Pet owners should train their animals to use a litter box indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for their care in the event that their owners must be quarantined, an animal trainer said.
The Taipei City Animal Protection Office shared tips for training pets after 14 pet owners in the city contracted COVID-19 and had to place their animals with a city shelter.
Owners should prepare a month’s worth of food — which can be purchased online — for their pets in case such incidents occur, the office said.
Owners should also book vet appointments in advance to avoid crowds, and ask vets to prescribe larger quantities of medication for chronic diseases to stockpile in case they are unable to refill prescriptions, it said.
“Training dogs to defecate and urinate at home is not hard. You just need to train more with your dog to build up a rapport,” animal trainer Lee Wei (李薇) said.
Owners should first keep track of when their pets usually urinate or defecate, she said, adding that for most dogs it is in the morning, after they have eaten, late at night after they have been active and just before they sleep.
“Owners can make that time more regular by rewarding their dog verbally or with a treat after it relieves itself on schedule,” she said.
Owners can use diaper pads to help dogs remember where they can relieve themselves, she said, adding that owners should place pads as far away from their pet’s play area or sleeping area as possible, and encircle the pads with a fence.
“If owners need to take their dogs outside, they should wear masks, and sanitize themselves and their pets when they return indoors,” she said.
Owners could use alcohol wipes to clean around their dog’s mouth, feet and anus when they come back inside to reduce the chances of them bringing in viruses and bacteria from outside, she said.
Owners should also consider bathing their pets every one or two weeks, and should arrange to have someone familiar with their pet handle its care in the event that the owner is hospitalized and unable to handle such responsibilities, she added.
In the event that pets are left alone when an owner is hospitalized, the owner can contact the Taipei City Animal Protection Office at (02) 8791-3064 or (02) 8791-3065, to arrange for someone to retrieve and care for their pets.
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