Coronavirus in Pets

Coronavirus in pets

There is no evidence that shows Covid-19 causes illness in pets or that they can spread it between themselves or back to humans.

  • Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness mainly in humans. Some types of coronavirus can pass between humans and animals, but most do not.
  • Covid-19 is a new strain of coronavirus that is currently causing flu-like symptoms in humans.
  • There is no evidence that dogs and cats can be carriers of the Covid-19 virus, or that they can become ill from it themselves.
  • It is essential that good hygiene practices are maintained while looking after their pets.

There are many strains of the coronavirus that occur worldwide. Some of these strains exist in the United Kingdom and from time to time can infect our pets. Within dogs these viruses are known as Canine Coronavirus Disease or CCV. This type of virus can highly infectious for dogs and causes sporadic outbreaks of intestinal infection, which is short-lived but tends to cause significant abdominal pain.

Most cases of CCV arise due to oral contact with infected faecal matter, as well as from contaminated food bowls, or nose to nose contact with an infected dog.

There is no evidence that shows Covid-19 causes illness in pets or that they can spread it between themselves or back to humans.

The main source of infection for the Covid-19 virus is human-to-human transmission.

There isn’t a vaccine available for Covid-19. There are vaccines that can be used to protect puppies from coronaviruses that cause diarrhoea, but this vaccine doesn’t provide any protection against other strains of coronavirus.

The signs of coronavirus can easily be confused with other diseases, so please seek veterinary advice if your cat or dog has diarrhoea that does not resolve within 24 hours or is associated with significant lethargy or loss of appetite.


Article by Just For Friends,