In this seemingly never ending battle with COVID-19 (a.k.a Coronavirus), it’s hard to know where COVID really is? Almost anyone can have it, with symptoms or without. Even so, the most important thing is for you and your family to stay safe. With that being said, I will tell you how to know if your pet has COVID-19 and what to do if that ever happens.

Even though there is limited information about COVID-19 and animals, there are some basic assumptions we can make. A few symptoms of the virus in pets are-fever, coughing, shortness of breath, lethargy (laziness), sneezing, runny nose, and vomiting to name just a few. Nonetheless, COVID-19 in pets is usually low, so if your pet has 1 or 2 of these signs, there’s is most likely nothing to worry about. Furthermore, most pets get COVID-19 from being in contact with someone who has already contracted the virus, so that is a big factor as well.

Next is what to do. If your pet is confirmed to have COVID-19, and there is no doubt they’re negative of it, you need to isolate them. Also known as quarantine, isolation is one of the most crucial things to do so your pet cannot spread the virus to anyone else. After that, contact your veterinarian to confirm the steps you need to take and the status of your pet. Once your vet has evaluated your furry friend and deemed them safe to be around other people, the worst is probably over. On the bright side, no pets have seemed to die from COVID-19 yet, and many cases are mild.

Nevertheless, here are some things you shouldn’t do if your pet gets the disease. First, you shouldn’t take them to public settings where they can infect others if your vet hasn’t deemed it appropriate. You also shouldn’t bathe your pet in chemical disinfectants or cleaning supplies, as that would probably just make the situation worse. Furthermore, you need to protect yourself when caring for your sick pet, so YOU don’t get sick. This means wearing a mask, gloves, using lots of soap and hand sanitizer, and taking baths/showers every day. On the other hand, your pet doesn’t need a mask, just an isolated spot that they can stay in.

That’s it for today’s column and please enjoy! If you have any requests for my next article please contact me at [email protected]! Now, all the information was taken from www.cdc.gov, so if you have any further questions please visit their website or the article here.