Coronavirus Covid-19 and The Safety of Your Pets
March 17, 2020
Everyone is concerned about coronavirus right now and pet owners want to know what to do about their pets’ health during this pandemic. Should I quarantine the cat? Should I sanitize the dog? We find out the facts and give you some tips on staying safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Get out of my face!
One of the hardest things to do is stop hugging and kissing your dog or cat, but during a pandemic – that’s exactly what you need to do. While this particular strain of Covid-19 does not infect cats or dogs, they are susceptible to another kind of coronavirus, a form of gastroenteritis.
Coronavirus and dogs
Recently in the news, a dog in Hong Kong was reported with low-grade coronavirus infection. A blood test showed no signs of antibodies, so this was a low-risk case and likely not the same Covid-19 strain. Nonetheless, it is better not to smother your dog or cat in kisses right now.
Does my dog or cat need to wear a mask?
Some people have even gone to the extreme measures of masking their dogs, but this really isn’t necessary. Experts have told us that masks offer little protection for healthy individuals, so why would it work for dogs or cats?
Limit social contact
Further steps can be taken to limit exposure to the virus by asking people not to pet your dog. You know how cute your dog is and how much people love to stop and tell you so, but now’s not the time for personal contact. The act of social distancing does apply to our pets too.
Practice safety when grooming
If you’re grooming your dog, be careful not to put your fingers into their mouth when cleaning their teeth or removing goop from their eyes. You never can be too careful.
Self-isolation means your cats and dogs too
Lastly, if you are in self-isolation because you're showing signs of infection, that means your pets are in isolation too. So exercise precaution and keep your cats and dogs safe. If you do happen to encounter a stop-and-pet-my-dog person while you’re out on a pee break, it wouldn’t hurt to give Fido a wipe down when you get back home. Always wash your hands upon returning home.
So the bottomline is – your dogs and cats cannot contract the Covid-19 strain, but are susceptible to another kind of coronavirus. They cannot spread the virus, unless an infected person comes into contact with them and transports those germs into your home. Cats cannot get the doggie version of coronavirus and dogs can’t get the kitty kind, so no worries of trans-species contamination. All in all, social distancing is the key. Stay home, stay safe!
PetBookToday
Source: AKC: Can dogs get coronavirus?