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Dog tested positive at COVID-19 in Ontario
- 09 December, 2020
- Abdelkader Doon
A dog in the Niagara, Ontario area tested positive for COVID-19, but researchers believe most pet owners should not be concerned.
Positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 in dogs are rare because they are usually asymptomatic and recover fairly quickly from the disease.
Scott Weese, Head of Infection Control at the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College, was involved in the study that found the case positive in the Niagara region.
He says that out of about 40 animals tested, only the dog was declared positive.
One cat in the study had antibodies corresponding to the virus, suggesting that it had already had it
Mr. Weese stated that any household where a person has COVID-19 should include their pets in their quarantine as a precaution.
"Your dog is less likely to be infected than people in your home, but it's possible and we don't want to create the risk that your dog can pass it on," Weese said Monday morning.
He also noted that owners should not worry too much about their pets. "It's a human virus," Weese said. "He loves people and there are animal species that can be affected, but it's a backlash."
"It's probably not that great to have human infections with a dog, but dogs rarely, if ever, get sick."
Weese notes that other animals, such as non-human primates and mink, are much more susceptible to the virus.
Animal examinations for the study were logistically challenging. The household must first find out that a person has COVID-19, and then contact the researchers to have their pets checked. Then the test should be done in the relatively short window where the animal may be sick.
"We're looking at a few different aspects of the [virus], like how it moves and whether it moves between people and animals," Weese said. Antibody testing — once the virus has passed — is usually the way to confirm that an animal was carrying the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, he said.
"It seems that it's probably not so uncommon for people to pass it on to their pets and animals don't suffer any consequences," he said.
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