Qpets

Category: News

  • Down to Earth: Rescuers Work to Keep Pets, Wildlife Safe

    NBC 7’s Dagmar Midcap explains heroes banded together to save helpless animals during the Valley Fire.

    Source: NBC San Diego

  • In Isolating Times, Can Robo-Pets Provide Comfort?

    When Linda Spangler asked her mother, in a video chat, what she would like as gift for her 92nd birthday, the response came promptly.

    “I’d like a dog,” Charlene Spangler said. “Is Wolfgang dead?” Wolfgang, a family dachshund, had indeed died long ago; so had all his successors. Ms. Spangler, who lives in a dementia care facility in Oakland, Calif., has trouble recalling such history.

    Her daughter, a doctor, considered the request. Before visitors were barred from the residence because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Spangler had seen her mother every other day, often taking her to Lake Merritt in her wheelchair to see the ducks and to pat passing dogs.

    In her facility, Charlene Spangler had eaten meals with several other residents, joined art classes and listened to visiting musicians.

    Now activities and communal meals have vanished. Aside from one quick visit in the lobby, she has not seen her daughter in person in six months; they communicate through 15-minute video calls when staff members can arrange them.

    “She’s more isolated in her room now,” Dr. Spangler said. “And she misses having a dog.”

    Knowing that her mother couldn’t manage pet care, even if the residence had permitted animals, Dr. Spangler looked online for the robotic pets she had heard about.

    She found a fluffy puppy with sensors that allow it to pant, woof, wag its tail, nap and awaken; a user can feel a simulated heartbeat. Unable to deliver the robot personally, she asked a staff member to take it inside. In a subsequent video chat, Dr. Spangler learned that her mother had named the robot dog Dumbo.

    Such devices first appeared in American nursing homes and residences for seniors several years ago. A Japanese company began distributing an animatronic baby seal called PARO in 2009, and Hasbro started marketing robotic cats in 2015.

    But the isolation caused by the coronavirus, not only in facilities but also among seniors living alone in their homes, has intensified interest in these products and increased sales, company executives said. It has also led to more public money being used to purchase them.

    Long before the pandemic, loneliness and social disconnection were acknowledged public health problems for older people, linked to measurably poorer mental and physical health. Now, their risk for serious illness from the coronavirus has denied many seniors the stimulation and comfort of personal visits, cultural events, volunteering, even grocery shopping.

    Isolation particularly threatens people with dementia, who are less able to embrace online diversions and communication.

    “Covid has created a bizarre world where nobody can hug anybody,” said Laurie Orlov, a veteran industry analyst and founder of the newsletter Aging and Health Technology Watch. “The idea of a pet you can hold — a tactile experience — transcends that somewhat.”

    In part because of its $6,120 price tag, PARO (the name echoes the Japanese term for “personal robot”) has primarily been adopted by institutions: hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities. Because the Food and Drug Administration classifies the robot as a biofeedback device, Medicare will cover its purchase and use by therapists.

    Since the pandemic, “we’re seeing a lot of interest,” said Tom Turner, general manager of PARO Robots U.S., which sells about 50 robot seals annually but expects a big increase as insurance coverage broadens.

    Researchers have reported benefits from interacting with PARO, although the studies were often small and short-term. At facilities in Texas and Kansas, for instance, investigators followed 61 residents with dementia who had 20-minute group sessions with a PARO three days a week for three months. Their stress and anxiety decreased, the researchers found, and they needed less medication for pain and problem behaviors.

    Front Porch, a nonprofit senior living provider, acquired several PAROs in 2015 and tracked their effects through about 900 surveys reporting residents’ interactions. Over six months, the staff reported that the robots — which acquired names and, at holidays, festive outfits — helped calm residents, increased their social behavior and improved mood and appetite.

    More recently, researchers have started analyzing the use of robotic pets outside institutional settings, by seniors living in their own homes. Of particular interest is the Joy for All brand sold by Ageless Innovation, a spinoff of Hasbro, and available from retailers like Walmart and Best Buy for about $120.

    One of the largest studies, underwritten by United HealthCare and AARP, distributed free Joy for All robots to 271 seniors living independently.

    All the seniors suffered from loneliness, according to a screening questionnaire. At 30 and 60 days, “there was improvement in their mental well-being, in sense of purpose and optimism,” said Dr. Charlotte Yeh, chief medical officer of AARP’s business subsidiary and a study co-author. The study also found “a reduction in loneliness,” Dr. Yeh said, although the questionnaires showed that participants remained lonely.

    Armed with such findings, Ageless Innovation has been offering discounted robots to state agencies working with seniors. (Both Joy for All and PARO robots can be sanitized to prevent viral transmission, the companies said.)

    New York State ordered and distributed 1,100 pets after a pilot study found that participants reported less isolation and loneliness. “Families were sending me thank-you notes,” said Becky Preve, executive director of the Association on Aging in New York. Florida purchased 375.

    Ageless Innovation said that a dozen states had placed orders totaling 6,000 devices. But that’s small potatoes compared to the sales potential if Medicare Advantage plans, offered through private insurers, agree to cover robotic pets.

    One already does — HealthPartners, in the Midwest — and “we are in conversations with many other Medicare Advantage plans,” Ted Fischer, chief executive of Ageless Innovation, said in an email. The company is also eyeing certain Medicaid programs.

    The idea of a robot, however fuzzy, as an antidote to loneliness produces both enthusiasm and revulsion. “These animals are helping people,” said Ms. Preve, a fan.

    But Sherry Turkle, a psychologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has long studied how older people use technology, objected. “The promise is that it becomes a companion and you have a relationship with it,” she said of a robotic animal. “As though there’s mutuality. There’s not mutuality. It’s a bunch of bits and bytes.”

    Sister Imelda Maurer, who, as a member of the Sisters of Divine Providence of San Antonio, has long been involved with elder care, dislikes the notion of deceiving people who have dementia and may think robots are actual pets. “There’s an element of ethical dishonesty about it,” she said.

    Both she and Dr. Turkle pointed out that the enthusiasm for robots spotlighted the many failings in the way our society cares for older people, whether in understaffed facilities or isolated at home.

    Moreover, how seniors will react is unpredictable. Emily J. White, a social work consultant in Sunnyvale, Calif., watched in amazement as her 96-year-old mother, who had dementia and depression and had largely stopped eating, warmed up to a Joy for All cat — and promptly asked for a piece of cake.

    But Timothy Livengood, a planetary scientist in Columbia, Md., said his 80-year-old mother, who has dementia and lives in a facility, largely ignored a robotic cat. “She never really attached to it,” he said. “It didn’t have a personality.”

    As for Charlene Spangler, during a recent video chat she mentioned that her dog was barking and that she could feel its heartbeat. “It seems like there’s some interaction,” her daughter said.

    But a caregiver must repeatedly present the dog and remind her mother to pet or talk to it; otherwise, she forgets about it. How often that will happen, and whether it will assuage the pain of isolation, remains an unanswered question.

    “I’m not sure how well this is going to work,” Dr. Spangler said. “But for $120, it was worth a try.”

    Source: NY Times

  • Ontario giveaway helps to keep pets fed

    Johel Ocegueda survives on disability and Social Security and lives alone in Pomona.

    Well, not totally alone.

    His two pit bulls, who he calls mama and papa, are his canine companions.

    “I need food for my two dogs,” he said. But some months, his government check is barely enough to cover rent, utilities and groceries for himself.

    “Sometimes I don’t have enough money to buy food (for the dogs),” Ocegueda said last week, estimating he was down to a three-day supply of dog food. That’s why, he said, he was heading to the pet food giveaway Saturday, Aug. 29, at Bethel Congregational Church in Ontario.

    He and two dozen or so others lined up for free pet food at the event, organized by the church and community volunteers from across the Inland Empire.

    The organizers gave away about 400 pounds of dog food and 200 pounds of cat food, said Donna Saxton, a Fontana resident and volunteer administrator of the Furry Friends Pet Food Bank.

    “Some are barely paying their own rents,” said Bethel Pastor Sylvia Mann. “They are constantly having to choose between caring for their pets or paying their rent or buying their medicine.”

    What started in 2009 during the Great Recession has continued, usually on the last Saturday of each month. A grant from PepsiCo, Inc. kept it going until the last event in January, Mann said. Saturday’s giveaway was the first during the COVID-19 pandemic, Saxton said.

    Donations have fallen off due to an inability to personally advertise for donations with church-goers and hold fundraisers because of stay-at-home orders. The switch to emails and Zoom is not efficient for reaching the elderly and those pet owners on fixed incomes who may not have computers or Wi-Fi.

    The pandemic has accentuated isolation, which can bring on anxiety and depression. Experts agree that having a pet helps with a person’s mental health.

    A recent survey by the American Pet Products Association found that 72% of pet owners said spending time with their pets during the pandemic helps them reduce stress and increases their well-being. Many seniors say a cat or dog at home helps stave off loneliness. 

    “For some of these people, their pets are their only company,” said Mann, also a chaplain who often counsels caregivers at a local food bank. “If they had to give up their pet it would be horrible for the pet and bad for the person who would lose that companionship.”

    Amelia Perez, 65, of Chino Hills, said it was difficult to pay for her own food and expenses, often leaving her short on cash to buy food for her two dogs, Dallulah, a dalmatian and Delila, a Chihuahua.

    “They are my kids,” she said. “They are part of the family.”

    Jenny Cisneros began showing up for pet food for her dogs in 2014, when her disability forced her to stop working and decreased her income dramatically. She began helping out shortly thereafter and also volunteers at other food banks, she said.

    Last week, she began calling past recipients and reminding them the pet giveaway was back on.

    “Some tell me they are in need, They don’t have family. They have a dog and they keep it like their partner,” she said Tuesday. “You know during COVID-19 it is someone they can talk to. Dogs just listen.”

    HOW TO DONATE

    What: The Furry Friends Pet Food Bank is looking for support.

    Details: It accepts bags of dry cat and dog food, or canned food. Items can be dropped off at Bethel Church, 536 N. Euclid Ave., Ontario, near the parking lot off F Street.

    Information: To ensure someone is there to take the donation and store it, contact caretaker Wayne Howell, 909-984-9111.

    Source: Daily

  • Dog that helps find missing pets honored

    Ruger is an all-American dog with a billboard to prove it.

    The 5-year-old Belgian Malinois-pitbull mix from Bentonville is trained in search and rescue, specializing in finding missing pets. Recently, she was selected as one of 10 winners among about 16,000 applicants in the Early Times All-American Dogs social media campaign.

    Early Times Kentucky Whiskey has honored Ruger and nine other “All-American” dogs from around the country with a photoshoot, a billboard and a whiskey barrel doghouse. Ruger’s billboard is in Stephens City near U.S. 11 and Va. 37.

    “I was super surprised,” said Ruger’s owner, Lisa Jones, who submitted Ruger’s information in March.

    Considering the thousands of submissions, she said, “I was just blown away.”

    Jones, who operates the business Full Tilt Tracking LLC, got into search and rescue after she hired Dogs Finding Dogs out of Baltimore to track down her son’s missing dog in Front Royal.

    “We didn’t eat, we didn’t sleep. We looked for that dog around the clock,” she recalled.

    Afterward, she realized that she wanted to help others find their missing pets, too.

    “That was a job I could really wrap my heart around,” said Jones.

    Ruger helps find lost animals by sniffing their scent from a household item. She narrows down the area where the pet is hiding, and Jones might then either set out a trap for the animal or lure it using its owner’s scent.

    “People want to be found, but animals don’t,” she said. “You’re trying to trigger that recognition in them.”

    In one of her favorite memories, Ruger helped find a lost dog named Willie in the George Washington National Forest. She located the area where Willie was hiding, and his owners walked the trail before Jones directed them to return to their car and leave all the doors open — “so that their scent would blow out into the night.”

    This left Willie “a scent trail to follow,” she said, and a few minutes later, he came bounding down the trail to the car.

    “It’s a rewarding job, I love it,” said Jones.

    The 2021 calendar is Early Times’ second All-American Dogs calendar, said Robert Trinkle, partner and senior vice president at PriceWeber.

    “We have a great team that goes through all of the entries,” he said in a Tuesday phone call. “Really, what we’re looking for is dogs that are All-Americans.”

    What that indicates, he said, is a dog that exemplifies the core values that have kept the Early Times brand alive since 1860 — hard word and dependability.

    Other dogs featured in the calendar hail from Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana and Nevada. They’re military dogs, rescue dogs, therapy dogs and companion dogs who help others, spread joy or simply have an inspiring “All-American” redemption story.

    The idea for the yearly calendar grew from a partnership the company has with K9s for Warriors, a nonprofit that trains service dogs for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, and other trauma resulting from post-9/11 military service, an Aug. 17 company release states.

    “To date, Early Times has donated $200,000 to K9s For Warriors,” the release states.

    Source: Winchesterstar

  • Telemedicine for pets: How COVID-19 is disrupting animal health care

    Jenny Hu fans the kitten peering out from its carrier with a large manila envelope, offering the tiny feline whatever relief she can on a typically hot and humid August day in New York City.

    Hu and her pet are waiting outside of a veterinarian’s office in midtown Manhattan for a staff member to meet them. Waiting outside the vet’s office for an appointment is yet another part of the coronavirus pandemic’s “new normal.” Because of COVID-19 social distancing rules, vet offices in New York City, and many across the country, no longer allow pet owners and their animals inside the facilities to wait.

    As a further precaution, most vets now have staff escort the animal inside the facility for its appointment, leaving sometimes-anxious owners outside waiting.

    “It’s the second time we’ve had to bring her to the vet” since the pandemic, Hu said. While it’s a “little inconvenient that you can’t be in there with your pet,” she said, overall, visits have run smoothly.

    Though many vet exams and procedures require the physical presence of the pet — Hu’s kitten needed a booster shot, for instance — more pet owners and vets are turning to telehealth services for animal health care in the COVID-19 landscape.

    “Our telemedicine volume is up 25%” since the pandemic, Josh Guttman, founder and CEO of Small Door Veterinary, told ABC News.

    Guttman co-founded Small Door in 2009. He calls the service the “veterinarian reimagined.” The company has offered telemedicine vet visits as part of its core platform — a tech-powered and on-premises vet service — since launching. With the coronavirus, “telemedicine has taken on a new role for us,” he said.

    Telehealth for pets is a fairly niche section of the total pet-care business — worth $97.5 billion in sales in the U.S. in 2019.

    However, there are several major players in pet telehealth and some report an uptick in business since the pandemic’s onset.

    “Since the pandemic began, the activity on our platform has increased by over 10x and it continues to grow,” Allison Boerum, CEO and co-founder of Virtuwoof, said in a statement to ABC News. “Telemedicine in the veterinary space has been an emerging trend over the last few years, but until the pandemic hit, it was more of a ‘nice to have’ than a necessity.”

    Veterinarians are also seeking telehealth solutions to continue providing care for their patients during COVID-19. In fact, the American Veterinary Medical Association urged vets to consider telehealth, calling it “an important way to protect and monitor the health of veterinary patients and veterinary teams.”

    “[Animal] clinics have had to turn on a dime and change the way they do business, essentially overnight,” Boerum said.

    Veterinarian Dr. Barbara Kalvig calls telehealth services a “good starting point” for pet health care.

    With telehealth, vets can “interview the owners … we can visualize the patients to see how they’re acting. Pet owners can show us a lesion or some other problem the pet is having,” Kalvig said. With a virtual exam, she said, vets can often notice issues with a pet, but “obviously a physical exam gives us so much more.”

    Yet, there may be another reason for the increase in telemedicine services for pets: We’re around them more.

    “People are spending more time with their pets and they are noticing things that may have always been there, but they’re just home or they’re spending more time with their dogs or cats. And so that’s leading to questions and concerns. The most common concerns we get are upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea,” said Guttman.

    Besides being a tool for adhering to COVID-19 mandates, telemedicine for pets offers the same convenience, and the almost instant access to a health care provider, for pet owners as it does for human patients.

    Yet, there are those times when having the pet, owner and vet all in the same physical space is not only medically necessary but psychologically and emotionally necessary — for both pet and human.

    James Ellis arrived at the same vet as Hu, but for a very different purpose. He’s come to collect the ashes of his and his wife’s beloved cat, Janaver.

    “I was sad I couldn’t be in there with my pet as he died,” he said, gesturing toward the vet’s entrance.

    As a medical resident, Ellis said he sees the benefit of telehealth for pet care, and said the technology is “appropriate for some things” in medical care.

    But the one thing he said that couldn’t be provided by any virtual service, and was ultimately denied him by COVID-19, was the closure he wanted in being there to say goodbye before Janaver’s death.

    “It was all sort of hidden behind closed doors,” Ellis said.

    Source: ConnectRadio

  • World’s Greatest Animals Reviews the Qpets AF-108 Plus!

    The World’s Greatest Animals Channel on YouTube has done an awesome review of our newest feeder, the AF-108 Plus Automatic Pet Feeder.  Check it out and see what one of YouTube’s greatest channels has to say about our automatic pet feeders.  Make sure you order one today from the Qpets Online Store.  Contact us with any questions you may have.

  • Pets are lifting people up durring the pandemic

    Ellen Shershow’s photos capture dogs as vibrant oddballs: licking their nostrils, dashing across beaches, peering inquisitively at the camera as if it might deliver a slice of premium freeze-dried meat directly to their mouths.

    The pet portraitist is accustomed to long preshoot phone chats with owners about everything from their dog’s medical history to diva tendencies, all to better capture a canine’s essence on film.

    These days, as her clients remain cooped up at home, the conversations can veer into unexpected terrain. “Quarantine is giving them a whole new perspective on their pets,” she says. “People are more attuned to their dog’s every need. Single people say things like, ‘Without this dog….that’s it.’ Whole months can go by where their dog is their only company.”

    Accordingly, her clients are paying thousands more for their pet photos—up to $6,000 for a series. “I’ve had way more clients be like, ‘Yeah, that sounds just fine. We can do that. Our dog is worth it,’” Shershow says.

    Blissfully unaware of threats that lurk outside, many pets are now luxuriating in our captive presence. Since the pandemic hit, L.A.’s shelters have been emptied out and rescue workers say they’re receiving dozens of applications per pet. The coronavirus crisis has brought our homebound companions more attention, more treats, and a greater quality of life than any time in recent history.

    Dogs, especially, are thriving, even as many of their owners fall apart. “This is kind of a dream come true for dogs,” says Galit Reuben, executive director of the rescue organization Dogs Without Borders.

    The surge of interest in local pups has dramatically altered the way her rescue operates, she say. “We’ve had to shut down our normal application process and send auto responses because we were receiving so many requests,” says Reuben. “Dogs that we would normally rescue aren’t even available because the general public has specific appointments to see them, which is wonderful.” Now, she says, her rescue is focused on doggos that the shelters can’t place —like those that are missing limbs or require major surgery.

    Annette Ramirez, director of field operations at L.A. Animal Services, cites another reason for a decrease in the shelter population: more residents have the time to help owners retrieve their lost animals.

    “Whether they’re walking the pets up and down streets to find their owner or posting about them on Nextdoor, the little things the community has been able to do to reduce the intake at shelters has been a huge help,” she says.

    Still, she worries what will happen when the city’s eviction moratorium lifts and some residents are forced to surrender their pets. “We’re definitely concerned about what will happen when people lose their homes,” she says.

    The longer a dog is in a shelter, the harder it can be to place. “Rescues aren’t the easiest dogs,” says Reuben. “A lot of people envision bingeing Netflix with their dog next to them but that might not be what they get. There’s a period of adjustment and not everyone is up for that.”

    Our own grab bag of anxieties about the recession, coronavirus, and civil strife isn’t likely to help a dog acclimate. “If someone loses their job and is stressed out all the time, yes, that can affect a dog’s emotional life,” says Molly Byrne, a researcher at the Canine Cognition Center at Boston College.

    On the plus side, dogs have no idea how to read a report on coronavirus transmission. “They don’t have that same fear association with seeing other humans on the streets,” Byrne says. “So that’s good.”

    Cats, less desiring of constant companionship, are likely having a more annoying quarantine experience.

    “The thing about cats is, by and large, they don’t give a shit about people,” says Ben Lehrer, president of Kitten Rescue.

    Still, Angelenos desperately want them in their homes. “Last year, we might have gotten three or four foster applications in a week,” he says. “Today, we’re getting between 20 and 30 a day. It’s bananas.”

    The problem is that all those newly adopted cats need to be immunized and fixed and that’s creating bottlenecks at veterinary hospitals, which have changed their protocols to allow for social distancing. “They can’t double or triple book patients anymore, so they’re having to see fewer pets at one time,” Lehrer says. “It’s a mess.”

    So there are a few problems. Also, one vet says that if your cat is now regularly hiding in the alcove above your refrigerator, it might need more alone time. Others fret that our pets are gaining the “Quarantine 15” from excessive treat consumption.

    Overall, though, these are likely wonderful times for the (likely) illiterate furry creatures in our midst—including the ones that are laughing at us.

    “They say dogs are in heaven and cats are like, ‘I knew you’d get fired one day,’” Ramirez adds.

    Source: LA Magazine

  • Many State Officials Warn of Dangers Leaving Pets in Hot Cars

    The sun has been shining with temperatures rising over the past few days in western Massachusetts and pet owners need to be aware of the potential dangers.  “Whenever there’s a heat advisory, that means that there’s professionals telling us there’s a warning. There’s some kind of advisory that we have to be careful and that doesn’t just go for us, but for all living beings that we look out for,” said Pam Peebles, executive director of the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center.  Peebles said they’re receiving numerous calls about a top concern this time of year: people leaving their pets out in the heat and inside parked cars.  “Our phones are very busy. They don’t stop…We’re finding people that are dismissive or offer up so many reasons of why that happened and…there’s almost no excusable reason to leave your animal outdoors right now,” Peebles explained.

    The temperature outside is 80 degrees or hotter. We’re told the level of heat inside a parked car is too dangerous for a pet.  “A vehicle in over minutes can raise 30 degrees…That car, even on an 80 degree sunny day, can heat up to the full temperatures, so when we get past 80 degrees, it’s very different than going on a walk with your dog, being confined in a vehicle in the sun can be lethal,” Peebles noted.

    If you think leaving your pet in a parked car with the windows down is okay, think again.

    “It doesn’t matter if the windows are cracked or down a third of the way in a vehicle, it is no place for an animal – period – when the temperatures are hot,” Peebles added.  However, if you do see a pet in a hot situation, Peebles told Western Mass News that it’s important to tell someone.  “Make that phone call to police or animal control. If it’s a car, then go into the nearest store and report it to a store manager and then they can make a page and follow up with animal control. Try not to take matters into your own hands,” Peebles said.

    Massachusetts isn’t the only place that has this problem.  According to The Star, the Easton Police Department is warning residents against leaving animals in hot cars. EPD says its officers respond to “dogs in car” complaints almost daily during the summer.  “The normal response the owners give is that the dog was only left in the car for a short time or that they did not think it was that hot out,” an EPD press release stated. “The truth is that it doesn’t take long, and outside temperatures don’t need to be all that high for your car to become an unsafe place for your dog to be.”

    EPD shared information from the American Veterinary Medical Association, which the police force said “may help shed light on the dangers associated with leaving animals in cars.”  The temperature inside a vehicle, the release stated, “can rise almost 20ºF in just 10 minutes. In 20 minutes, it can rise almost 30ºF, and the longer you wait, the higher it goes.”  “At 60 minutes, the temperature in your vehicle can be more than 40º higher than the outside temperature. Even on a 70º day, that’s 110º inside your vehicle,” EPD wrote.

    The police department is urging people to “please leave your pets at home” because “it’s safer for them.”

    Source: WestMassNews & The Star

  • Veterinarian Gives Advice to Prevent Your Pets From Heat Stroke This Summer

    It is that week all over the US.  The one where the temperature continues to climb. Meteorologists are warning about the dangers of being outside.  And if we feel the heat — just imagine how hot it is for pets.  Our pets count on us to take care of them. With temperatures like this, Dr. Reggie Little, a Veterinarian at Animal Medical Center said its important to know the signs and symptoms for a heat stroke.

    “Heat strokes happen very quickly and when they do, problems come very quickly too,” said Little. “So you need to be able to recognize it, if you think they are struggling just from exercise in general or you come back and you’ve left them in a car, make sure you get them to the veterinarian quickly because bad things happen quickly and we have to take them in and really get them cooled off.”

    Dr. Little said there are many symptoms of heat exhaustion and pet owners need to watch for these signs.

    “Panting and if you see them really labor breathing and you look at your dog’s normal tongue color you want a pink tongue,” said Little. “If that thing is purple, dark red, if they are panting and salivating, anything else can happen.”

    Little said one of the best things you can do is to just keep your dog inside

    “The air conditioning is the best place to be, said Little. “If you can’t keep them inside, provide everything you possibly can for help. Shade and natural shade is the best if you can in trees and make sure that you provide coverings and awnings and watch out for concrete if that dog kennel in on concrete it heats up so fast. So make sure you try and provide anything you can to cool down.”

    “Freshwater, clean water, changing it out regularly. Kiddie pools are great ideas, get yourself a kiddie pool and fill it up with water and let them play in it.”

    When it comes to your dog’s health, make sure you are.

    “Using common sense, said Little. “If you’re hot, they’re hot. get them inside and don’t let them get in the car, that’s just not a good thing.”

    If you do want to take your dog on a walk or run, the best times to go are early in the morning or later in the afternoon.

    Check out the original report from WCBI in Mississippi.

    Source: WCBI

  • CDC says pets not a major factor in COVID-19 spread

    Two months after officials announced that two cats in New York had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a detailed paper on what occurred — with some important information for other pet owners.

    The report, published Monday, reveals that the two domestic cats carried the virus — one for eight days and the other 10 days. The first cat, a 4-year-old male domestic shorthair had symptoms “characterized by sneezing, clear ocular discharge, and mild lethargy.” The second cat, a 5-year-old female Devon Rex, “developed respiratory illness including sneezing, coughing, watery nasal and ocular discharge, loss of appetite, and lethargy.”

    The domestic shorthair cat, located in Nassau County, New York, lived in a home with five people, three of whom showed symptoms of COVID-19 (but none of whom were tested). Another cat living in the same home showed no symptoms of the virus and was therefore not tested. The Devon Rex, which was located in Orange County, New York in a single-family home where the owner tested positive for the coronavirus.

    Both cats — the two first reported pets to test positive for the virus — made a full recovery, and no transmission from the cats (to either other animals or humans) was reported. The CDC notes that, as a result, pets contracting the virus is likely an extremely rare occurrence. But adds that it doesn’t mean pet owners should ignore this aspect of the pandemic.

    “Although there is currently no evidence that animals play a substantial role in spreading COVID-19, CDC advises persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to restrict contact with animals during their illness and to monitor any animals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and separate them from other persons and animals at home. “The CDC says that pets that test positive “should be monitored and separated from persons or other animals until they recover.”

    The CDC released guidance earlier this year concerning COVID-19 and animals stating that owners should look out for symptoms of coronavirus in their pets, including fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, sneezing and discharge from the nose or eyes. It also recommends that those who are in home isolation due to symptoms of COVID-19 limit interactions with pets as much as possible.

    Best Friends Animal Society, a no-kill animal rescue and advocacy organization, has created an expanded list of recommendations in its pet preparedness plan. The guide breaks down how to handle pets in a variety of scenarios. For those who believe they may have COVID-19, and live in a place with other people, Best Friends recommends designating a healthy person to “assume full responsibility for caring for your pet” until you are well. “Have the healthy member of your household wash and clean any pet bowls, leashes, crates, bedding and toys, and keep those items separate from the part of the house in which you are staying,” Best Friends writes.

    If you are experiencing symptoms and live alone, the organization recommends choosing “an emergency pet caregiver” (like a friend or family member) who can take care of your pet until symptoms disappear. “Ideally, this person should take your pet to their home to avoid them having to routinely visit your home and risk exposure,” the plan reads. “Prepare your pets’ essential items (food, bowls, leashes, etc.) and place them near your door so the caregiver can easily grab them when they come to pick up your pet.”

    Finally, for those without someone available to care for the pet, Best Friends recommends taking them to a local vet or another facility that can care for the animal until you are well.

    Although more details on how COVID-19 presents in cats may seem alarming, Dr. Erin Katribe, medical director of Best Friends Animal Society, tells Yahoo Life in a statement that pet owners shouldn’t panic, but rather should stay informed. “There is no reason to panic about your pet giving you COVID-19 as there have been no reported cases of it spreading from pet to person,” Katribe said in a statement. “Instead, it is important to practice social distancing and create a plan for the continued maintenance of the pets in your care if you’re unable to leave the house, too sick to function at home, or become hospitalized.”

     

    Source: Aol News