New Study Shows Pet Owners Often Infect Pets with COVID

A new study conducted by the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada has found that pets can contract COVID from their owners more easily than previously thought. The research, presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in England found that humans who become sick from COVID often pass it on to their pets, some of whom become sick themselves.

In rare cases, pets who catch COVID from their owners became seriously sick. What are the warning signs of COVID in your pets? If your pet suddenly becomes more lethargic, has loss of energy and appetite, coughing, diarrhea, and respiratory problems, make an appointment with your vet. Especially if you, or a member of your family recently contracted COVID.

The study conducted in Canada took 198 cats and 54 dogs who were suspected of contracting the virus. All of the dogs and 48 of the 54 cats came from homes that had a person who contracted the virus. The study found that 40% of the dogs and 67% of the cats had COVID antibodies in their systems. A same study was conducted using only shelter animals for comparison. In that study, only 10% of cats and one in 38 dogs had the COVID antibodies. Between 20-30% of the pets from the households exhibited the symptoms of the virus we mentioned above. Similar studies have been done in the Netherlands and other parts of the world. The Netherlands study found that one in every five pets in a COVID household contracted the disease. None of the studies shown so far include information on how the pets were interacting with the humans with COVID during this time. For example, we don’t have information on how many cats and dogs were infected in households with humans infected but wearing masks and/or socially distancing from their pets while they were sick.

Scientists are concerned that the transmission between humans and pets could create another variant that spread, however it’s important to note that the CDC states that transmission of the disease from pets to humans is still low. The scientists conducting the study in Canada also confirmed this information. It’s also important to note that death in pets from COVID has been extremely rare to this point. However if you, or someone in your household contracts COVID, the best thing you can do for your pets is to socially distance from them. It’s easier said than done, and your pet might not understand, but it will keep them save in the short term.