A typical scenario (an illustrative example drawn from common situations, not a review from any specific customer)

"We stopped smelling it, but Tua Daeng kept sneezing"

Prae's two-storey house off a side soi near upper Lat Phrao is home to five lives: Prae, her husband, a seven-year-old smooth-haired dachshund called Tua Daeng, a shy ginger cat called Som Jeed, and a cockatiel called Coco who whistles a greeting every morning. The ground floor belongs to the animals: Tua Daeng's bed beside the sofa, a cat tower by the window, and Coco's cage hanging near the back door.

In late September 2026, days of heavy rain pushed water into the house and flooded the ground floor. Prae carried the dog and cat upstairs, brought Coco's cage after them, and spent several days watching brown water swirl around the legs of the old sofa. When it drained, the ground floor was left with mud, tide marks on the walls and a drain smell so strong that every window had to stay open.

After the clean-up, the couple decided to do the repairs in one go. The ground-floor walls were repainted, the living room and garage floors were coated with epoxy so they would be easier to clean if water came again, the wooden staircase was lacquered and a new sofa replaced the drowned one. A week later the house looked brand new. There was still some paint and chemical smell, but the humans had grown used to it.

The animals had not. Tua Daeng sneezed constantly and licked his paws after walking on the new epoxy. Som Jeed refused to come downstairs and hid under the bed all day. Coco, who used to greet them every morning, went unusually quiet. Prae took them all to the vet, who advised reducing their exposure to chemical fumes and improving ventilation. Her next question was how to make a freshly repaired house safe for her animals as quickly as possible. Many pet-owning households are facing the same question after this flood.

The 2026 Bangkok floods and a city repairing all at once

According to news reports, between 24 and 27 September 2026 Bangkok received roughly 300 mm of continuous heavy rain in about 48 hours. On 26 September the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration declared all 50 districts a disaster zone. Eastern Bangkok was hit hardest, with Khlong Chan and Bueng Kum among the areas mentioned. Governor Chadchart said the canals were full and drainage would take two to three days after the rain stopped. As of 30 September, roads such as Si Burapha and Lat Phrao still had 20 to 40 cm of water. Thai media compared the event with the 2011 floods, and one Thai business report cited a Chamber of Commerce estimate of around 12,300 million baht in damage.

For pet owners, the flood meant caring for people and animals at the same time. The repair phase that follows is another hurdle few people anticipate. Pets live close to the floor and the walls and stay indoors almost all the time, while their owners leave for work or to buy materials. That makes pets the household members with the greatest exposure to paint and chemical vapours from repairs.

Why pets are affected more than people by post-repair chemical odours

1. Noses far more sensitive than ours

It is widely known that dogs and cats have a much keener sense of smell than humans. An odour that people describe as faint may still be strong for them. And once the humans get used to it, owners are more likely to overlook their animals' discomfort, which pets cannot put into words but show through behaviour.

2. Life at floor level

Dogs and cats walk, sleep and sniff at floor level, right beside freshly coated epoxy, flooring adhesive and newly painted skirting. Some vapours linger in the lower part of a closed room, and sanding dust collects in the corners of the floor. Pets are simply closer to the sources than a person standing or sitting on a chair.

3. Daily grooming of fur and paws

Cats groom themselves by licking their fur, and many dogs lick their paws when irritated. Repair dust or residue picked up from newly finished floors can therefore be swallowed. This is why vets usually advise keeping pets away from areas being renovated or recently coated.

4. Birds and small pets are especially sensitive

Birds are well known for having respiratory systems that are very sensitive to airborne fumes, which is why canaries were once used as warning signals in mines. Rabbits, hamsters and other small pets breathe quickly, have small bodies and usually live in cages they cannot leave to escape a smell. Fish can be affected by substances that dissolve into the tank water. Homes with these animals need extra care.

5. At home all day with no escape

Owners may be away eight to ten hours, but pets stay inside a house with doors and windows shut for security. That is when there is no airflow at all, so paint and adhesive vapours build up most at exactly the time nobody is there to notice.

Odour sources in a pet household after flood repairs

• Wall paint and primer, which can release significant VOCs in the first period after application, especially across freshly painted ground-floor walls.
• Epoxy floor coatings, popular for living rooms and garages because they are easy to wash, and walked on by pets every day.
• Lacquer and varnish on wooden stairs, doors or window ledges where cats like to sit or scratch.
• Thinner and solvents used to clean tools, often leaving a smell in the bathroom or back area.
• Flooring and skirting adhesives, releasing odour slowly from floor level.
• New sofas and furniture, with foam, fabric and engineered wood, often a pet's favourite place to sleep.
• Residual musty and drain odours from the flood in the lower walls, under cabinets and in floor drains.
• Old pet odours revived by moisture, such as urine in floor gaps or old rugs, made stronger by flood humidity.

When these combine in a house that stays closed all day, pets may show warning signs: frequent sneezing, watery eyes, rubbing the face on the floor, repeated paw licking or chewing, hiding, avoiding certain rooms, eating less, lethargy, or in birds, unusual silence, fluffed feathers or open-mouth breathing. If a pet has difficulty breathing, vomits, has a seizure or is very lethargic, take it to a vet immediately. Pets that waded through floodwater or mud should also be checked by a vet, since floods can carry diseases that affect animals. This article is not veterinary advice, and odour removal is not medical treatment.

What pet-loving families face

Animal health. Days of continuous irritation leave pets stressed, short of sleep and eating less. Older animals or those with heart or respiratory conditions can deteriorate more easily than healthy ones.

Behaviour. When the whole house suddenly smells different, some pets start urinating or marking indoors again, even if they were house-trained. Cats may refuse a litter tray that has been moved, and dogs may bark or howl more, adding new odours and stress to the household.

Cost. Vet bills, temporary boarding, pet-odour products and air purifiers all arrive just after the family has paid a large repair bill.

Time and emotion. Many families leave pets with relatives or at a pet hotel for weeks, waiting for smells to fade. The separation is hard on everyone, especially for animals that are closely bonded to their owners or still frightened after the flood.

Why the usual fixes do not suit a home with pets

Deodorising sprays and essential oils add a new smell on top of the old one without breaking down the source. Many vets also warn that some essential oils are unsuitable for cats and birds, so masking paint smell with fragrance may add to a pet's burden rather than relieve it.

Repeated bleach on the floor has its place in cleaning flood mud when used correctly, but it does nothing for paint or epoxy odour, and leftover chlorine on the floor is one more thing a pet's nose and paws must deal with.

Closing the room and running the air conditioner keeps pets cool while owners are out, but a standard air conditioner does not bring in fresh air, so vapours circulate in the room where the animal spends all day.

Painting over mustiness when the lower walls are still damp adds a new batch of VOCs and traps moisture under the paint. The mustiness comes back, and the pets will notice first.

Boarding pets elsewhere and waiting works in the long run but takes time and money, while the house itself has not been dealt with at the source.

The solution: WHD ozone odour and chemical-residue removal

World Health Disinfection (WHD) offers an ozone odour and chemical-residue removal service for homes, condominiums, offices, factories and other buildings. According to the service information, ozone (O3) breaks down odour molecules at the source rather than masking them. It targets paint, thinner, epoxy and lacquer odours, VOCs and musty smells, and also helps deal with bacteria, viruses and mold. It then reverts to oxygen, leaving no residue, and the space is ready to use about two hours after treatment.

For pet households, two points matter most. The service leaves no fragrance or chemical film on the floors where animals walk and sleep. And WHD measures TVOC (total volatile organic compounds) with calibrated instruments before and after treatment, so owners do not have to rely on noses that have already adapted to the smell. They have numbers to help decide when the house is ready for its four-legged and feathered members.

How the process works

1. Consultation and assessment. The team asks about the repaired areas, materials used, the types and number of pets, and any aquariums or cages that need moving, so preparation can be planned.
2. TVOC measurement before treatment with calibrated instruments.
3. Preparing the space. People, dogs, cats, birds, small pets, aquariums and plants are all moved out. Pet food, water bowls and treats are removed. Cabinets and internal doors are opened, and windows are closed to create a sealed space.
4. Treatment with a Master Ozone Generator in the closed, empty space, with time and concentration controlled for the area and odour level.
5. Rest and ventilation. Ozone reverts to oxygen, then the space is aired. No person or animal re-enters until the team says so.
6. TVOC measurement after treatment, compared with the starting reading, followed by handover and advice. According to the service information, the space is ready about two hours after treatment.

Non-negotiable safety rule: ozone treatment is done only in an empty, closed space. Every person and every animal, including birds, fish, reptiles, and all plants, must be out during treatment and may return only after the rest and ventilation period the team specifies. For birds and other very sensitive small animals, we recommend that a person goes in first, checks the air and opens extra windows before bringing the animals home.

The correct order: ozone comes last

Ozone does not replace mud removal, washing or drying. The recommended order is: remove mud and damaged items, wash every surface, dry walls and floors thoroughly, disinfect surfaces with a disinfectant used according to its label, such as Chemgene HLD4H, which the product information describes as safe for people and pets when used as directed, finish repairs and painting, let paint and epoxy cure as the manufacturer recommends, and then use ozone to deal with remaining odours and vapours before the pets come home.

10 reasons a pet household should ozone-treat after flood repairs

1. No fragrance needed to mask odours, because ozone chemical-odour removal breaks down odour molecules at the source.
2. Many odours handled together: paint, epoxy, lacquer, thinner, adhesive and flood mustiness.
3. No residue on surfaces pets lick and sleep on; according to the service information, ozone reverts to oxygen.
4. It reaches floor level and corners under sofas and behind cabinets, where pets like to curl up and where cloths and fans do not reach.
5. TVOC readings before and after let owners decide based on data rather than adapted noses.
6. It helps reduce old pet odours revived by moisture, which might otherwise encourage animals to re-mark the same spots.
7. It also helps deal with mold, bacteria and viruses in a house that was under water.
8. Shorter boarding time. According to the service information, the space is usable about two hours after treatment.
9. Professional safety control with a Master Ozone Generator, preparation steps for every type of pet and a clear ventilation period.
10. A home for every member again, people and animals together. See the ozone chemical-residue removal service.

Before and after ozone: a pet home repaired after the flood

Note: results depend on the house, the repair materials and how long paint and epoxy have cured. If walls are still damp or mud remains, fix the source first.

Example case: two rescue dogs and an epoxy garage in Bueng Kum

(An illustrative example to explain the process, not a testimonial from a real customer.)

Ton owns a townhouse in Bueng Kum and two mixed-breed dogs adopted from a rescue foundation, who sleep in the ground-floor garage. The late-September flood left the garage and living room under muddy water. Once it drained, Ton took both dogs to the vet for a check-up because they had waded through the soi, then hired cleaners, repainted the ground-floor walls and had the garage floor coated with epoxy.

The dogs stayed with Ton's sister during the work. When it was finished, he brought them back for one night. One refused to enter the garage at all; the other lay down but sneezed and rubbed its face on the floor all night. Ton contacted WHD. The team advised him to let the epoxy cure for the manufacturer's recommended time, clear the sanding dust and wash the dogs' bedding separately first.

On the day, the team measured TVOC, confirmed there were no people or animals inside, moved the dog-food bags out, opened the garage storage cabinets, then sealed the space and began treatment. After the rest and ventilation period they measured again for comparison and advised keeping the garage door open during the day for the first week.

Ton went back in first that evening and checked every room himself, then brought the dogs home the next day. Both explored the garage for a while before flopping down on their old beds. Ton continues to watch them and keeps their scheduled vet visits, because odour removal is not medical treatment.

Checklist for pet households: before and after ozone

During repairs

• Keep pets out of the work area, or board them elsewhere during painting, sanding and floor coating.
• Ask your contractor for low-VOC paints and low-odour materials where possible.
• Keep pet food, water bowls and toys away from construction dust.
• Have any pet that waded through floodwater checked by a vet.

Before ozone day

• Make sure all mud is gone and every surface is washed and dry.
• Disinfect surfaces with a disinfectant used according to its label.
• Let paint, adhesive and epoxy cure for the manufacturer's recommended time.
• Wash pet bedding, blankets and fabric toys separately, or take them out.
• Move bird cages, rabbit hutches, aquariums and plants out of the area.

After ozone

• Re-enter only after the team confirms the rest and ventilation period is complete.
• Let a person check first and open extra windows before bringing pets back, especially birds and small animals.
• Wash food and water bowls before use.
• Avoid air-freshener sprays and essential oils in the house.
• Watch your pets for a few days and see a vet if anything seems wrong.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I shut my pets in an upstairs room while the ground floor is treated?

We do not recommend it. Air moves through stairwells, under doors and through pipe chases, and ozone treatment requires an empty, closed space. The team will assess whether everyone should leave the whole house; for sensitive animals, the safest answer is to stay out until the house is ready.

2. My large aquarium cannot be moved. What should I do?

Tell the team when you first enquire so they can assess and plan case by case. An aquarium is a living system with air constantly in contact with the water surface, so it needs special consideration. Never treat a space with an aquarium left inside without discussing it first.

3. Will old pet urine smells disappear?

Ozone helps reduce airborne odours and odours on surfaces, but if urine has soaked deep into a rug or underlay, clean or replace that material first, then treat to deal with what remains.

4. When can my pets come home?

According to the service information, the space is ready about two hours after treatment. For birds and small animals, let a person go in first, check the air and open extra windows before bringing them back.

5. My pet is still sneezing after coming home. What now?

See a vet, as the cause could be infection after wading through floodwater, an allergy or a new odour source in the house. Also check for sources still releasing vapours, such as uncured paint or damp walls.

Bring your four-legged family home to clean air

Repairs done, but the dog sneezes, the cat hides and the bird is silent? Talk to the WHD team about ozone odour and chemical-residue removal, with TVOC measured before and after.

Book Ozone Chemical-Odour Removal

Call 065-556-6294  |  LINE @whd268  |  worldhealthdisinfection@gmail.com

Related pages

• Ozone odour and chemical-residue removal
• Residential and building ozone disinfection
• Chemgene HLD4H medical-grade disinfectant

References

• 2026 Bangkok floods (Wikipedia)
• Al Jazeera: Disaster zone declared across Bangkok
• CDC: Floods and cleanup