Dogs can get COVID, and they’re not the only pets that can.

Dogs can get COVID, and they're not the only pets that can.

The Unusual Suspects: Animals and COVID-19

Just as COVID-19 can spread from person to person, it can also spread from people to animals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Animals can spread the virus to humans as well, in a process known as zoonotic transmission. While this likely occurs only rarely, it is not impossible. COVID-19 is thought to have originated in animals, and even if the lab leak theory is true, animals may have played a role in the early transmission of the virus.

Surprising Animals and COVID-19

Raccoon dogs, animals that are more closely related to foxes and are susceptible to COVID-19, have been found to spread the virus to humans. World Health Organization officials announced earlier this year that raccoon dogs were thought to be present at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan during the early days of the pandemic. It is possible that these animals brought the virus to the market, where the first known super-spreader event occurred.

According to online dashboards tracking cases of COVID-19 reported in animals, there have been 174 cases in dogs worldwide. However, this is likely an underestimation, as many cases likely go unreported. The only animals that have been reported with COVID-19 more frequently than dogs are cats and American minks.

Symptoms and Care of Infected Animals

Most pets with COVID-19 display mild symptoms and can be cared for at home. Some may not display any symptoms at all. Potential symptoms in pets include fever, cough, difficulty breathing, lack of usual energy, sneezing, runny nose, eye discharge, vomiting, diarrhea, neurological symptoms, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), and weight loss.

Preventing COVID-19 in Pets

The CDC does not currently recommend isolating yourself from family pets if you’re sick with COVID-19. However, it does recommend avoiding close contact with animals, just as you would with people. This includes refraining from petting, snuggling, kissing, sharing food, and sleeping in the same bed.

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There are a couple of things you should definitely not do, according to the CDC. First, do not mask your pet, as this could harm them. Second, do not wipe or bathe your pet in chemical disinfectants, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, hand sanitizer, counter-cleaning wipes, or other cleaners. There is no evidence that the virus spreads to people from the skin or fur of pets.

Animals Affected by COVID-19

A dashboard maintained by the Wildlife Conservation Society documents nearly 900 cases of COVID-19 in 39 countries and 34 different animal species. Some of the species affected include white-tailed deer, lions, tigers, snow leopards, gorillas, pumas, Asian small-clawed otters, large hairy armadillos, red foxes, brown-headed spider monkeys, golden hamsters, Norway rats, spotted hyenas, hippos, lynx, black-tailed marmosets, giant anteaters, squirrel monkeys, and brown wooly monkeys.

Another dashboard, maintained by Raj Rajnarayanan, assistant dean of research and associate professor at the New York Institute of Technology campus in Jonesboro, Ark., shows that the most commonly reported animals with COVID-19 are minks, deer, cats, dogs, and lions.

The Possibility of Animal-Generated Variants

Just as COVID-19 can mutate in humans, it can also mutate in animals. Therefore, an animal with COVID-19 could potentially spawn a new variant or subvariant and transmit it back to humans. In a worst-case scenario, this new variant could be even more transmissible and immune-evasive than the currently dominant Omicron subvariant EG.5, possibly even outsmarting antivirals like Paxlovid.

Birds, due to their migratory nature, are among the most likely culprits in such a scenario. Birds can migrate and rapidly disseminate novel pathogens, as other coronaviruses have been known to affect birds. Researchers like Dr. Mary Montgomery, a clinician educator in the Division of Infectious Disease at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, are closely monitoring the avian population. The first two cases of COVID-19 in birds were identified in swans in China, and their crossover into the avian population could have significant implications, including new mutations, extensive spread of the virus, and impacts on the food supply.

While much attention has been focused on mammalian species, the entry of birds into the picture emphasizes the need for closer monitoring and understanding of the potential role of avian species in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.