Covid And Pets
A small number of pets worldwide including cats and dogs have been reported external icon to be infected with the virus that causes covid 19 mostly after close contact with people with covid 19.
Covid and pets. Wear gloves when you interact with your pet or its food dishes waste or bedding. Keep the pets isolated to one area of the home in order to minimize. If your pet tests positive for the virus that causes covid 19 follow the same precautions you would if a family member became infected. Wash your hands after touching any of your pet s items.
Science s covid 19 reporting is supported by the pulitzer center and the heising simons foundation. This work is being done to help us better understand how common sars cov 2 infection might be in pets as well as the possible. They include pet cats and zoo animals. The tiny number that did were cats and they only developed very mild symptoms such as coughing or breathing slightly faster than usual.
Dog to definitively test positive for covid 19 died in new york city. Individuals at higher risk for severe covid 19 illness people over 70 years or with underlying health conditions should avoid being temporary caregivers to exposed animals if possible. A few cats have reportedly tested positive for covid 19 after they came into contact with people who were infected. Infected pets might get sick or they might not have any symptoms.
Early studies have found that cats are the. Symptoms of covid 19 in pets to date most of the small number of pets that have tested positive for the covid 19 virus showed no symptoms at all. Aim to isolate your pet in a separate room away from the rest of your family and have your pet stay at home. Further evidence for how pets might contract covid 19 comes from a study by researchers at the harbin veterinary research institute in china published in the journal science on april 8.
Of the pets that have gotten sick most only had mild illness and fully recovered. These animals are being tested for sars cov 2 infection and also tested to see whether the pet develops antibodies to this virus. It is rare for an animal to contract coronavirus and they tend to show only mild symptoms and recover within a few. Only wash or use products on your pets that are approved for use on animals.
Cdc usda and state public health and animal health officials are working in some states to conduct active surveillance of sars cov 2 in pets including cats dogs and other small mammals that had contact with a person with covid 19. Testing is only recommended for pets that have symptoms and have been exposed to a person with covid 19.