Useful summary of what you need to know if you have a pet and are worried about COVID-19
- Infectious disease experts and multiple international and domestic human and animal health organizations agree there is no evidence at this point to indicate that pets become ill with COVID-19 or that they spread it to other animals, including people. So please do not worry.
- If you are not ill with COVID-19, you can interact with your pet as you normally would, including walking, feeding, and playing. You should continue to practice good hygiene during those interactions (e.g., wash hands before and after interacting with your pet; ensure your pet is kept well-groomed; regularly clean your pet’s food and water bowls, bedding material, and toys).
- Out of an abundance of caution, it is recommended that those ill with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. Have another member of your household take care of walking, feeding, and playing with your pet. If you have a service animal or you must care for your pet, then wear a facemask; don’t share food, kiss, or hug them; and wash your hands before and after any contact with them. Ideally you can also wash your pet, ( easier with Dogs ) and / or wipe your pet over with an ideally antiviral or antibacterial wipe to help remove any viral particles. None of these methods are perfect but all help reduce risk
- As always, careful handwashing and other infection control practices can greatly reduce the chance of spreading any disease. The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians’ (NASPHV) compendium of standard precautions is a good reference for appropriate infection control if you are interested.
If you are worried about your pet please get in touch, but overall pets will in our opinion play a critical part in this outbreak offering love and support to us all. Mental health is very important when self-isolating
We will continue to update all our customers and pet owners on this outbreak in realtion to their pets health and well being.
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/covid-19