Because it’s a relatively new thing, there are still a ton of things we don’t know about the COVID-19 pandemic. The disease inflicts flu-like symptoms among humans, paired with cough, fever, and restricted breathing, and there are also many types of severity. There is a particular group of people that are especially vulnerable to contracting the disease which are the elderly, people with weak immune systems, and those who already have heart and lung conditions prior to the virus. But as the pandemic continues to develop, the disease has shown unpredictable new effects. It took humans by surprise, because we haven’t seen anything like this before, and so we don’t have a built-in immunity against it, which makes the medical industry work round the clock to study how it affects humans and how we could go around fighting it.

COVID-19 and Pets: Can Dogs And Cats Get Coronavirus

Currently, we haven’t yet any proven ways to prevent this disease that has the ability to jump from one person to the other through their bodily fluids like mucus or saliva that is thrown air-borne through the act of coughing or sneezing. According to experts, the closest we can get to have some form of defense against it is by practicing social distancing and frequent thorough hand washing. But what about our pets? Can they catch and transmit the disease too? According to the World Health Organization and veterinary experts, you really don’t have to worry about your pets carrying the virus and spreading it to you and your family.

Pets Are Unlikely to Carry COVID-19

There has been a report that in Hong Kong, a dog has been infected with the disease, but they’re still are no evidence that they then transmit them, because currently, the only known way of transmitting the virus is only through human bodily fluids, and by just washing your hands frequently and thoroughly, it’s probably enough for protecting yourself.

Veterinarians Agree That Your Pets Can’t Catch COVID-19

Veterinary experts believe that that dog mentioned above could possibly just carried an infected droplet on its fur, but the dog did not get sick because of it. The dog proved to have never been clinically ill, and there is still no clear evidence that the dog tested positive for COVID-19.

There Are Some Type of Coronavirus That Dogs Can Catch

There is a compelling reason why veterinarians were initially skeptical about whether the dog in question was in fact infected because there are a few strains of the coronavirus that animals can catch, especially among puppies, although its effects tend to be milder and self-limiting. Puppies are the most vulnerable to catching the infection, and it’s always a good idea to follow your vet’s advice on keeping newly born puppies inside the house in order to protect them from the most common infectious diseases that they are susceptible to. Veterinarians are continually monitoring the effects of COVID-19 on our pets and they are ensuring that it doesn’t mutate into something that can make them sick.

Animals Can Transmit Other Diseases

Zoonotic diseases are types of diseases that animals can transfer to people, and according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of all known infectious diseases are transmitted by animals, and that 3 in 4 new and emerging infectious diseases in people are transmitted by animals. Animals can transmit diseases through a lot of the same way as humans can, they can transfer for example from feces, bodily fluids, surfaces, water and food bowls, and barns. Diseases that can be transmitted through food and water like E. Coli and salmonella come from raw meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables that contain some amount of feces, and they are also considered zoonotic. Zoonotic diseases affect young children more, as well as people with immunity disorders and people who are over the age of 65 compared to all the others.

How to Keep You And Your Pets Safe

There are a lot of ways that we humans can protect ourselves from zoonotic diseases, and there are ways that we can keep our pets safe, we could for instance, thoroughly wash our hands after touching our pets or any of its staff. If you currently don’t have access to soap and water, any alcohol or hand sanitizer would work just as well. And we have long been told anyway that making thorough handwashing a habit is our number one defense to most of the common pathogens that exist. So washing your hands after playing with your dog is a healthy habit to develop, and it would as well set an example for the little children so they would do the same and help keep every member of your family healthy. And one final note about children always reminds them to not put their hands in their mouths after playing with the pets, because their saliva can carry germs.

Here’s How To Find The Right Veterinarian For Your Pet

Also, check out Things to Consider Before Becoming a Pet-Friendly Workplace