Can Dogs and Cats Get COVID-19? Signs and Safe Care
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By Dr Duncan Houston
If someone at home has COVID-19 and your pet starts sneezing, it is reasonable to wonder whether the two are connected. Dogs and cats can become infected with SARS-CoV-2, but many other illnesses cause the same signs.
The priority is your pet's condition, especially breathing, appetite and energy. Do not let a suspected COVID diagnosis delay examination for something else.
Quick Answer
Dogs and cats can acquire the virus that causes COVID-19, most often following close contact with an infected person. Many infected pets have no signs or mild illness, while serious illness is uncommon. Reduce close contact when you are ill, call your vet if your pet becomes unwell and seek emergency care for breathing difficulty or collapse.
How does infection reach pets?
The CDC's guidance on COVID-19 and pets identifies close contact with infected people as the usual setting for reported pet infections. It describes the risk of pets spreading COVID-19 to people as low. This is a reason for sensible hygiene and care arrangements, not abandonment or fear of touching every animal.
Different animal species have different susceptibility and transmission patterns. Findings from mink farms or wildlife should not be automatically applied to a household dog. USDA APHIS monitors SARS-CoV-2 in animals and supports research into those differences.
What signs could occur?
Possible signs include coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge, reduced energy, vomiting or diarrhoea. None is specific to SARS-CoV-2. Cats can develop familiar upper respiratory infections, and dogs can develop infectious respiratory disease, pneumonia or other airway problems. Heart disease, asthma in cats and toxin exposure can also cause respiratory distress.
Tell your vet about exposure to an infected person, but also mention boarding, contact with other animals, travel, medicines and changes in eating or drinking.
| Pet's condition | What to do |
|---|---|
| Exposed but bright, eating and breathing comfortably | Reduce close contact with the ill person and monitor. |
| New cough, repeated sneezing, discharge or reduced appetite | Call your vet for advice and appointment arrangements. |
| Marked lethargy, repeated vomiting, worsening signs or a vulnerable young or elderly pet | Arrange prompt veterinary assessment. |
| Difficult breathing, blue or grey gums, open-mouth breathing in a cat or collapse | Seek emergency care now. |
When is this an emergency?
Breathing distress needs immediate care, whatever infection you suspect. Keep handling minimal, keep the animal calm and call the emergency clinic while arranging transport. Inform staff of household illness so they can plan the arrival. Do not delay because the owner is isolating; ask the clinic how to transfer the pet safely.
How to care for pets when you are ill
- Ask a healthy household member to handle routine care where possible.
- Temporarily avoid kissing, face licking, sharing food and sleeping in the same bed.
- Wash your hands before and after handling food, bowls, waste and medication. Follow current human-health guidance for reducing spread.
- Keep normal feeding and calm enrichment routines, using distance where practical.
- If the pet is sick, telephone the clinic before attending and follow its instructions.
Never put a mask on a pet or disinfect their coat. Surface disinfectants, alcohol and cleaning wipes can injure skin or be swallowed during grooming. Routine animal care should follow CDC healthy-pet hygiene guidance.
Does my pet need a test?
Testing decisions belong with your vet and relevant animal-health authorities. Exposure alone does not mean that testing will change care. Human home test kits should not be used to diagnose your pet. If a pet tests positive, follow the veterinary isolation and recheck instructions, including when normal contact can resume.
Home monitoring should include appetite, drinking, activity, stool and comfortable breathing at rest. Report deterioration promptly. Do not give human cold-and-flu products, pain medicines or leftover treatments.
Common mistakes
- Assuming every cough after exposure is COVID-19.
- Disinfecting fur or masking the animal.
- Taking an infectious person into a clinic without calling first.
- Waiting on breathing difficulty because most pet infections are mild.
Frequently asked questions
Is canine coronavirus the same as COVID-19?
No. “Coronavirus” describes a family of viruses. A canine or feline coronavirus result is not automatically a SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis.
Can I keep my pet at home?
Usually, with suitable care and precautions. A sick animal may need veterinary assessment or hospital treatment.
Should I bathe my pet after exposure?
Not specifically for COVID-19 unless your vet identifies another reason. Do not use disinfectants.
Will my pet recover?
Many affected pets recover well, but prognosis depends on the actual illness and overall health. Breathing signs need individual assessment.
Protect your pet through practical contact precautions and prompt attention to illness. Their clinical signs matter more than the label you suspect.
For help understanding pet-health information and organising questions for your vet, visit ASK A VET™. Breathing difficulty needs direct emergency care.
