When you feel sick, it helps to have a sympathetic friend, even if that friend happens to have four legs and a tail. Many of us want to snuggle with our furry friends when we’re not feeling good. It’s also true that most of the ailments that make us sick are not transmissible to our pets. Unfortunately, that may not be true of COVID.
While it is unlikely we can get COVID from our furry friends, new studies have shown that dogs and cats living with COVID-positive humans may have COVID antibodies in their systems, indicating they also had become infected with the virus at some point.
A Dutch study reported that about twenty percent of dogs and cats living in homes with infected humans had contracted COVID. Even though the number of pets reported to be infected with COVID is a relatively small number, and it has not been shown that pets can transmit it to humans, our furry friends can get pretty sick if they develop the disease. It is suspected that close contact between an animal and a human with COVID, such as petting, cuddling, even sleeping with a pet, increases the possibility the animal may become infected.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommendations for pet owners. First every eligible person in the household should be vaccinated. Anyone with COVID should not have contact with a pet, and pet owners should not allow pets to be around any unvaccinated people outside the household.
The CDC also warns not to use chemical disinfectants, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, hand sanitizer, counter-cleaning wipes or other surface cleaners on your pet. If you think your pet may have COVID, do not take it to the veterinary clinic; instead, call your vet for advice on what you need to do.
Keeping your pet safe at home, and away from any family member with COVID symptoms, will help your pet to stay healthy. After all, that's what we do for our best friends, when we’re speaking of pets.
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