POINTS ON PETS
STEPH SELICE
T
he world is opening up again, and people can’t wait to enjoy post-pandemic life with their families, including their animals. How will this summer be different for our pets, and what should we be aware of?
Caring for Our Pets in the Aftercorona . . . Many pet lovers have postposed vet care during lockdown, so home-visit and clinic-based vets expect a busy summer. Millions of Americans (including first-time pet folks) have welcomed new animals in the last year, which set records for pet adoptions nationwide. Vets suggest that your pets have checkups, current vaccinations, and flea/tick treatments before they interact again with other people outdoors or in your home, whether or not those humans are vaccinated. Make sure your pets, even the ones who live only indoors, have microchips (with current contact information in the online registry) and wear collars or IDs. Because many of us have changed daily schedules or stayed home more than usual, our family 20 | July 2021
dynamics may have changed, which affects pet behavior and well-being. Dogs and cats in particular like their routines, and many of these have been disrupted. Vets are recommending that we give our pets the attention, time, and space they need as we go back to regular work and school schedules. Just as life transitions are tough on humans, they can be stressful for our pets. Vets suggest we ease our pets into new schedules slowly. Playing with your pets and keeping them active and engaged will help them feel loved—
and happily tired afterward. This will make it easier to leave home as part of your new normal routine. As you bring family and friends home again, reintroduce the people and pets your love to each other under supervision, perhaps after an initial separation in a different room, and with all paws on deck. Dogs, cats, and other pets may be territorial about having had you and your family all to themselves for a year, so be patient: now they have to share you again!
. . . and the After-Cicada Some vet clinics report visits regarding Brood X cicadas, particularly when pets have dined on some. Live cicadas should be done visiting Virginia by July. Eating a cicada carcass or two should be safe for your dog or cat, but gorging on them (or other insects) may bring a bellyache, cramping, or diarrhea. As with any other pet dining experience, sampling, moderation, and human POINTS ON PETS > PAGE 21
Old Town Crier
