Several weeks ago, some alarm followed reports of a dog in Hong Kong that seemed to carry the novel coronavirus.
Since then, we’ve learned a lot, but not nearly enough, about this highly contagious virus.
Can dogs carry the virus and transmit it to their humans? Can dogs get sick with it?
- The CDC states that there is no evidence that pets have become infected from contact with infected humans, but recommends good hygiene around pets (of course!); a small number of pets have been found to test positive after contact with an infected person, but there is no known pet-to-human transmission of COVID-19. Find more info from the CDC on COVID-19 and pets on their FAQ.
- There is also no evidence that humans can or have gotten COVID-19 from pets.
- It does not seem to sicken dogs.
- There is some evidence that cats and ferrets might transmit the virus to other cats / ferrets, but that was in “lab experiments in which a small number of animals were deliberately given high doses of the virus” and not cause for alarm; that information is from a recently published, not peer-reviewed, study.
In any case, humans who are infected should limit interactions with pets as well as with other humans and wash their hands frequently.