Skip to Content

Can My Dog Transmit Coronavirus? What Dog Parents Should Know, And What NOT To Worry About

Can My Dog Transmit Coronavirus? What Dog Parents Should Know, And What NOT To Worry About

Each day, more cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in humans are being reported, and it’s hard to distinguish fact from fiction, precaution from overcaution, and to know what you actually need to do to protect yourself, your family, and your community.

You may be relieved to find that having a dog does not greatly increase your chance of contracting or spreading coronavirus, though there are a few things you should know in this difficult time.

Have Any Dogs Tested Positive For Coronavirus?

At the time of this writing, one dog has tested “weak positive” from samples taken around his nose and mouth. The dog does not have any symptoms, and it is possible that he was carrying the virus as a result of close contact with his owner, who does have coronavirus.

With 10,149 cases in humans worldwide at the time of writing, if it were possible for pets to catch coronavirus and actually get sick from it, we likely would have seen a case like that by now.

However, not everyone who has or carries coronavirus will be tested. So, it does not seem that anyone can say with absolute certainty whether or not dogs can transmit the virus.

Does My Dog Need A Face Mask?

Most human face masks do little to protect people from coronavirus, let alone our dogs.

A face mask that is designed to filter out particles, like an N95 face mask, can be helpful to humans, but there are very few options that actually have a chance of working for dogs.

Face masks, even the few designed for pathogen protection, can be difficult to fit properly on every breed of dog. They can inhibit breathing and panting, and they can induce unnecessary stress in dogs.

Keep in mind that dogs are low to the ground. They’re unlikely to contact high-up surfaces that a sick person may have touched or sneezed on.

How Dogs Can Transmit Coronavirus

Like any soft surface, your dog’s coat can carry coronavirus if she comes in contact with someone who is affected.

So, if your dog snuggles with a sick person, and then you pet your dog, and then you touch your nose, there’s a small chance that you could get sick too.

Experts are not sure how long the virus can survive on surfaces, but similar viruses can survive from a few hours to a few days.

How To Disinfect Your Dog

Fortunately, the virus seems to be more commonly contracted through the air via the spread of droplets (from coughing and sneezing) than from touching common surfaces.

Even so, you may want to disinfect your dog’s coat before entering your home, visiting a school or nursing home for therapy visits, or if you otherwise are concerned about your dog carrying a virus on her fur.

A study on how therapy dogs can transmit MRSA on visits found that using antibiotic shampoo and microfiber wipes greatly decreased the chances of infection.

An antibiotic shampoo that contains chlorhexidine is typically used for dogs with skin conditions, it kills bacteria and viruses on the skin and coat.

Actionable Steps To Take To Prevent The Spread Of Coronavirus

  • Avoid bringing your dog inside stores, even dog-friendly ones like Petco or PetSmart, unless totally necessary.
  • At the vet’s office, ask if you can wait with your dog in the car instead of the waiting room, and have reception give you a call when your dog’s exam room is ready.
  • Wash your hands after playing with your dog and before preparing food, doing makeup, or touching your face.
  • Sanitize your dog using the above steps bringing them home from a public place, especially if you or someone in your household is a child, a senior citizen, or immunocompromised.
  • Be mindful if anyone in your household is sick. You may want to keep the dog away from them, and/or keep the dog away from vulnerable family members.
  • Watch and read news from reputable sources, and double-check claims that you are unsure about.
Can Dogs Transmit Coronavirus?
Safety Tips For Coronavirus And Flu Season For Dog Parents

Lindsay Pevny
Lindsay Pevny lives to help pet parents make the very best choices for their pets by providing actionable, science-based training and care tips and insightful pet product reviews.

She also uses her pet copywriting business to make sure the best pet products and services get found online through catchy copy and fun, informative blog posts. She also provides product description writing services for ecommerce companies.

As a dog mom to Matilda and Cow, she spends most of her days taking long walks and practicing new tricks, and most nights trying to make the best of a very modest portion of her bed.

You'll also find her baking bread and making homemade pizza, laughing, painting and shopping.
Click here to cancel reply.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Ronald Barnes

Monday 3rd of January 2022

Greetings, I read your article and found it informative and very helpful. I want to add more value in it. Testing is vital to preventing the unfold of Omicron. But almost years into the pandemic, many human beings are nevertheless pressured approximately the first-rate manner to get examined for Covid-19, or annoyed that they canā€™t discover a test. Whatā€™s your opinion about it?

Katelyn Seng

Sunday 24th of October 2021

My cats have been around me for the past few days and I just got diagnosed with strep and possible covid ((I have almost all the signs and have been exposed to it)) And 2 of them are a bit less heathy but they havenā€™t been around me as much as the other one Heā€™s been around me non-stop sense heā€™s a clingy cat And I was wondering if heā€™ll be okay? Heā€™s very heathy and has never had any sicknesses in his life, he also isnā€™t fixed either, and he rarely has to go to the vet for really anything. Do you think heā€™ll be okay?? Iā€™m around him the most

Sestra A.

Thursday 26th of March 2020

Many people may think about giving up their pets to keep the family safe. At least we know that is not necessary. Using the shampoo is a great idea as well, and not just during these times but after the covid19 issues have cleared up.

NormanWilkes

Thursday 12th of March 2020

This is my current concern these days. thank you for the safety tips. We also have to care about our safety by wasshing our hands often and put on the mask when we need to go out.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.