COVID FAQ's

1. Can COVID-19 infect dogs, cats and other animals?

We don't really know. We can reasonably suspect that dogs might also bind the virus. However, infection requires additional steps than just virus binding and membrane fusion. Viral replication, avoiding the host immune response, etc. are also necessary components of infection and potential transmission.

2. Can infected dogs and cats transmit the disease to people?

Currently, no evidence exists that dogs and cats, even if infected, can transmit the COVID-19 virus to humans. Indeed, no infected cats have been identified. To date, all transmission has been human-to-human, after the initial jump from bats (most likely) to humans. It is worth noting that the original SARS virus could also bind to dogs and cats ACE2 receptor, but no reported cases of pet-to-human transmission of that virus were ever reported, although that outbreak was much smaller and investigation of domestic animals was limited.

For more information on COVID-19 please visit the following links: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=9548687