By now, you should know a lot about steps you need to take to protect yourself and members of your household from coronavirus (COVID-19), including social distancing, washing your hands for at least 20 seconds, and wiping down surfaces. But what about your dog or cat? Do you need to be protecting your pets from coronavirus?
As with all topics related to COVID-19, there is a lot of misinformation out there. And because this is such an emotionally charged issue, it can be difficult to come by reliable data.
Let's go over everything you need to know about pets and coronavirus, going by the latest information which is available at this time.
Can Your Pet Get Sick With COVID-19?
It is widely stated that your dog or cat cannot contract coronavirus and develop symptoms of sickness. There is some emerging evidence, however, which suggests that animals can indeed come down with COVID-19.
This image is supposed to be humorous. You should never put a mask onto your dog :)
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) states the following: “While two dogs (Hong Kong) and two cats (one in Belgium and one in Hong Kong) living with people diagnosed with COVID-19 have been reported to have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, other dogs and cats also living with infected people remain uninfected. New research articles have been posted to open-access sites on an almost daily basis that describe preliminary results suggesting some domestic animals can be experimentally infected with SARS-CoV-2 and may transmit the virus to other animals in an experimental setting or mount a viral-specific immune response when exposed to SARS-CoV-2.”
Nevertheless, AVMA is quick to point out that this is a limited amount of evidence, and adds: "To date the CDC has not received any reports of pets becoming sick with COVID-19 in the United States. Infectious disease experts and multiple international and domestic human and animal health organizations continue to agree there is no evidence at this point to indicate that, under natural conditions, pets spread COVID-19 to people.”
PetMD elaborates on the Hong Kong cases, stating, “Neither dog developed symptoms, and the dogs are not thought to have played any role in the owner’s (or anyone else’s) illness.”
So, even though reality appears to be a little bit more complicated than one might think, on the whole, it does not seem that there is much reason at all for concern that your dog or cat will become sick with coronavirus.
Can Your Pet Carry COVID-19?
As also just as stated in the quote above, it does not seem likely that your pet could transmit COVID-19 to you the way that a human infected with the virus could.
But just as coronavirus can end up on an inert surface like a door knob or a cup or an item of clothing, it can also get on your pet’s fur.
So, in that sense, a dog or cat can become a carrier. If your dog has coronavirus in his fur, and you pet him, you could get it on your hand, and could ultimately become infected.
Can You Get COVID-19 from Your Pet?
We pretty much just answered this question, but to reiterate, yes, you can theoretically pick up COVID-19 from a dog or cat, whether yours or someone else's, if the virus gets in that animal’s fur.
Can You Transmit COVID-19 to Your Pet?
You now know that you are unlikely to get your pets sick if you have a COVID-19 infection. But you also now know that you can still spread the virus to your pets’ fur if you pet them or cough on them.
Since there does still seem to be some possibility that the virus could infect some animals, it is not worth taking any extra risks with yours, however unlikely an active infection in a dog or cat may be.
Also, for reasons of pure hygiene and to protect yourself or other uninfected humans in your household, any infected member of your household should self-isolate not just from other human family members, but also from household pets as well.
Say, for example, that your teenager is afflicted with a mild case of coronavirus, and pets your dog. You then pet your dog, picking up the virus from his fur, and the next thing you know, you are infected (possibly with a more severe case). That is what you want to prevent.
Precautions to Protect Your Pets and Yourself from COVID-19
To reduce the chances of transmission and infection among yourself, your family members, your pets, and others whom you come into contact with, observe the following precautions:
If you or another member of your household is infected with coronavirus, self-isolate from your dog or cat to the best of your ability. Have someone else handle feeding, walks, etc. if it is possible (a professional dog walker can help if nobody at home can). Avoid petting your dog or cat until you are no longer contagious.
Don’t touch other peoples’ pets, and wash your hands if you do. If, for example, you are out taking a walk, and someone else's dog jumps up on you unavoidably, just make sure that you wash up when you get home before you touch anything else.
Follow regular self-isolating and cleaning protocols. Any time you go out of quarantine, make sure that you wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds. Keep up with regularly wiping down frequently-used surfaces and any new items you bring into your household.
Wash your hands (and consider washing your pet) after contact with a vet, dog walker, boarding facility, etc. There is no way to guarantee that any of these haven't been exposed to the virus.
Consider fostering or adopting. A lot more animals are ending up in shelters than usual because of the virus. Consider opening your home to a new dog or cat.
Conclusion
You now know that your pet is highly unlikely to be infected with COVID-19, but can carry the virus on his fur, and can spread it to you or other members of your household. But thankfully, with a few simple precautions, you should be able to keep your pet and everyone else in your home safe. We are taking the pandemic very seriously, at Doggy Strides. We are abiding by all of the governments orders and guidelines. As we transition back to opening business, we will due diligence to maintain the highest level of cleanliness and sanitation. We will continue to practice social distancing to the best of our abilities. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us. Thanks and stay safe.