How to Tell If Your Dog Has COVID-19

Contents

1 What to Do Next?
2 Protecting Yourself While Taking Care of Your Dog
3 Monitor Your Pet’s Symptoms
4 When to End Your Pet’s Home Isolation?
5 Final Words

What to Do Next?

Most pets experience mild symptoms of COVID-19, but depending upon the severity of your dog’s symptoms, it is best to consult with an animal healthcare official. Depending upon the symptoms, your vet may recommend COVID-19 testing for your pet if required. The state animal health official will get the sample from your pet using appropriate protective measures. If your pet is tested for COVID-19 and confirmed to be infected, your vet may recommend isolating your dog at home. It is the safest alternative to staying at the hospital.

Even if your pet appears to be feeling better, avoid the following activities until approved by your vet even if the above-mentioned symptoms have subsided.

Visits to vet clinics without giving a call to your vet first.
Visit to other human healthcare facilities, parks, markets, and other gatherings.
Visits to your pet’s groomer.
Visits to your pet’s daycares or boarding facilities.

Protecting Yourself While Taking Care of Your Dog

When taking care of a sick dog at home, make sure you follow the guidelines to protect yourself and those around you.

While there is still no evidence of the virus being transmitted to humans from dogs, it is best to isolate your pet in a specific room where they can stay separately from other people in the house.
When attending your dog, you must wear a face mask and wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
Avoid kissing, licking, sharing food, or bed with your infected pet.
Never clean up your infected dog with a disinfectant or sanitizer. However, you can still disinfect all bowls, toys and other items used by your infected dog using the CDC recommended guidelines for disinfection.

Monitor Your Pet’s Symptoms

As your dog stays at home, you must keep track of your pet’s symptoms throughout the recommended isolation period. If the existing symptoms worsen or your dog develops any new or usual symptoms, call your vet without any delays. It may be a good idea to keep a log of your pet’s symptoms so you can closely monitor your pet’s symptoms.

When to End Your Pet’s Home Isolation?

It is best to stick to your vet’s advice when it is safe again for your pet to be around other people and animals. Some pets may need a follow-up test to see if the virus still infects them. Others can end their movement restriction if they don’t show any sign of COVID-19 without any medication for more than three days. Or it has been at least 14 days since they were last tested positive for the infection.