Can Your Pet Get COVID-19?

One common concern of many pet-owners is “Can my pet get COVID-19?”

This raises concern, because infected animals can show symptoms of the infection and may require added care if they get too sick. 

With this in mind, pet owners should make sure they know as much as possible about minimizing the risk factor of a pet becoming infected OR an infected pet transmitting the virus to their owner.

The Types of Pets Most at Risk

Very few pets have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. 

In a recent study by the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, it was observed that six of 154 cats (around 3.9%) and 7 of 156 dogs (around 4.5%) tested positive for COVID-19 – making it very unlikely for your pets to contract the virus.

However, this does not rule out that they are safe from the coronavirus, as it is still possible that they can become very ill with this strain.

More cats than dogs have tested positive since the beginning of the pandemic, including large cats at zoos, but with a low number of infected animals, it is difficult to tell which types of animals are more at risk of becoming sick.

It is advised pet owners take steps to minimize the risk of pets catching this coronavirus and know what to do if their pet does show symptoms.

How to Minimize the Risk of Covid in Pets

While the chances of a house pet contracting COVID-19 is low, owners should know what they can do to keep their pets as safe as possible during this pandemic. There is no vaccine available for animals yet. However, there are other steps pet owners can take to make sure the risk of contracting COVID-19 is low.

• Don’t Let Pets Interact With Others: Avoid taking pets to dog parts or allowing strangers to pet them. Though the risk of transmission is low from these interactions, it is best to avoid them to protect your pets.
• Keep Pets on Leashes: Dogs should be on a leash when taking a walk to prevent them from running up to other people in the case of encountering a potential carrier
• Keep Cats Indoors: If possible, keep cats indoors unless they are going on a walk on a leash. When they are outdoors, it’s difficult to keep them in the yard and away from other people or animals.
• Separate Pets From Anyone Who Tests Positive: If someone in the household tests positive for coronavirus, keep the pets away from them. Pets who have tested positive were in close contact with a person in their household who tested positive, so separation can help reduce the risk.

What Symptoms Would a Pet Show?

If contracted, pets will display many similar symptoms as infected humans. 

This may include, but not limited to:

• Fever
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Running Nose
• Difficulty Breathing
• Lack of Energy
• Eye Discharge
• Vomiting
• Diarrea

 If pets do have these symptoms, it’s highly recommended to take them to a veterinarian to determine via test if they currently have COVID-19.

What to Do if a Pet Tests Positive

If a pet is showing any of the symptoms listed above and tests positive for coronavirus, consult a veterinarian about how to handle the situation. 

Given the symptoms aren’t severe, the vet will likely recommend home isolation for the pet. Make sure to take the same precautions that would be taken if a human in the household is sick, like wearing gloves and a mask when caring for them. 

Track the symptoms and make sure they stay inside at all times until they have not shown symptoms for 72 hours and it has been 14 days since they tested positive.

Spreading Coronavirus to Humans

If a pet tests positive for COVID-19, it is a good idea to take precautions just in case. However, as of right now, there is lacking evidence to suggest pets being a source of infection or that they can spread the virus to humans. 

It is a good idea to make sure they are isolated from other pets until they recover, but the chance of the virus spreading to humans is low. 

Always consult a veterinarian for the latest updates on this information and take precautions just in case a pet contracts COVID-19. Since new strains can appear, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to transmission from pets to humans.

Pet owners can rest assured that the potential for dogs, cats, and other pets to catch COVID-19 is low. 

However, in the unlikely case that a pet does contract the virus, precautions should still be taken to help minimize the risk for beloved pets. 

We hope this information to help keep your pets safe and prevent them from becoming sick has been helpful. For more questions, leave a comment or reach out to us at support@covxlabs.com