This entry was posted on 2020-04-30 by Pet Heaven Store.

Life Pre-SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) suddenly seems so long ago. This novel coronavirus has taken the world by storm and is of great concern to every single person. It affects everybody no matter who you are.

But with lockdown restrictions being reduced slowly, what does this mean for us pet loving South Africans out there?

Firstly you need to take your health into your own hands. The lockdown was created to flatten the curve, it won’t stop the virus. This means that a large proportion of people are still going to get infected. You however, don’t want to be one of them, simply because you might be fine, and recover uneventfully, or you might not be. More and more is being discovered on a daily basis about this virus and the effects it has on all age groups. But more importantly than just your own health, is the health of the people around you! Everybody knows somebody with a pre-existing medical condition or someone that is elderly, and you don’t want to be the reason someone else’s health and safety is compromised.

Change your lifestyle and way of doing things:

- Decreasing the lockdown restrictions is purely to save the economy. Don’t be fooled by thinking the worst of the pandemic is over, as in reality, it hasn’t even really hit South Africa yet. So for your own safety, always think of ways to minimise contact with other people and animals outside your household. The fewer people you interact with, the safer you and your family will be.

- Treat your pets as another family member in this regard, meaning, practice social distancing with your pets from other people and animals.

- Ideally, cats should be kept indoors or within your property during the pandemic.

- If and when you can go out for walks, keep your dog on a lead, as theoretically the virus can be on another animal’s coat (acting as a fomite) and be transmitted to another human in this manner. Therefore don’t touch other people’s pets.

- Avoid places where there are lots of people or animals.

- Wear a mask on walks and take hand sanitiser with you. Always wash your hands well before and after touching an animal.

- Don’t however try to apply sanitiser to your pet.

- If you yourself are sick, minimise contact with our own pet, just like you would with other people. Isolate yourself from your pet as well as other family members. Get another member of the family to care for your pet at this time. Even though it is not common, there is some evidence that pets may become infected by humans, but generally not other way round.

- The risk of pets directly transmitting the virus to humans or other pets is still considered to be low. To date, the animals that tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) belonged to Covid-19 positive owners. They showed mild respiratory signs and seem to recover uneventfully and the virus did not replicate in these animals.

- Currently, pets seem to still play no role in the epidemiology of the disease, meaning they might become infected but do not directly aid in the spread of the disease. The infected cats, dogs and tigers all seem to be incidental hosts. Thus there is no reason to remove pets from a household where someone is infected with Covid-19, unless that person is unable to care for their pet.

- When going to the vet, stay in your car until the vet is ready to see you. Even if the vet practice you go to, doesn't enforce this, it's better for your own health. Don’t hang around the waiting room, as you still want to minimise your contact time and distance with other people. Try to touch as little as possible such as countertops, card machines and door handles.

- If you wash your hands while out, remember to only use disposable paper towels to dry them, not a material towel as you don’t know who may have used it before you.

- People over 60 should ideally ask another younger family member to take their pet to the vet.

- Don’t take children to the vet practice as they carry a great risk to others. Children may not effectively wear masks. They are naturally inquisitive and want to help and touch everything. And because they might show mild or no clinical signs of the virus one may not know your child is sick. Thus increasing the risk to people around them.

- Canine coronavirus (CCoV) is not the same virus as SARS-CoV-2 that causes the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). CCoV does not affect people. CCoV causes gastrointestinal problems in dogs, as opposed to respiratory disease.

- Do not ask your vet to vaccinate your pet against coronavirus unless you have a problem with this specific Canine coronavirus (CCoV). It is generally a gastrointestinal infection that one sees with overcrowded and unsanitary conditions in dogs younger than 6 months. There is currently no evidence to suggest that the CCoV vaccine offers any immunity to Covid-19.

- Please note that PCR tests have recently been made available to test for SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) by IDEXX laboratories, but this test is not however available in South Africa and intended only for animals that meet certain criteria in the USA.

- Shop online - in this way you will only be in contact with 1 person namely the courier.

- Disinfect your deliveries such as spraying the outside of the bag with products such as bleach or F10 or another appropriate product recommended by the WHO.

- Remember to wear a mask when your online delivery arrives even though you are home and practice social distancing from the courier to ensure the courier person’s safety as well as your own.

It is a difficult and trying time the world is going through. Governments have to make incredibly hard decisions that affect millions of people. Try to remember that no one is trying to personally make your life hard. Make changes to your way of life to benefit yourself and those around you. Try to stay positive, focus on what you are able to do and remember this too will end. And lastly enjoy the time at home with your furfamily as there is no doubt that they are absolutely thrilled to have you home 24/7!

Don’t forget to follow the guidelines listed by WHO:

- Wash your hands for no less than 20 seconds and sanitize your hands.

- Maintain social distancing of 2 meters minimum, but the further the better.

- Avoid touching your face, as the entry points include your eyes, nose and mouth. Ideally wear a mask. Remember the mask is to prevent you from spreading the virus to other people, as you can be infected before clinical signs are showing and not even know it! And also reminds you not to touch your face!

- Practice respiratory hygiene by coughing and sneezing into a bent elbow. If you use a tissue, discard it immediately into a dustbin. Wash and sanitise your hands afterwards.