Saturday, March 21, 2020

Covid-19 and companion animals


(c) Anne Fawcett 2020
Hero catches up on some reading. (c) Anne Fawcett


There is a lot of confusion and misinformation about companion animals and SARS-Cov-2, the novel coronavirus, circulating.

The bottom line is that there is no reason for companion animal owners to panic, and there is no evidence to date that dogs, cats or other companion animals can transmit SARS-Cov-2 to humans. All of the experts add the caveat that this is a rapidly evolving situation.

Here are some reputable sources of information online. Please recheck for updates.

The World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) has posted Q&As about SARS-Cov-2 on their page here: https://www.oie.int/en/scientific-expertise/specific-information-and-recommendations/questions-and-answers-on-2019novel-coronavirus/

The American Veterinary Medication Association have posted FAQs about SARS-Cov-2 and companion animals here:

The International Society for Feline Medicine (ISFM) is a good site for information about cats. See their statement about SARS-Cov-2 and cats here: https://icatcare.org/can-cats-spread-the-new-coronavirus/

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association is collating advice about companion animals and SARS-Cov-2 here: https://wsava.org/news/highlighted-news/the-new-coronavirus-and-companion-animals-advice-for-wsava-members/