The APDT Chronicle of the Dog Summer 2020 | Page 42

FEATURE | WHAT DOG TRAINERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COVID-19
in the home. Close contact, such as hugging and kissing, should
be avoided. Of course, dog trainers know these actions are also
advised against for the purpose of dog bite prevention.
Whether or not someone is known to have COVID-19, proper
hand hygiene should be practiced, along with regular cleaning
of the animal’s food and water bowls, bedding, and toys. Pets
and service dogs should be kept clean, and the hands should be
washed before and after contact with any animal. This will help
prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens to
the animal and the transmission of zoonotic disease from the
animal to the person.
Testing companion animals: There is no evidence that domestic
animals, including pets and livestock, can spread SARS-CoV-2,
and as of the writing of this article, the CDC had not received
any confirmed reports of pets or livestock becoming ill with
COVID-19 in the United States from the National Veterinary
Services Laboratories (NVSL). The current expert consensus
is that COVID-19 is spread primarily through close contact
with infected people. Therefore, testing is not recommended
for pets except by official order. A decision to test is to be made
collaboratively between state, local and federal animal and public
health officials. Once a decision is made, state animal health
officials designate a USDA-accredited veterinarian to collect
diagnostic samples using appropriate collection methods and PPE.
If dogs or cats present with respiratory or gastrointestinal signs,
veterinarians are advised to test for more common pathogens and
conditions before considering testing for COVID-19.
HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF SAFE
The best way to protect yourself is through “social distancing,”
avoiding crowds, and remaining six or more feet away from
people. Cover your mouth with a tissue, or cough into the inside
of your elbow to avoid dispersal of droplets which can land on
objects and surfaces that other people might touch, as well as
directly into the nose, mouth, and lungs of bystanders. Wash
your hands frequently, including after coughing or sneezing.
I heard someone say she was going to wash her hands every
hour. That’s unnecessary unless you’re a healthcare worker. The
important thing to remember is to wash your hands at the right
times using the proper method. In addition to washing your
hands after you cough or sneeze, wash them before and after
you eat, before you prepare food, before and after eating, after
blowing your nose, after touching an animal, after touching
garbage or hazardous waste, after using the toilet, and anytime
they are visibly soiled.
You don’t need hand sanitizer. Due to its chemical structure,
soap and water is actually better for breaking apart the virus
and removing it from your hands. However, alcohol is a good
substitute when you’re on the go or when soap and water is
not available. If you use hand sanitizer, make sure you rub the
sanitizer over all surfaces of your hands and wrists, including
your thumbs and fingertips, backs of your hands and fingers, and
between your fingers for at least 20 seconds or until the alcohol
dries. As soon as soap and running water is available, wash your
hands again. If you use soap and water, work up a lather under
running water. It doesn’t matter if the water is warm or cold.
Rub all surfaces for at least 20 seconds, or the time it takes you
to sing Happy Birthday through twice. Shut off the faucet with
a clean paper towel and avoid public doorknobs and handles. If
you must use them, sanitize your hands again.
Avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes with unwashed
hands and stay away from sick people and people who are
coughing. Due to the current shortage of FDA-cleared surgical
face masks, the CDC has recommended contingency guidelines
for their use by healthcare professionals. This means that face
masks may be used for extended periods of time.
If a work situation involves close contact with a large volume of
potentially infected patients who may cough in close proximity
to healthcare workers, you will see healthcare professionals
wearing surgical, a.k.a. procedure or isolation face masks. These
masks protect against splashes and sprays. They do not prevent
the virus from being inhaled in the air around the edges of the
mask. Face masks become contaminated once they get moist,
so under normal circumstances (non-contingency and noncrisis
situations where there is not a lack of PPE), they should be
changed with each patient and procedure.
N95 respirators, so named because they filter out 95 percent of
0.3-micron test particles, are masks healthcare professionals use
for protection against certain pathogens that are spread through
airborne transmission. These masks are NIOSH-approved and
must be fit-tested annually by a qualified individual. They are
40 Building Better Trainers Through Education
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