In the world of COVID-19, clean and germ-free is essential for humans but also for their pets. In the world of therapy dogs it too is very important your dog remains clean and tidy always. If you have children, you visit someone with a compromised immune system or even maybe living with someone with a compromised immune system you may want to stock up on the dog shampoo and or wipes containing chlorhexidine. It is also imperative to pay attention to your dog’s diet as well. Nowadays the raw food diet is becoming all the rage. However, you need to be careful if your pups are playing with children or are active therapy dogs as you do not want them passing on infections from their diet.
Today we have what is called Reading Education Assistance Dogs that help young readers at schools and libraries in states like Connecticut. However, there are strict guidelines to every visit a dog must follow. These guidelines are essential to keeping the children healthy. For example, the dog must remain clean, well groomed and parasite free. They should have short nails cut and filed to avoid scratching a child. They should have clean teeth, eyes and ears, be in good health. It is recommended that the dog be exercised and eliminate before each visit and lastly be freshly bathed. Some facilities make this a requirement.
According the the researchers at John Hopkins University therapy dog must be bathed 24 hours before each visit with shampoo containing 2% chlorhexidine which is a skin disinfectant and antiseptic. They should also be wiped down with chlorhexidine wipes before entering and or leaving a facility as well as wiped down between patients. The puppies we breed can work as a therapy dog. Should you be interested in getting your dog into a program you are always able to contact your nearest organization for details on their grooming and training requirements. The best place to start is having your dog pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. You can find all the information on the testing at AKC.org.