Can Dogs Get Coronavirus? | CanineJournal.com


To sustain this free service, we receive affiliate commissions via some of our links. This doesn’t affect rankings. Our review process.

Dog with face mask on (Caption: Coronavirus & Dogs)As the novel human coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to spread across the world, some pet parents are wondering if their dogs can get infected. You may have even seen photos on social media of dogs wearing protective masks. But the good news for our pups is — so far, there’s no substantial evidence that dogs can contract or spread COVID-19 (see below for the latest news).

But did you know there’s actually a disease called canine coronavirus (CCV) that’s unrelated to this current outbreak in humans? Here’s everything you need to know about coronavirus in dogs and how to help your pup recover.

Article Overview

Latest News On COVID-19 And Pets

In late February, one pet dog in Hong Kong tested a “weak positive” for COVID-19. The dog, who has no symptoms, was put into quarantine and will be repeatedly tested. But experts at Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and the World Health Organization still assert that there’s no evidence that pet dogs or cats can be infected with the novel coronavirus. Why, since this dog tested positive?

Coronaviruses can live on objects and surfaces, so there’s a distinct possibility that the dog isn’t actually infected with the virus but instead has picked up the infection through environmental contamination. (The dog’s oral and nasal samples were the ones that tested weakly positive, while the rectal sample tested negative.) So the AFCD is continuing testing to determine exactly what’s going on with the dog. We’re keeping an eye on this and will give you any updates.

What Is Coronavirus In Dogs?

What Is Kennel Cough?Canine coronavirus (CCV) is a highly contagious intestinal disease that only infects dogs — other animals and humans can’t catch it. It usually only lasts a few days and isn’t a serious health threat for adult dogs. Puppies, however, are more susceptible to complications.

In many cases, dogs catch canine coronavirus by oral contact with feces from an infected dog. They can also catch it by eating from contaminated food bowls or through direct contact with a sick dog. Your dog is more likely to catch CCV in places where multiple dogs gather or are overcrowded (like in kennels).

There’s also a respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV) that dogs can catch. It’s related to kennel cough, is highly infectious in crowded spaces and causes coughing, fever and nasal discharge.

Symptoms

Dog's vomit in grass (caption: Dog Vomiting Causes, Symptoms and Treatment)Adult dogs can show little or no symptoms in many cases; however, in some cases, you may notice mild vomiting and/or a few days of diarrhea. In rare cases, you may also see signs of mild respiratory problems, e.g., coughing or breathing problems.

Puppies can experience more severe symptoms and complications from CCV. They may have more prolonged bouts of diarrhea and therefore, can suffer from dehydration. A rare but notable condition puppies can develop from CCV is enteritis (inflammation of the small intestine), and this can be life-threatening in severe cases. If you notice these symptoms in your puppy, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Treatment

Most adult dogs recover from a CCV infection on their own without the need for veterinary intervention or medication. If your dog ihas diarrhea, you can try withholding food until 24 hours after diarrhea ceases and gradually reintroducing small amounts of food.

Keep Your Dog Hydrated

Rebound for dogs bottlesIt’s important to closely monitor dogs and puppies with diarrhea and make sure they’re staying hydrated. A severely dehydrated dog may need intravenous fluids. So make sure you give your dog plenty of fluids and electrolytes to rebalance what they may have lost from diarrhea.

Unflavored Pedialyte is safe for dogs, or you can give them Rebound, a dog and cat-friendly liquid formula that contains essential vitamins and minerals to help your pet recover from illness. If your dog isn’t interested in drinking, you may need to use a feeding syringe. In this case, you’ll want to make sure your dog is getting at least 15 mL per pound of body weight per day to maintain sufficient hydration.

Signs Of Dehydration

Check out this brief video that tells you how to check your pup for signs of dehydration. It also has some great tips on how to make your dog drink water when he’s not feeling good.

Not Sure What Your Dog Has?

If your dog has diarrhea and you’re not sure of the cause, read our comprehensive guide to diarrhea in dogs. We can help you narrow down the cause based on the type of diarrhea he’s having. And we also give you tips on how to keep your dog’s digestive tract healthy.

If your dog is suffering from respiratory problems, such as a runny nose, sneezing and coughing, there could be several culprits, including a cold, a dog flu or kennel cough.  Read these articles to learn about symptoms and treatments for each type of disease.

Are you worried that your dog could have coronavirus? 



Source link

503 thoughts on “Can Dogs Get Coronavirus? | CanineJournal.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.