What to do when you’re staying at home with your pet
With growing concerns around COVID-19, more and more pet owners are worrying about their furry family members. The good news is that at this time, there’s still no evidence that suggests pets can spread COVID-19 to pets or people. Although pets aren’t getting sick, just like it does for us, life looks a little different for pets across Canada right now. Here’s some information to help you and your pet thrive while you’re social distancing at home.
First things first
If you have time to prepare, think beyond toilet paper and instead, consider essentials for your pet, such as:
· Pet food and cleaning supplies (places like petsmart.ca offer pick-up and delivery).
· One month of extra monthly preventative medication for flea, tick and heartworm, and any prescription medication/specialty diet your pet may need.
· If you aren’t quarantined and your veterinary clinic is accepting non-emergency appointments, make sure your pet is up-to-date on vaccines.
When you’re ready
1. Stay active, indoors. This goes for both cats, dogs and humans alike. Staying physically active may be a challenge, but you can still keep your pet’s life enriched in other ways. Training can help stimulate a pet's mind, and tricks can help stimulate her body.
2. Be a good neighbour. If you aren’t quarantined or self-isolating, offer to walk someone’s dog if they can’t do it themselves. Although there’s currently no evidence showing that dogs can contract COVID-19, be sure to wash your hands carefully before and after touching the dog, its leash, or anything else that you take on the walk.
3. Bake some treats. If you have extra time on your hands, try making homemade treats for your pets. Check out our recipe for homemade dog treats, or look online for recipes - just make sure to avoid using toxic ingredients for pets like chocolate, xylitol and macadamia nuts.
4. Try new tricks. Dogs aren’t the only pet that can learn tricks! Cats can too - it just requires some patience and diligence. Teaching new tricks to cats and dogs reduces stress, and provides exercise to burn off energy and calories.
Stay informed
Supporting each other and being stewards of health in our communities is more critical than ever to help stop the spread of COVID-19. For more information on keeping yourself and your family safe, please check the Government of Canada coronavirus outbreak updates regularly.
We’re here for you
You are a valued customer and we are committed to taking care of you and your pet. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
You can contact us as usual:
• Live chat
• Email: info@petsecure.com
• Phone: 1.800.268.1169