What should I do to keep my pets safe during a coronavirus outbreak?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Mici. Currently, there is no proof that COVID-19 can be spread from people to pets. Dogs and cats are susceptible to their own strain of coronavirus, but this is a completely separate disease from the current outbreak. You do not need to make life style changes for her at this point. I recommend focusing on good hygiene and your own health at this point. I hope this information helps!

Coronavirus itself is in most cases harmless to cats and many cats will have a coronavirus infection that will go unnoticed. The problem in a very small minority of cases is that this virus mutate into a new form and becomes what is known as FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) which is a fatal disease. The mutated virus cannot be transmitted to another cat. To summarise, risk is minor, but still exist.

There is a vaccine for the coronavirus that causes FIP (feline infectious peritonitis), however it is rarely used due to its ineffectiveness. Core vaccines for kittens and cats include FVRCP (rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and panleukopenia) and Rabies. Lifestyle vaccines, given based on risk of exposure, include FeLV (feline leukemia) and Bordatella. Vaccines are started at 8 weeks of age and boosted every 4 weeks until 16 weeks of age. You can sanitize hard, non porous surfaces in your home with a 1:32 dilution of household bleach and water. Allow for a 15 minute wet contact time. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Wash all bedding in the hottest water allowable by fabric. The feline coronavirus can survive in the environment for 7-8 weeks in optimal conditions. Have any kitten purchased or adopted physically examined by your veterinarian to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any pre-existing conditions.

In general, viruses are species specific. However, with this being a new virus (or so they believe) it cannot be known at this time if the virus can make the jump between species. I recommend to take the same precautions with her as you do yourself. I hope this helps.

Thank you for your question. There is no evidence of pets being able to transfer the virus to human via pets becoming infected themselves or via acting as a fomite (meaning the virus gets on their fur and then you pet them and catch it, you can read more at https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/covid-19-faq-pet-owners_031520.pdf). The virus lives better on solid smooth surfaces like doorknobs, and doesn't stay well on softer porous surfaces like fur. I think your plan sounds like a good one. You could also ask your friend to wear a mask while grooming the dog and wash her hands prior to seeing him, which should decrease chances of possible from her being passed to your pup via respiratory droplets. If your dog will also be wearing a collar while she sees him, you could also wipe down the collar with disinfecting wipes. Best of luck during these difficult times!

According to the OIE, the current spread of COVID-19 is a result of human-to-human transmission, and, to date, there is no evidence that companion animals can spread the disease. Therefore, there is no justification in taking measures against companion animals which may compromise their welfare. They can become passive vectors of the disease for short period of time, but cannot get the infection.

Hello. Please do not worry about this. While coronavirus was cultured in the nose of a few dogs that lived in homes with infected people, they were, & stayed completely normal. Nothing has been described in cats. Just about every species has its own coronavirus unique to them. It is a very unique set of circumstances that PRESUMABLY allowed the virus to jump from animals in China to a human host, no worries about this happening in our pet community. So yes, the feline coronavirus can mutate to a virulent form that leads to FIP, but the thing to remember is this is an enteric, or gut virus, not a respiratory one that we are seeing in people. There is absolutely no connection between Covid-19 & the Feline Coronavirus. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.