Virus Isolation and animals

[Jessey]

Are you really prepared, if you had to actually isolate yourself (not just minimizing contact, but true self isolation where you don't leave the place you are isolated to) due to virus concerns i.e. do you have a plan for someone else to care for your animals if they aren't at home? if they are at home and you got really sick, do you have a plan? how long are you set up for?

This just became a little more close to home for me, the person who drove me to London on Wednesday was put into isolation yesterday, not because he's symptomatic but because he was in a high risk country the week prior and the advise changed to say if you were in those countries in the past 14 days you should be isolated for 14 days from return, hopefully it's nothing but made me think about what if's.

I have a plan for isolation, I will pitch up my tent or borrow mums camper and stay at the field so I can take care of the horses myself and the cat would have to come with me. I have no plan for if I was laid up sick for 4-6 weeks though, the pet sitter I use could probably step in, but that would get expensive fast! I have enough hay in for a month (well I will on Monday when my next delivery arrives) and am going to get enough feed for a month (not unusual, just a couple of weeks early). I know I have friends who would pick stuff up for me if I couldn't too.

 

[OwnedbyChanter]

The problem I have with this is where does it start and where does it end. The news this morning was saying it will take weeks if not months to peak and pass.

Do you wait until someone you know is ill then do it.
Do you wait until you have symptoms then do it
Do you do it now to protect your self and family even if know one you know has been ill

Then what and how long for. If you get it then isolate for 14 days do you return to normal routine after?

Out yard has set strict rules about who can go where and who can help whom from which barn. We are a riding school as well and posters are going up about not entering the barns etc. One lady has had to isolate I am turning her pony out for her now as I have to walk passed her barn and her field every morning anyway. A friend is off to France on Monday to sign for their new home but she has been told not to go back to work on return and will not be allowed on the yard. I will help her as much as I can as my two are out 24/7 (she is also in her 60's).

My work looks like it will send us all home to work for 2 weeks so I am OK to go to the yard a random times. The problem I has is what then after two weeks home we all go back to the office and someone comes in to contact with someone after that and bring it in....

 

[Jessey]

My understanding is the self isolation is 14 days on return from a high risk area or 7 days if any symptoms even if you haven't been in a high risk area, and if symptoms haven't passed or got worse then you *should* be ok to return to normal. But I am a bit confused as hear so many American reports/requirements at work and can't remember what I hear where

But that's not really what I'm asking, what is the care plan for your animals, have you got in 6 months of hay in or do you normally buy in weekly? do you have enough feed to last if you can't go and get it? are you planning to have it delivered? what if your delivery person gets sick? or livery provider gets sick? do you have a pre arranged plan with a friend that they will do your animals if you have to isolate?

 

[Trewsers]

We are quite rural anyway so tend to keep on top of horse feed / hay / cat food anyway. But, we've made sure that we have at least a month's supply of everything like that in place. Yes, I have friends who I could ask to step in, but they have their own horses and they have their own health to protect. With ours being at home and literally right next to the house, I am hoping that should the worst happen one of us could crawl out there to feed. They might not get mucked out for a couple of days whilst the worst of the illness hit - but they'd get fed. They are all on straw / hay scrap beds so they won't starve either if push comes to shove! Plus we've made it so Zi can free range and if totally necessary Chloe can join him. Madam might be miffed but tough titty for her lol
I have enough of their medication too to last two months. My vets are super and will always post things to me quickly so that's a big help.
I used to buy things like supplements as and when I needed them, but I've got more organised and now have a bottle of devil claw in hand if you will. Same with boxes of danilon and prascend. I also have plenty of horse treats in too!!!

 

[Trewsers]

@Jessey that's a good point you've just raised about the delivery person - with regard to hay / horse feed. I have sourced hay for a few years now locally but I always keep in a small stock of bagged branded stuff like Horsehage - mainly because if Storm tweaks her leg again, if on box rest it cheers her up to have something "different" to nibble on.
So in that respect we'd manage even if our regular source was unable to get here. I also keep things like Allen and Paige Fast Fibre in, the old ladies have poor teeth so it's nice for them and you can make it sloppy. And it slows their eating time down - so it's something to keep their gut moving which is a plus.

 

[Trewsers]

The problem I have with this is where does it start and where does it end. The news this morning was saying it will take weeks if not months to peak and pass.

Do you wait until someone you know is ill then do it.
Do you wait until you have symptoms then do it
Do you do it now to protect your self and family even if know one you know has been ill

Then what and how long for. If you get it then isolate for 14 days do you return to normal routine after?

Out yard has set strict rules about who can go where and who can help whom from which barn. We are a riding school as well and posters are going up about not entering the barns etc. One lady has had to isolate I am turning her pony out for her now as I have to walk passed her barn and her field every morning anyway. A friend is off to France on Monday to sign for their new home but she has been told not to go back to work on return and will not be allowed on the yard. I will help her as much as I can as my two are out 24/7 (she is also in her 60's).

My work looks like it will send us all home to work for 2 weeks so I am OK to go to the yard a random times. The problem I has is what then after two weeks home we all go back to the office and someone comes in to contact with someone after that and bring it in....

That's a good point too. Where does it all end. How I am seeing it right now from this morning - is that it's going to be a new lifestyle for quite some time. I think the whole of the uk will have to re-assess how it lives. And I think to a point it will be dependent on where you live and where you work. There will be more changes I should imagine for someone living in a large city than there are for us up here on a tiny set of islands. However, we still need to be vigilant about being in close contact / hand washing etc. The travel links are so good these days, it isn't as isolated as many believe it to be.

 

[chunky monkey]

It's easy to say that friends will get stuff for us but reality hits home if they are in isolation too. Then what.
I'm afraid that if all of our house go down with the virus. There is no one else we can call on to step in to do the animals. We would have to ring the hunt or fallen stock man and get them out to shot the animals. We couldn't send them to market as there aren't going to be any. It will be like foot and mouth. Lots of dead animals piled up in fields.
I know the thought that we could go out tomorrow and get run over by a bus. But we also have to consider that in a fortnight, 3 weeks we could also be dead from this virus. It's a scary thought.

 

[OwnedbyChanter]

My understanding is the self isolation is 14 days on return from a high risk area or 7 days if any symptoms even if you haven't been in a high risk area, and if symptoms haven't passed or got worse then you *should* be ok to return to normal. But I am a bit confused as hear so many American reports/requirements at work and can't remember what I hear where

But that's not really what I'm asking, what is the care plan for your animals, have you got in 6 months of hay in or do you normally buy in weekly? do you have enough feed to last if you can't go and get it? are you planning to have it delivered? what if your delivery person gets sick? or livery provider gets sick? do you have a pre arranged plan with a friend that they will do your animals if you have to isolate?

My point was if you are only isolated for 14 days and then go about as normal after you wouldn't need a long term plan. I normally have enough hay for 1 week (no storage for more but shop on site) and feed for 1 month. I will from now on make sure I have enough for 14 days.

 

[Native Lover]

My ponies are on 25 acres so in theorythere ok my sharers and myself go up.....and just did a post on the farm group chat so everyone is pretty much sorted in respect of ponies but if touch wood me and my partner were fatalities who would take on my dog n parrot . I did jokingly tell my daughter she’s inheriting my animals. But tbh it is something we need to consider.

 

[Trewsers]

My ponies are on 25 acres so in theorythere ok my sharers and myself go up.....and just did a post on the farm group chat so everyone is pretty much sorted in respect of ponies but if touch wood me and my partner were fatalities who would take on my dog n parrot . I did jokingly tell my daughter she’s inheriting my animals. But tbh it is something we need to consider.

I was having similar thoughts last night. I was thinking about my horses. Two of which are special needs and one in particular who wouldn't last long even in a sanctuary. I need to sort something out, it's keeping me awake at night. It's what happens in the interim that worries me. Hmm. This rotten virus is giving me some horrible things to think about.

 

[Jessey]

My point was if you are only isolated for 14 days and then go about as normal after you wouldn't need a long term plan. I normally have enough hay for 1 week (no storage for more but shop on site) and feed for 1 month. I will from now on make sure I have enough for 14 days.

You only come out of isolation after 14 days if you do not develop further/worse symptoms, it could be many weeks or worse if you do......that's the scary bit

 

[Jessey]

It's easy to say that friends will get stuff for us but reality hits home if they are in isolation too. Then what.
I'm afraid that if all of our house go down with the virus. There is no one else we can call on to step in to do the animals. We would have to ring the hunt or fallen stock man and get them out to shot the animals. We couldn't send them to market as there aren't going to be any. It will be like foot and mouth. Lots of dead animals piled up in fields.
I know the thought that we could go out tomorrow and get run over by a bus. But we also have to consider that in a fortnight, 3 weeks we could also be dead from this virus. It's a scary thought.

That is absolutely the truth too, if this really takes hold in the UK then the animals will be low on the worry list and many will die or be put down because there simply aren't any other options.

 

[chunky monkey]

Yes I've sort of furthered my thoughts on yesterday when I said, well if in isolation and no other food I could eat my animals. Sorry Jessey I know your vege.
But when you really think further what does happen if we did get ill. We would have to put them down. It's frightening how life can change in an instant.

 

[Jessey]

Yes I've sort of furthered my thoughts on yesterday when I said, well if in isolation and no other food I could eat my animals. Sorry Jessey I know your vege.
But when you really think further what does happen if we did get ill. We would have to put them down. It's frightening how life can change in an instant.

No need to apologize to me, I am not a moral veggie, I just don't like eating meat because of the texture, I will still kill it (begrudgingly) and cook it if someone needs to eat. Its a fact of life, if we can't care for it then killing it is far more humane than letting it starve.

 

[Kite_Rider]

We were talking about this at the yard this morning, we are solely DIY, no one lives on site so yard shouldn’t have to go into lockdown, we’ve enough hay on site to last until this years is ready and I’ve enough Belle grub in to last probably three months, just bought a box of bute so enough of that too.
We’ve all agreed that if one or more of us has to self isolate everyone else will pitch in and help out and if it gets to a point where we all have to the last one out will have to chuck them all out and pray they’re ok until someone can check them, that said I can’t imagine we’d all have self isolate at the same time.

 

[MrA]

I'm planning to get in my car, drive down there, avoid anyone and not touch anything, wear a mask and other PPE and otherwise do Ale twice a day as normal. By not touching anything I wouldn't spread it surely? Not alot else I can do really as don't particularly have anyone to rely on.

We have hay lined up to be delivered weekly, they have said even if they get it they will still be delivering just not leaving the vehicle and we will unload ourselves. Animals need to eat.

 

[MrA]

But if I can't do that then I have absolutely no idea what I would do, hopefully someone would be able to give him hay at least.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

Mine are at home so I guess we will cope somehow, we get our hay delivered in by a neighbour, we have feed in at the moment and could get more and stock pile it. we get cat and dog food on line.

 

[Jessey]

I'm planning to get in my car, drive down there, avoid anyone and not touch anything, wear a mask and other PPE and otherwise do Ale twice a day as normal. By not touching anything I wouldn't spread it surely? Not alot else I can do really as don't particularly have anyone to rely on.

We have hay lined up to be delivered weekly, they have said even if they get it they will still be delivering just not leaving the vehicle and we will unload ourselves. Animals need to eat.

That's my position (no one else to do them really) I've no idea if it could still be spread by doing as you suggest, I think that's the big worry with it as no one really understands how it is spread currently. There was a study reported recently (in the last 24 hours) that it can live in the air for 2-3 hours, on cardboard for 24 hours and on stainless steel and plastic for 2-3 days. I guess potentially if you are infected it could be on anything coming out of your house on you including your ppe, touching door handles, gate handles, taps and goodness knows what else, even if you avoid touching shared things. Could it then areosolise from those things? I'd guess low chance, but who knows! It's unlikely though, right?

 

[CharliesAngel]

crikey it makes me so happy to be in ar*e end of nowhere up our own access track. We have water off our own well, loads of veggies, eggs and a stocked freezer. The only thing I am really glad of is that its not coming into winter!