How To Protect Your Pets from Coronavirus
recommendations from Animal Wellness Action's Veterinary Council Member, Sarah LaMere, DVM
1
Protect your pets the same way you protect yourself and other family members. Wash your hands frequently. Use soap and sing the alphabet to make sure you have had contact long enough to kill the germs on your hands. You can also use hand sanitizer with 60% ethanol. When going in public, disinfect shopping carts, doors, etc. with Lysol or Clorox wipes.
2
Presumably pets contract the virus the same way that humans do — from contact with infected droplets from a person and/or surfaces. If you have a confirmed case of the virus, have another family member or friend take over the responsibility of feeding and caring for your pet. Just like you wouldn’t want to be in close contact with your children if you have the virus — for fear of exposing them, keep your pets at a distance.
DO NOT: Remove your pets from the home, place them outside, take them to shelters or give them away.
3
Keep your pets up to date on their vaccinations. Update your dog with canine influenza and bordetella vaccinations.
4
DO take your dog for walks.
5
If you or someone in your household is infected with COVID-19, it is probably a good idea to isolate the pet from that person. However, don’t panic. Right now there is no evidence that this virus is going to make your pets sick and become a problem in them.