Protecting Pets if You Catch COVID-19

These days it’s impossible to sneeze or get a sore throat without thinking of COVID-19. If you’re a parent you think about your kids getting it, and as a pet parent you wonder if your furkids are at risk. Does coronavirus in dogs and cats pose a threat and can animals get coronavirus?

The simple answer is yes. Many pets, including cats, dogs, ferrets, hamsters and rabbits, can get COVID-19. Thankfully, the zoonotic virus generally has little to no effect and symptoms tend to be mild. That said, COVID-19 is constantly evolving.

New strains may affect animals faster and more severely than old ones did. This is why prevention is better than cure. So if you or someone you know has COVID, has had to isolate in the last 14 days or is waiting for a test result, here are precautions to take around pets.

Ways to prevent coronavirus in dogs and cats

When you’re sick with coronavirus, you should treat your pet like you’d treat other people, by taking the same precautions.

Here’s how:

1. Have someone else take care of your pet

The best case scenario is to have someone else in your household take care of all the pet care duties until you’re in the clear. It’s best if you don’t handle any of your pet’s items because that immediately increases the risk of infecting them.

If you have to care for your pet even while you’re sick, pay close attention to steps two and three as best you can.

2. Practice good hygiene

If you absolutely can’t get someone else to care for your pet while you’re sick, then do what’s necessary. This means washing and disinfecting your hands before and after handling pet food bowls, bedding, toys, etc. Also be sure to wear a mask anytime you’re out of your ‘sick room’ in the shared space.

And on the subject of masks – your pet doesn’t need one. They’re not recommended in the prevention of coronavirus in dogs and cats. Masks can be dangerous to pets if they get tangled around their fur or their neck and they’re a choking hazard.

3. Social distance from pets

By now we’re all experts at social distancing. From other people that is. Social distancing from your pets may require new willpower, but while you’re infectious do it for your pet’s sake. This means no petting, cuddling or kissing pets (and no letting them lick you either).

Social distancing may be hard for your pet as well, but coronavirus in dogs and cats can be avoided and should. Keep them from going into the bathroom you use and any other spaces you’ll need to use. You may need to use a baby gate or keep doors closed to ensure you both maintain a safe distance.

If there’s one thing this virus has taught us, it’s to be adaptable for the sake of everybody’s well-being, your pet’s included.

4. Self-isolate from pets

We know pet love helps us navigate COVID, especially during lockdowns. However, when you’re sick, you need to self-isolate and this unfortunately means staying in separate rooms from other people and your pets.

We know self-isolation is no fun, but neither is infecting others. When you’re fully recovered you can go back to sleeping with your cat or sleeping with your dog in your bed.

When is it safe to be around pets again?

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you can end self-isolation when all the following requirements are met:

• It’s been 10 days since your symptoms first appeared
• You haven’t had a fever in the past 24 hours (without needing to use medication)
• Any other symptoms from the virus are improving (you may not be able to smell and taste for some weeks, but that’s neither here nor there as long as you follow the above instructions)

If you think your pet has become infected, read COVID-19 in animals to find out how to care for them and protect yourself.

Coronavirus in dogs and cats doesn’t warrant a trip to the vet unless your pet is sick, but the risk of spread requires close attention. Your first step is to talk it through with your vet on the phone.

Reasons to prevent coronavirus in dogs and cats

When you have the virus or think you might it’s very important to protect your cats and dogs from getting it, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, coronavirus in dogs and cats can lead to viral symptoms, which is less than ideal. Secondly, pets can potentially pass it onto other pets, but it’s unlikely they can pass it on to people. Which brings us to our last and possibly most serious point…

The more hosts a virus has, and the larger the variety of hosts, the more chances it has to mutate. As we’ve seen with each mutation of COVID-19, it adapts, often becoming more virulent.

This is a key reason why preventing coronavirus in cats and dogs is so important. If we keep them happy and healthy, we reduce the chance of them contributing to the evolution of a new strain that becomes a greater threat to humans.

Pet insurance for a soft landing

While a COVID-19 vaccination for pets has been developed, it’s not in general use, nor is it necessary at this time. What is necessary is ensuring your back pocket and your pet are protected with pet insurance. No one wants to have to make a head vs heart decision around their d’s or cat’s medical care.

Get a quote now for our fast, easy and reliable policies and enjoy one or more months of free insurance, depending on the age of your pet, when you sign up with us online.