Amidst the rising confusion among people, one thing that has been on the minds of every pet owner is whether or not their pets are at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus. Humans and animals do have a lot of similarities in the diseases they contract, the Covid-19 is one of them if the instance of the tiger at the Bronx Zoo is to be considered.
With so much confusion surrounding the impacts of the Covid-19 on pets and them probably infecting the owners, it is important to lay out the facts.
Can pets be infected with Sars-CoV-2?
To answer this question, yes, your dogs and cats can be infected with the virus. There have been lab experiments on both cats and dogs and both of them have come out to be positive.
In a conducted study by the researchers in Hong Kong, they tested 17 dogs and 8 cats for Covid-19. Two of the dogs amidst them, a Pomeranian and a German Sepherd tested positive for the virus but didn’t get sick.
None of the cats that were tested reported to be sick or infected with the virus. Although, a separate report from Hong Kong has suggested an infection in a cat.
Aside from that, even another case of an infected cat was reported in Belgium. The cat is believed to have contracted the infection from its owners. It also showed signs of the disease and reported respiratory issues, diarrhea and vomitting.
Another mass study conducted in Wuhan included 102 cats, where they found that 15 of them tested positive for the antibody that is developed against the virus. This means that they have been exposed to the virus at some point in time.
The research paper further mentioned that with the “infected cat populations in Wuhan, implying that this risk could also occur at other outbreak regions.”
The study included cats from owners who have been infected with Covid-19, some strays and some from the veterinary hospital. Out of them, 3 cats were reported to be infected from the owners while the source of the infection in the remaining 12 is still unclear.
Can other animals contract the virus from my pet?
In case the dogs and cats were responsible for spreading the virus, the authorities will have to take stern action to control the spread. For finding more concrete answers to this possibility, a group of researchers in Wuhan inoculated the Sars-CoV-2 virus into the nose of the dogs and cats.
Once the virus was directly exposed, these infected animals were left in close contact with some non-infected and healthy animals.
Upon close inspection, the researchers found that the kittens and the adolescent cats can become infected when exposed to a high viral load. All the five kittens that were inoculated became sick and two out of them died as well. The adolescent cats, on the other hand, were able to recover without getting too sick.
The same study also found that cats have the potential to transmit the virus to other cats. 1/3rd of the non-infected cats after a week tested positive when exposed to the virus from the inoculated cats.
When it came to the dogs, the researchers found that the dogs are a lot more resistant to the virus and were unable to transmit the virus to the other animals.
But, since the conditions of the experiment are unnatural, it is tough to say whether the same is actually happening in the natural settings or not.
In short, the experiment suggests that the cats and dogs are not at all immune to the virus and might contract it.
Can your pets infect you if they test positive for Covid-19?
The last segment of discussion is whether or not humans can contract the virus from their pets. While the answer to that can’t be ruled out and said that it is impossible, it is very unlikely, according to the researchers.
There are no reports currently of a pet owner contracting the virus from their pets.
Even the CDC has reported that there is no evidence that the pets can spread the coronavirus to you.
The researchers believe that even with cats having a higher chances of contracting the infection, it is not likely that they will pass it onto you. On the contrary, it is possible that they got infected from you.
Is it necessary for animals to follow social distancing too?
Even though it is very low for your animal to contract the Sars-CoV-2 from another animal, it is always best to stay safe. While taking your pet out for a walk, try and keep them away from other animals and walk around the areas that are not crowded. Avoid parks, even if they are empty.
If a dog approaches you, there is nothing you need to be scared of but if they have their owner with the, try practice social distancing.
In case you are infected with Covid-19, the CDC has advised to keep your pets away from you. Maintain distance from your pets to avoid infected them. If possible, stop petting them as well to keep both of you safe.
The evidence surrounding the impacts of Covid-19 is constantly changing, so it is important that one keep an eye out on the same.
