COVID-19 and your pet: What Ontario's 'stage one' reopening plan means for veterinary care and pet services
After yesterday's press briefing by Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the changes to restrictions on veterinary care, pet grooming, and animal boarding, many animal hospitals and pet service telephones rang off the hook. The community is ready to get back to business as usual when it comes to their pets. There's just one problem: most pet services are not ready. They were watching at the same time as the general public.
COVID-19 and your pet: Can my dog get COVID-19 coronavirus?
Dog owners want answers. Can my dog get the COVID-19 coronavirus? Can my dog give me the COVID-19 coronavirus? As I shared in an earlier post, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, a dog in Hong Kong has tested positive for COVID-19. When I posted that, there was still a lot about COVID-19 and pets that we didn't know. But what's happened since then? Have there been any more dogs that tested positive for COVID-19? In total, how many dogs have tested positive for COVID-19? What happened to the dogs that tested positive for COVID-19?
COVID-19 and your pet: Ottawa re-opens parks but not off-leash dog parks
Ottawa has officially re-opened parks and green spaces in the city as the first phases of the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions take effect. Dog parks, playgrounds, and sportsfields, however, remain closed. Ottawa is easing restrictions, but many dog owners are finding it difficult to be so limited when it comes to finding safe places where they can exercise their dogs outdoors. Many parks in Ottawa prohibit dogs from entering, so community members rely on dog-friendly parks for their pets.
Forgotten on the front lines: Veterinary clinics fight- and win- to be considered an essential service
Social media has been flooded with inspiring community support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Citizens are showing love to the many essential services that have been on the front lines of the pandemic to better serve the community. Listed in the posts and on the memes are the amazing health care workers and first responders, who of course are on the front line of all of this. Posts are also thanking the incredible grocery store workers, transportation sector, truck drivers, senior services, social workers, military, animal shelters, journalists, factory workers, mail carriers, bank workers and food service workers. All of these amazing people are supporting the country and putting themselves at risk to do so. One service that seems to have been forgotten among all of this: veterinary clinics.
COVID-19 and your pet: How to entertain your dog during self-isolation
People and dogs are social creatures, but the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way we are all living our lives- fur-family included. As of this morning, there are 21 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, Ontario. Between social distancing and self-isolation, making connections has never been more difficult and there are far fewer butts for our dogs to sniff. Our dogs are overjoyed by the fact that many of us are home more than usual, but like us, they can become restless. Less walks, less sniffing and less social interaction can lead to boredom- and this can sometimes lead to acting out and misbehaving. Before we go barking up the wrong tree, let's get our tails wagging in the right direction when it comes to self-isolation with our pet.
Can I still walk my dog during self-isolation?
Fur the most part, no. If you are confirmed positive for COVID-19 you should not be walking your dog or taking your dog outside unless absolutely necessary. This would be considered a quarantine situation, and you should be limiting contact with the outside world. Government of Canada also recommends, if you are positive for COVID-19, that you limit the amount of contact you have with your pet- especially if you live with other people. If you touch your pet, and another person touches your pet, there is a risk of exposure. Since there is still much we don't know about COVID-19 and our pets, if you are infected with COVID-19 you should reduce your contact with your pet and touch your pet with clean hands.
COVID-19 and your pet: Can my dog or cat get the coronavirus?
It's on the tip of our tongues: COVID-19. This past week health officials have warned us that this is just the beginning. The impact of the virus will play out over months to come. Many pet owners have questions about the virus and how it could impact their fur-family. I decided to sniff out the facts on coronavirus and your pet.
What is coronavirus?
Let's start at the tip of the nose and work our way down to the tip of the tail. When you contract what is referred to as the 'common cold' you have likely contracted a type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses ranging in severity. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains coronaviruses:
"Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans."
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