4. Exercise your pet with a walk—maintaining proper social distance of at least six foot from others. Most shelter-in-place or “stay home” orders allow for walking around the block, walking pets and being outside. During stressful times, like these, it’s important to get exercise for your health and for the health of your pet.
5. Try to remain calm. Just like kids, pets pick up on your mood. They know when you’re worried about something, and that ramps up their anxiety as well. Following these tips will help you, and your pet, to stay calm and enjoy each other’s company while we take on new challenges related to staying safe in a pandemic.
Some people have asked if animals can catch coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said “there is no evidence that companion pets such as dogs and cats can be infected with the virus. However, it is always a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water after contact with pets.”
Stay home as much as possible, stay healthy, and be sure to give your pets extras loves and cuddles. Try to look at sheltering in place with your pets as a good thing—you've got great company. If you have a need for a veterinarian, contact Cimarron Animal Hospital.
