04/06/2020
Important update on COVID-19 and animals, please read.
Update on COVID-19 and Animals
You might have heard on the news that a tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID-19 and as our valued clients we wanted to help ease your fears on how this effects you and your pets.
The Wildlife Conservation Society, which is the parent company for the Bronx Zoo, issued a press release that says, “Nadia, a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo, has tested positive for COVID-19. She, her sister Azul, two Amur tigers, and three African lions had developed a dry cough and all are expected to recover.”1 Those particular animals were infected by a human zookeeper who had an asymptomatic infection. They also note that "no evidence that any person has been infected with COVID-19 in the US by animals, including by pet dogs or cats."1
To date, there have only been two reported cases of COVID-19 in dogs and two in cats. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) released a statement that says, “While two dogs (Hong Kong) and two cat (one in Belgium and one in Hong Kong) living with people diagnosed with COVID-19 have been reported to have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, other dogs and cats also living with infected people remain uninfected.”2
Furthermore, the AVMA statement says, “To date the CDC has not received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19 in the United States. Infectious disease experts and multiple international and domestic human and animal health organizations continue to agree there is no evidence at this point to indicate that pets, under natural conditions, spread COVID-19 to other animals, including people.”
There have also been a few, small studies showing that cats and ferrets can become infected, but none developed symptoms. According to a report, “The results are based on lab experiments in which a small number of animals were deliberately given high doses of the virus, SARS-CoV-2, and do not represent real-life interactions between people and their pets, says virologist Linda Saif at the Ohio State University.”3
If you are well, you can play and interact with your pets as usual. If you are sick, have a family member care for your pet. There is no evidence that pets can spread the disease to people.
Additionally, IDEXX Laboratories, a large national laboratory, and one of the labs that we often use, announced in March that they had tested thousands of samples from companion dogs and cats and all tests have been negative.
1 https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/14010/A-Tiger-at-Bronx-Zoo-Tests
2 https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/covid-19
3 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00984-8
4 https://www.idexx.com/en/about-idexx/news/no-covid-19-cases-pets/
We understand these are troubling times, but we want to remind you of some important things:
-There is no evidence that pets can spread this disease to people.
-It is unlikely your pet will be symptomatic if you spread the disease to them.
-If you or a member of your household has tested positive for COVID19 it is best to stay away from your pets, as you would stay away from others, and have a family member care for your pets.
-If you believe that your pet is symptomatic (dry cough, lethargy, inappetance) for SARS-CoV-2 please contact our office.
We are here for you and your pets, please note that we are limiting the people who enter our building and thus offering curbside service. Please call the front desk, at 845-625-2474 before entering our office, even if you do not yet have an appointment.
