Covid19 disease is expanding quickly worldwide. 2020 is going to be a complex year. We have 7 recommendations for pet owners, to take care of themselves and their pets.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – Coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) is a virus that causes the disease Covid-19.
There is no evidence that a dog can be infected with Coronavirus 2, and develop the disease. However, they can transport viruses in their pads and fur. So, it is also recommended to pay additional attention to them, avoiding them getting into potential infected areas and getting in contact with other people.
Coronavirus 2 originated at the end of 2019 in Wuhan, China. This virus comes from bats. It seems it has been transmitted to humans through animals (Bat -> Pangolin -> Human).
In mid February 2020, the virus started a quick worldwide geographical expansion. See Covid-19 daily dashboard at John Hopkins, Coronavirus Resource Center
Although all the research is in place at worldwide level, it will take time to get to a reliable vaccine. So we will have to cope with this virus for several months.
As defined by Wikipedia “ A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism”
Most frequent way to get infected is through direct contact with infected people. However, since the virus remains dormant in different surfaces (from 4 hours on cover up to days 3 days in plastic), you can get infected if your hands have been in contact with those surfaces, and you bring them in contact with your mouth, nose or eyes.
So if the virus does not enter you, you are safe.
We have compiled 7 recommendations that will help you to prevent being infected, and take care of your pet. First paragraph in capital letters gives our advice from a dog owner perspective. Then we include further explanations applicable to all people.
1 – ISOLATION AND SOCIAL DISTANCE
YOU NEED TO REDUCE EXPOSURE TO VIRUS BY REDUCING CONTACT WITH PEOPLE. SAME APPLIES FOR 
YOUR DOG. BETTER IF HE IS HAVING CONTACT ONLY WITH THE FAMILY MEMBERS.
Coronavirus 2 is a quite contagious virus. It has expanded all over the world. As of April 29th, already 185 countries / regions affected, more than 3,1 million people have been infected (most of them in USA and Europe). As of May 24th, 188 countries and 5,36 million people.
These are official figures reported by country or region. However, since testing is not available in many places, in reality there must be more cases. Covid-19 has become a global pandemic, and is growing quickly.
The isolation in Wuhan reduced the infections. Already in the middle age in Europe, isolation and quarantine were used to fight the pest and black death (XIV, XVII) and also the Spanish flu at XX century.
So, if you limit the contact to few people, the safer you will be. Viruses need people to live, if they do not get new people, they will disappear. So, be responsible and avoid socializing, attend meetings or parties. Do not worry, we will celebrate again. But for the moment, if not for yourself, be responsible for the old persons and population of risk (diabetes, autoimmune diseases, asthma, high blood tension…).
It is a moment to use technology and digitize your relationships. For instance, I am calling my father every day with Facetime. He is 86, and is quite happy to talk and see my face even though in a smartphone or iPad.
If you are less exposed to more people, your risk to get infected is reduced. This was already applied at the middle age in Europe. In 1377 at the city of Dubrovnik they decided that each person that wanted to enter the city, had to be one month before in a restricted area. This paid off to fight against the plague of the Black Death. Many other cities followed afterwards similar quarantine regulations.
This is a time to be at home. For most of the people this is a big change. We need to change our routines. Our lives are becoming even more digital. We have to take this situation as an opportunity to reflect, change, develop and grow. By maximizing our time at home, we are helping ourselves and mankind, reducing the expansion of Coronavirus and giving more time to the researchers to find a medical treatment for it.
If you are part of the group of risk, even more important to safeguard your health and life. Better if you do not go outside while coronavirus is on peak (growing number of active infectious people). Maybe you can ask some relative, friend or neighbor that can provide you with food and medicines.
If you are not yet an e-commerce buyer, now it is the time to change. Buying on-line with home delivery is a great way to reduce exposure to the viruses.
2 – KEEP THE DISTANCE
AGAIN, SAME RULES APPLY TO YOUR DOG. BETTER IF HE IS NOT HANGING AROUND WITH OTHER PEOPLE. 
CROWDED DOG PARKS IS NOT A GOOD OPTION AT THE MOMENT. BETTER TO LOOK FOR OTHER PLACES WITH FEWER PEOPLE. ISSUE IS NOT THAT YOUR DOG IS PLAYING WITH OTHER DOGS, BUT THAT OTHER PEOPLE IS GETTING IN CONTACT WITH YOUR DOG.
Infection occurs when the virus gets into your body. This can happen if you are breathing near an infected person that coughs or sneezes.
6 feet or 1,8 meter distance is a safe distance. We need to avoid any crowded place. Also, if we are in a queue, you have to keep the distance with other people.
In case, you are inside a building (su
permarket, offices, etc), where air does not circulate much, a mask or scuff can help protect you when breathing. According to some studies, viruses can remain floating in the air until 3 hours, in closed environments.
If you need to go to the supermarket, avoid peak hours. Best is to go early in the morning, since the environment is more clean, or at an hour that is not peak hour.
For sure, a good option is also to ask for home delivery. Again, if you are population of risk people-at-higher-risk.html
This rule also applies to your dog. If other people are getting in contact with your dog, they can put viruses on their fur. Do not be paranoid, but it is not the best time to let your four legged friend be petted by strangers.
3 – WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN
IF YOUR DOG WALK IN A CROWDED URBAN AREA, BETTER TO CLEAN THEIR PADS BEFORE ENTERING AT HOME. YOU CAN EITHER USE AN HYDROALCOHOLIC SOLUTION OR REGULAR SOAP. CLEANING DIRTY DOG PAWS IS A GOOD HABIT. CHECK FOLLOWING YOUTUBE VIDEO FOR MORE DETAILS. https://youtu.be/Fcz63gDCEDg
Coronavirus is a pathogen, protected by a lipid membrane. They are dormant until they get into a cell within your body. Once inside the cell, they take control and start reproducing themselves.
Soap or alcohol destroys the lipid membrane, and the coronavirus gets diluted.
Our hands are the main means to get infected. Viruses get attached to fingers and hands whenever we get in contact with a surface holding virus
So, the best is to realize that our hands are always dirty. Wash your hands often, above all every time you get in contact with people or surfaces that are not at your home.
Whenever you go out from your home, you need to be fully aware of this, and limit the contact of your hands with any surface. Also, the virus can move from your hand to your mobile, glasses or keys.
When you go outside, to the supermarket, it’s better if you use gloves and a mask. Then when you are back home, you take them carefully, and wash your hands.
Regarding your dog, if you have been walking with him in a crowded area of potential infectious people (f.i. Old town nearby a hospital), then you should clean his pads with hydro alcoholic solution or soap, before letting him walk over to your home :-). In my case, I normally avoid taking my dog to such areas. If they are walking in the woods, maybe you get some mud, but it is difficult to get Corona Viruses.
4 – DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE – EYES, MOUTH AND NOSE
DURING THESE CORONA TIMES, BETTER NOT LET YOUR DOG KISS YOU OR LICK YOUR FACE.
To prevent Coronavirus infection, we need to change our habits!! In normal circumstances, a research study concluded that students touch their faces 23 times per hour!!
We need to be aware of what we are doing with our hands. Best is to reduce direct contact of your fingers with mouth, eyes or nose.
Only if you have just washed your hands, you can then touch these sensitive areas.
If you have a cough, you need to use one time tissues, and then dispose of them into the bin.
This also applies to your dog… Dogs love to lick, smell every corner. It is great that they cannot develop the Covid 19 disease, however, they can transport the virus. So best if you reduce the petting, kissing, etc of your dog.
5 – HAVE A “DISINFECTION ZONE” AT YOUR HOME
THIS IS IMPORTANT, IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW RECOMMENDATION 3 OF THIS POST. IF YOU HAVE A GARDEN OR RESTRICTED AREA WHERE YOUR DOG CAN STAY CALM WHEN ARRIVING HOME: THEN LET YOUR DOG THERE IF YOU THINK YOU ARE COMING BACK FROM A POTENTIAL INFECTED AREA.
We do not need to become paranoid, but reducing potential contact to viruses is a best practice at these times.
Your home is your sanctuary, the clean and safe zone. To keep it like this, 2 recommendations to follow:
- Street shoes shall not be used at home. Leave them in a specific closet or area at the entrance of your home.
- Products bought should go also through a quarantine closet or freezer. As mentioned earlier, viruses can remain dormant during hours and days, depending on the surface. However, they get degraded along the time, so infectious levels disappear or get drastically reduced if we have them in such a quarantine.
- If you spend a lot of time at work with other people, also that clothes should remain in a specific closet or go to the laundry area.
Hahaha… This does not apply to your dog. However, if your dog has been in a potential infected area, leaving him for a while in the garden, it is also a safe measure. Virus get degraded quickly in contact with organic. So for instance, keeping your dog 2 hours in the garden before letting him come inside home, could be also a good measure if you do not want to clean his pads.
6 – HAVE A PLAN “B” READY FOR TAKING CARE OF YOUR PET
GET IN CONTACT WITH SOME FRIEND OR RELATIVE THAT COULD TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOG IN CASE YOU GET 
INFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS. PREPARE ALL THE LOGISTICS ACCORDINGLY IN ADVANCE. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL NOT BE NECESSARY AT ALL.
This is mostly relevant for small families or singles. If you get sick of Coronavirus, you should not be taking care of your pet.
Why?
Even if your pet is not at risk (there is no evidence that this virus affects our pets), they can transport it and infect other persons. Imagine that you are petting, or kissing your pet while you are sick, and then another person gets in contact with them…
Ideally someone healthy should be in charge of your pet.
Stock food for your pet for 2 weeks. If they need medicine, also have it prepared. It is also a good idea to have at hand your pets clinical information and the veterinarian contact data
7 – STAY AT HOME, BUT STAY FIT
REGULAR EXERCISE IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR DOGS. DUE TO ISOLATION AND SOCIAL DISTANCE, REGULAR EXERCISE LEVELS COULD BE REDUCED. YOU NEED TO TRACK YOUR DOG IS EXERCISING ENOUGH, TO KEEP HIM HAPPY AND HEALTHY. WE RECOMMEND GETTING ONE ACTIVITY MONITOR, TO PLAY INDOOR GAMES, AND EVEN USE A TREADMILL.
To have more time at home has 2 risks: Eat more and not exercise. We need to be aware of both topics, so we strive to eat 
healthy and do regular exercise. If you do not have it already, I would suggest it is a good time to get a treadmill. It can be used either by humans and dogs. Even walking or running on a treadmill is not a substitute for outdoor activity, it can definitely help at this Coronavirus times.
If you have already read other posts, I am a full supporter of activity monitors, both for humans and dogs. If you do not have one yet, maybe it is a good moment to start using it. You can only manage, one can be measured. Activity monitors do exactly this. They report your activity level, and based on this, they derive health information both for you and your dog. If you want to know more about this, please check following posts:
- http://howismydog.com/how-is-my-dog-activity-tracking-devices/
- http://howismydog.com/fitbark-2-review-great-activity-monitor-for-you-and-your-dog/
Stay healthy!! Take care of yourselves and your dogs.
Jabu