sanitation advice for pets?

Well unless there's civil unrest I'd just take the dogs out as normal

If the pandemic takes hold you might want to wear a mask if there's a chance of chatting to your neighbours or if you're worried about the communal areas. But the open air is much safer than indoors when it comes to catching a virus. Your very unlikely to catch it at the park.

Washing your hands after opening doors or holding the hand rail is important. Carry some antibacterial wipes in your bag.

If things get really bad (not very likely at the moment) and you don't want to go out. I suppose you could use the bath/shower as a temporary toilet. Bag up and wash down. A decision like that might not appeal though. You might be able to train them to go in a bin bag, you'll certainly have the spare time on your hands to teach them.

If you're trapped in the flat with them they'll probably get plenty of excercise by running round you all day. Get some soft balls to thow and pack away your breakables.

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by: UK - Bird @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 20:33:18 PM UTC

For dogs, if things get bad.....

they sell fake grass with a tray under it.  The tray traps the urine and you can rinse the "grass" with water occasionally.  I saw them on the internet, possibly at Doctors Foster and Smith (www.drsfostersmith.com) but they are not cheap.  

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by: Greenprepper @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 20:55:50 PM UTC

sanitation

Thanks for the grassy tray idea -I will look into that. What is a "bin bag"?

I'm not sure I understand why it's safer outdoors than indoors (the air), since it's an airborne virus. That's the first I've heard that. That would make it so much easier. I do have a respirator (half-face). Can you write back with a link to where you got that information? I would like to read it coming from an expert somewhere, if that's possible. I went to a conference on bird flu and was told not to go outside if/when it hits badly, that it would not be smart, to stock up on everything now so I don't have to go outside (that was Dr. Greger -www.birdflubook.com).

THANKS :)

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by: 12paws @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 21:58:24 PM UTC

Sorry, forgot to speak American ;-)

I meant trash bag - large one.

The open air is safer because of the volume of air, the wind and the sunlight. The sunlight will help kill the virus, the air and the wind help disperse the virus to levels that make it much harder to catch the virus. Not sure I can find an exact link for that but this sort of covers what you need to know.

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/pla...

Modes of Influenza Transmission

Influenza is transmitted person to person through close contact. Transmission occurs through multiple routes, including large droplets and direct and indirect contact. Fine droplet inhalational transmission may also occur.

Most information on the modes of influenza transmission from person to person is indirect and largely obtained through analysis of outbreaks in health care facilities and other settings (e.g., cruise ships, airplanes, schools, and colleges). Although the knowledge base is limited, the epidemiologic pattern observed is consistent with transmission through close contact (i.e., exposure to large respiratory droplets, direct contact transfer of virus from contaminated hands to the nose or eyes, or exposure to small-particle aerosols in the immediate vicinity of the infectious individual [known as "short-range exposure to aerosols"]). The relative contributions and clinical importance of the different modes of influenza transmission are unknown. While some observational studies (1, 2) and animal studies (3, 4, 5) raise the possibility of short-range airborne transmission through small-particle aerosols, convincing evidence of airborne transmission of influenza viruses from person to person over long distances (e.g., through air-handling systems, or beyond a single room) has not been demonstrated. (6, 7, 8). However, one study in mice performed in a room outfitted with a slowly rotating fan to continuously agitate the air found that influenza virus sprayed into the room remained infective for some mice for extended periods (up to 24 hours) at room atmospheres of low humidity (17 to 24%). Room atmospheres with higher humidities into which virus suspension was sprayed were no longer infective in mice after one hour (3).

Droplet Transmission

Droplet transmission involves contact of the mucous membranes of the nose or mouth or the conjunctivae of a susceptible person with large-particle droplets containing microorganisms generated by an infected person during coughing, sneezing, or talking. Transmission via large-particle droplets requires close contact between source and recipient persons because these larger droplets do not remain suspended in the air and generally travel only short distances. Three feet has often been used by infection control professionals as a guide for "short distance" and is based on studies of respiratory infections (9, 10); however, for practical purposes, this distance may range from three to six feet. Special air handling and ventilation are not required to prevent droplet transmission.

On the basis of epidemiologic patterns of disease transmission, large droplet transmission-via coughing and sneezing-has traditionally been considered a major route of seasonal influenza transmission (7, 8).

Airborne Transmission

Airborne transmission occurs by dissemination of small particles or droplet nuclei[b] through the air (see Appendix A: Aerosol Science and Disease Transmission). Some organisms (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis, measles virus, and varicella [chickenpox] virus) can remain infectious while dispersed over long distances by air currents, causing infection in susceptible individuals who have not had face-to-face contact (or been in the same room) with the infectious individual. Special air handling and ventilation systems (e.g., negative-pressure rooms or airborne isolation rooms) are used in health care settings to assist in preventing spread of agents that may be dispersed over long distances.

In contrast to tuberculosis, measles, and varicella, the pattern of disease spread for seasonal influenza does not suggest transmission across long distances (e.g., through ventilation systems); therefore, negative pressure rooms are not needed for patients with seasonal influenza (6, 8). However, localized airborne transmission may occur over short distances (i.e., three to six feet) via droplet nuclei or particles that are small enough to be inhaled. The relative contribution of short-range airborne transmission to influenza outbreaks is unknown.

Several often-cited papers raise concern about short-range aerosol transmission as a possible route of spread for influenza. These include laboratory studies in animals ( 3, 4, 5, 11), observational studies during the 1957-58 influenza pandemic (1), and an epidemiologic study of transmission on an airplane with an inoperative ventilation system (2). An experimental study in which the infectious dose of influenza virus was found to be as much as 100-fold lower for persons infected with small aerosols than with nasal drops (12) has further raised this concern. Although data are limited, the possibility remains that short-range aerosol transmission is a route of influenza transmission in humans and requires further study (13).

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by: UK - Bird @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 22:19:56 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The issue of not going out is more one of personal safety.

If there is no danger from physical attack there should be no problem taking your dogs for a walk.

Going out for other reasons during a pandemic (job, shopping, etc) must be assesed in the light of local conditions. Not all pandemics are equal. Only you can decide what your risks are and how you want to react to them.

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by: UK - Bird @ Sun May 03, 2009 at 22:26:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

one last thing... and THANKS

ok, I think I see what you all are saying. But what about my dogs walking outside and getting the flu on their paws...? Is that possible? When I read about H5N1, it's clear that cats can get it and die and it's not so clear that dogs can get it but that they can transmit it, so I don't want to take the dogs for a walk and then all three of us come back and infect the cat (or us). I thought about tying plastic sheeting to their paws :-) ...what do you think about that or is it not necessary? In my mind, I'm thinking that going outside means one of us will "get" droplets that may have fallen on the ground onto our feet or paws and then come back in the house and ruin everything.  

ps: this is a completely different question... when is the right time to take Tamiflu if you are infected? I've heard 24-48 hours after the onset, if you are infected, but I'm not clear how we would know if we had this particular virus, and if you have Tamiflu and take it when you have the seasonal flu, you would be getting rid of your only supply of life-saving medicine. So I guess my question is two-part: When do you take it and how do you know it's not the seasonal flu?

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by: 12paws @ Mon May 04, 2009 at 00:13:02 AM UTC

A friend's dog had very sore feet and she made her little booties

out of rubber (which could be washed). Now I can't remember what she made them out of but it was proably ballons. I know you can buy dog shoes but I expect they're expensive.

All that said, I think it's unlikely that your dog or cat would catch this flu. H5N1 is fairly unique and not to be confused with A(H1N1).

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by: UK - Bird @ Mon May 04, 2009 at 20:08:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]