What will your pet need now you are self-isolating?
April 21, 2020
What will your pet need now you are self-isolating?
As the Coronavirus crisis evolves, the government and supermarkets are asking people to remain calm and not to stockpile food, medication, and loo roll. But what about your pet’s needs now we are following strict social distancing measures?
Planning during an isolation period is much better than panicking. Albert and the team at The Vet Whetstone have come up with a list of things your pet will need:
- Sustenance – measuring out your pet’s daily meals will help you determine how many days food you have left and when you will need to order or arrange to collect some more. For vet-recommended diets, talk to our team for advice. Access to fresh drinking water is important too.
- Medication – it’s important to keep up with regular flea & worm treatments for optimum parasite protection. Ask our team about your pet’s next treatment and any other regular medications they need.
- Exercise & mental stimulation – staying active and playing with your pet is great for keeping both of you mentally stimulated and healthy during isolation. If you’re unable to leave the house, consider asking a friend or neighbour to walk your dog. Alternatively, there are many ways to keep your pets entertained in your home and garden.
- Toilet facilities – 1.cats will still require access to clean litter trays. The gold standard is one extra litter tray to the number of cats in a house. If you are isolating due to illness in the household, it is safer to keep your cat indoors, if at all possible. Cats may be visiting other households and may carry the virus on their coat just like any surface. Provide regular toilet breaks for dogs. Rabbits, small furries and reptiles will need their enclosures kept clean to avoid any unwanted parasite infestations. Are you able to do these things if you are sick – consider if anyone in your household could help.
- Cleaning products – pet shampoo and laundry disinfectant for pet bedding if you need to do a deep clean.
- Visiting our surgery – Please call us in the first instance and we will try to help you over the phone. We are only allowing emergency appointments currently due to the strict government guidelines currently in place.
- Routine – write down your pet’s daily routine and requirements now in case you need to hand your pet over to someone else to care for them.
If you need help or advice planning for your pet’s stay-at-home care, get in touch with our friendly team.