COVID-19 presented various unexpected situations and we had to find new ways of dealing with them. One such area was our pets. With the COVID-19 infection spreading rampantly and people getting isolated, quarantined, and hospitalized, those with pets had some more challenging moments. For more insights, ETV Bharat Sukhibhava was in conversation with Dr. Anuradha V. Pai, a Veterinary physician who has served extensively at PAWS and is currently working with Mission Rabies for on-field vaccinations and rescue work of strays. She is also into private practice.
Home Isolation for Pets
When pet owners tested COVID positive, many kept their pets in the care of their extended families. So, that their pets do not suffer. One such case I would like to share is of a family where all the members were infected, and 2 members of the family were infected severely and had to be admitted to the hospital, but thankfully their son opted for home isolation so that the pet would not be left alone and would not need a kennel or a daycare place.
Difficult To Feed The Pets
When COVID-19 was present in the news but not yet in India, many videos were circulating on social media of pets being abandoned in Wuhan. It was a very tragic sight. When COVID-19 started spreading in India and lockdown was enforced, it was difficult for some people to feed or take care of their pets and so pets were being abandoned. Besides being abandoned, some animals were starved and needed to be rescued. A lot of rescues were done at the time as strays that were once being fed by strangers were now no longer being fed.
One of the pros of COVID-19 and isolation is that pet owners decided to make the most of it by watching youtube videos or consulting their vets online in order to toilet train their pets at home. Some also used kennelling online apps for help. Pet owners got an ample amount of time on their hands to spend with their pets.
What options are available for pet parents who get infected and are unable to care for their pets?
There is a page called “Petbacker” available online which provides information about such facilities in each state of India. in the country and tells you of kennels or daycares that would take care of pets and handle them in such situations, one such place is Pawfect stay pet sitters which provide daycare day boarding services. They also help with transport in this situation. There are certain pet sitters who would even take your dog for their normal walks and help out as pet nannies in such a situation. Where they just need to be provided with the details or instructions of food and any other medical conditions with the medicines. In case of non-availability of the above, the extended family would also help.
Addressing apprehensions.
No need to be worried as pets do not transmit the infection. The Coronavirus is a species-specific virus. And there is no evidence as of now showing that a COVID patient may infect their pet.
Just a small tip, give the pet a sponge bath with gloves to rinse off the skin. And offer to keep the dog and help COVID affected family members with the normal routine of the dog. In the case of aggressive or anxious dogs if need be muzzle or collars could be used for some times to help eat and move around without any change in behavior.
For more queries on pet care during the pandemic, contact: anuradhavetpai@gmail.com
