HARRISBURG, PA (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - Are pets at risk of catching the coronavirus?
While COVID-19 has spread to the first couple people in Pennsylvania, there are also questions and potential concerns with pets becoming infected with the virus.
A report has indicated that a dog in Hong Kong was tested as a weak positive for the coronavirus, but there's still uncertianty about whether pets could spread the disease.
Dr. Bryan Langlois, Medical Director of the Pet Pantry of Lancaster County and Immediate Past-President of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association spoke on the subject.
“Right now, there is no scientific evidence that the COVID-19 virus can cause illness in your pets or serve as a mechanism of transmission to other people,” explains Langlois. “They have been able to isolate it in testing one dog in Hong Kong, but that does not really mean anything at this time other than they looked for it, and they found it.”
“There is no evidence it has caused any infection in any dog, cat, or horse at this time. There is also no evidence supporting that it can be spread from these animals to humans. It appears they tested for this more out of scientific curiosity than concern for possible spread. Many times, doctors and scientists find things they do not expect when testing both humans and animals, but they have no clinical significance.”
“If your pet does experience signs of sneezing or coughing it is still wise to have them seen by a veterinarian to make sure something else is not going on,” Dr. Langlois explains. “These are still signs of a possible infection, just not the new Corona Virus. It is still very important to have your dog or cat seen for these signs to ensure they do not need to receive any treatment for other infections.”
Dr. Michael Hutchinson, veterinarian in Cranberry Township, also spoke on the matter.
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