⚠️COVID-19 AND YOUR PETS ⚠️
Today I have had a lot of calls asking if humans can pass COVID 19 to their pets…. or if pets can pass it to humans.
The short answer is NO.
The coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness in humans and animals.
Covid-19 is a new strain of coronavirus currently causing flu-like symptoms in humans across the world.
On 1 March, a dog in Hong Kong tested weakly positive for low levels of the Covid-19 virus, but showed no symptoms and has since tested negative.
At present, there is no evidence that pets can give Covid-19 to humans or become unwell with the virus.
We advise all pet owners to maintain good hygiene practices while looking after their pets.
What is Coronavirus and Covid-19?
There are many different types of coronavirus, they are a family of viruses that cause illness in both humans and animals. Some strains of coronavirus affect humans, such as the common cold and Covid-19, and others affect animals, such as Feline Infectious Peritonitis (more details below). Fortunately, most strains of coronavirus only affect one species, and don’t spread between humans and animals.
Can pets catch Covid-19?
At present, there is no evidence that pets can become unwell or spread the Covid-19 virus between themselves or back to humans.
On 1 March, a dog in Hong Kong tested ‘weakly positive’ for the Covid-19 virus. The dog, who belonged to a Covid-19 positive patient showed a ‘weakly positive’ test result on several occasions, but had no symptoms of the disease. The dog returned home from quarantine after testing negative for the virus, but sadly passed away two days later. The cause of death is unknown but it has been noted that the dog was 17 years old.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) says: “We are particularly keen not to cause any unnecessary concern that could lead to pet abandonment. At present, there is no evidence that pet animals can infect humans or other animals with Covid-19, or that they become sick because with the virus. The main source of infection remains human-to-human transmission.”
Coronavirus in pets
There are strains of that can cause illness in dogs and cats, but these are not the same as the Covid-19 coronavirus. Examples include:
‘Type 1 & 2 canine coronavirus’ that both cause diarrhoea.
‘Canine respiratory coronavirus’ that causes Kennel Cough.
‘Feline enteric coronavirus’ that causes diarrhoea in cats.
‘Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)’ in cats.
When to contact your vet!!
As always, call your vet for advice if you are concerned that your pet is unwell.
Pet owners should keep themselves updated on the development of this disease. We will endeavour to keep this page up-to-date as more information is discovered.
If you need to visit the vet with your pet, ALWAYS FOLLOW THEIR PROTECTIVE PROTOCOL .