The coronavirus has already changed life as we know it.  Schools are closed, sports are canceled and millions of people worldwide are working from home to contain the spread of the virus.  In this time of prioritizing social distancing to lessen our chances of infection, what should your concerns be as a pet owner?

Cases in animals

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Veterinary Service Laboratories (NVSL), have confirmed zero cases of pets contracting COVID-19 in the United States.  On top of that, there is no evidence to indicate that pets can be a means of infection. 

Across the globe, there have been three cases of pets themselves becoming infected by the disease.  Two dogs and one cat in Hong Kong along with another cat in Belgium.  All of which involved the pet being taken care of by somebody who had already tested positive for the disease.  

On February 28th, 2020, reports from Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) stated that a 17-year-old Pomeranian had tested “weakly positive” for SARS-COV-2, meaning only a scarce amount was detected.  While positive samples were taken from the nasal and oral cavities, the rectal swab and fecal samples turned out negative.  The dog didn’t display any signs of respiratory issues.  Samples were taken again on March 13th which proved negative, and the dog was released the next day.  Unfortunately, the Pomeranian ended up dying several days after being released.  But due to the dog’s age and pre-existing health complications, COVID-19 was likely not the cause of death.

Another Hong Kong case included a two-year-old German Shepard whose owner had contracted the disease.  Once the owner tested positive, he and the dog were quarantined.  The Shepard consistently tested negative until March 18th.  The dog tested positive through March 20th and then negative for the proceeding 10 days.  On April 3rd, the AFCD reported the dog had developed neutralizing antibodies and was able to recover.  

Headlines formed quickly on April 5th when a tiger at the first zoo became the species’ first confirmed case of the virus.  Coincidentally big cats in the neighboring exhibits began to show signs of respiratory issues such as a dry cough and wheezing.  No nasal or ocular discharge was reported.  It’s believed that the tiger was infected by a zookeeper who had not been experiencing any symptoms.

As we continue to learn more about this virus, those infected with COVID-19 should be extra cautious in terms of contact, as well as wash hands before and after each interaction. Routine testing for pets is not yet necessary, being there are yet to be any cases in the United States.  Veterinarians around the country are urging owners to rule out other more prevalent diseases before getting your pet tested.  In terms of everyday life, owners can make sure to have a supply of pet food and medications, being as it may be more difficult to get than usual.