Can I give my dog or cat COVID-19? The CDC has tips on keeping your pets safe

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In June, the USDA reported that the first dog to test positive for COVID-19 belonged to an infected human in New York. Most of the animals that tested positive for COVID-19 were in New York and included a lion, a tiger, two cats and three dogs between April 24 and July 1, according to the USDA.

MIAMI – As people spend more time with other family members indoors, worrying about passing the coronavirus on to a loved one is one of our daily stressors.

And what if one of your loved ones is a dog or a cat?

Can our pets get COVID-19 from their humans?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the answer is yes.

“A small number of pets around the world – including cats and dogs – are reportedly infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, mostly after close contact with people with COVID-19,” the CDC recently announced.

The CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture currently believe that the risk that animals will transmit the novel COVID-19 to humans is viewed as low. (“Pets have other types of coronaviruses that can make them sick, such as canine and cat coronaviruses. These other coronaviruses cannot infect humans and are not related to the current COVID-19 outbreak,” according to the USDA.)

In June, the USDA reported that the first dog to test positive for COVID-19 belonged to an infected human in New York.

Most of the animals that tested positive for COVID-19 were in New York and included a lion, a tiger, two cats, and three dogs between April 24 and July 1, according to the USDA.

The geographic closest animal to Florida that tested positive for the new virus was a dog in Georgia on July 1.

Video: sick like a dog? Pets Often Get COVID From Humans, Study Results (Reuters)

Sick like a dog? Pets often catch COVID from humans, study results

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What Should You Do During This Pandemic And When You Have A Pet?

– First of all, don’t panic. So far, most of the pets who have contracted COVID-19 have not been very sick and have recovered. Protect yourself and others by wearing a mask outside of your home – it’s now a legal requirement in many communities like Miami-Dade. That is fundamental. But be careful. The CDC and the World Organization for Animal Health, based in Paris, add these tips:

– Treat pets like other human family members – do not allow pets to interact with anyone outside the household.

– If someone in the household gets sick, isolate that person from everyone else, including their pets.

– Do not mask your dog or cat. It is safe for you unless you have an illness. It is not for them.

– Maintain good hygiene practices, e.g. B. Wash your hands and wear a face mask around your pet if you have the coronavirus and no one else is helping you care for your pet.

– Animals belonging to owners infected with COVID-19 should be kept indoors – similar to how we need to be locked in similar situations.

– Try to keep your cats indoors. It’s safer for them for a lot of reasons, not just because of the coronavirus.

And, as the CDC notes, “this is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.”

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