[ad_1]
The Covid-19 pandemic It has affected the routine of the population throughout the world. Many people have been forced to work from home, to spend more time at home and others, to work long hours to have free hours later. All these changes impact not only people, but also pets.
“Our pets throughout their lives acquire certain daily routines or habits that are complex to maintain in this health contingency; we will probably have to reduce their daily walks to the minimum possible. Their sleep and wake schedules will be altered since they will not have solo time for them“explains the doctor Paola Ledesma, director of the Veterinary Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary and Livestock Sciences University of Chile, in a statement.
The personality of pets is an important factor to take into account to know how this change in routine affects them. Cats are rather solitary and territorial: they enjoy, for example, resting in comfortable places with little noise; dogs, on the other hand, tend to be more active and when they see their owners in the house they can believe that they are at their complete disposal to play or share.
“Pets feel the emotions of their owners too, they are very perceptive about this. Many times the change in tone of our voice is enough for them to understand that we are upset, happy, distressed; they are also able to interpret our own body expression. or facial This makes them excellent companions in our gray days, but unfortunately our anguish or fear affects them by increasing their stress and restlessness, which is often reflected in abnormal behaviors such as breaking things, urinating in inappropriate places and not in their sandbox “, adds the director of the hospitals of the Veterinary Care Network (RAV) of the U. de Chile.
According to the doctor, pets may develop some stress-related illnesses, such as idiopathic cystitis in cats, anxiety disorders or compulsive obsession. It can also affect the immune status, decreasing the defenses, which can predispose them to contract other pathologies.
“It is important to have them vaccinated and with their deworming up to date to prevent complications in their health”, recommended the specialist.
We should also put attention to the interaction of pets with children at homeMany of them want to play with animals or they can express too much love by taking them in their arms or caressing them more than they should. This can lead to a dog or cat not responding in a good way or becoming more stressed in this new lifestyle.
“It is important to prevent accidents with children and pets and not to overreact with excessive punishment against animals, being empathetic is the key,” says Ledesma.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
In the smaller homes, departments that do not even have terraces, dogs are used to daily walks to ensure their physical activity and make their bowel movements, but with this sanitary crisis, the owners have had to reorganize and adapt the routine to their new reality of life. In the sectors with total quarantine, the situation becomes more complex, because the exits must be much more limited.
“I think the most appropriate way to handle this situation is to gradually adapt our pets to changes as much as possible, and spend more time with them if they cannot leave the house. For example, if they went for a walk 4 times a day, take them out 2 or 3 times minimum, and at the time of the walk that is not going to take place, dedicate ourselves to playing or sharing with them; this could be the time to teach them tricks or train them in something“, recommends Ledesma, stressing that The breed and bone structure of dogs must be taken into account to avoid injury.
To work on training our pets, the small animal expert suggests the following: “We can enrich their environment, there are toys that we can fill with food, build scrapers to prevent them from scratching the furniture, etc. In the specific case of cats, it is enough to dedicate 10 minutes 3 times a day to play with them, throw gender or plastic balls, build a cane with a feather on the end for them to practice hunting “.
Ethologists, specialists in animal behavior, call for do not use laser pointers to play with animals; the fact of not being able to catch their prey can generate pictures of them anguish and anxiety.
Cats prefer quiet places to rest. (Photo: ATON)
FEEDING
With changes in daily routine, there may also be variations in the metabolism of animals and with it, in their appetite. Stress or anxiety can cause cats and dogs to eat more or less than normal. Overweight or obesity in pets involves other metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, increases in cholesterol, among others. That is why it is so important to take care of your diet and pay attention, especially in total quarantine, to the available amount of food that we have at home.
In this regard, Ledesma emphasizes that “remember that there are some pets that must consume prescription medicated food for pre-existing diseases or take daily medications for chronic diseases, and, for their health, we must continue taking care of their diet to avoid other complications. If you use a specific medication, we must make sure we have the stock of the drug available at home for the necessary period. “
Maintaining good hygiene habits is the key to protecting our pets and ourselves. (Photo: ATON)
SANITARY RECOMMENDATIONS
To protect our pets when going for walks, we must go to open places without crowding, use a leash at all times, and keep distance from other people and animals. Upon returning home, simply wash your feet with soap and water. The use of gel alcohol, pure alcohol or chlorine should be avoided, since these substances can be irritating to the skin of dogs and cats; especially if they are basic allergic patients because we could provoke a crisis.
People who live with a pet should wash their hands very well before and after having direct contact with it. As well as, they should avoid being close to them with kisses or licks, or sharing food. These measures should be extreme in immunosuppressed people, who are for example in cancer therapy, in treatment with corticosteroids, or with chronic diseases.
Maintaining good hygiene habits is the key to protecting our pets and us in this health crisis.
If a person becomes ill with the new coronavirus, he must take precautions with his pets. If possible, let someone else help care for your animals while you recover; if it cannot, you must maintain strict hygiene measures and avoid having direct contact with them.
“In the event that our dog or cat presents health problems, we must pay attention to the signs, try to communicate with his veterinary doctor by phone or video call so that he can evaluate the emergency, and take him to the clinic only if it is a serious situation or so the specialist determines, in order to avoid leaving the house unnecessarily, “Dr. Ledesma recommended.
During this health crisis, people and animals will experience many changes in their routines, so it is important to take these recommendations into account and thus ensure the well-being and health of our pets and ours. “Maintaining a positive state of mind will help bring peace of mind and physical health to the people, their families, and the pets that are part of them as well.” the vet concluded.
