An ongoing goal of ours is to educate the public about various topics relating to our small breeds by sharing the journey of our dogs and also, importantly, resources from experts.
With that in mind, below are links where you can get reliable information about COVID-19 (coronavirus) as it relates to our dogs.
RESOURCES for COVID-19 and pets
1. American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
a. FAQs for pet owners
https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/covid-19-faq-pet-owners_031620.pdf
b. FAQs for veterinarians and veterinary clinics
https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/covid-19-faq-vet-clinics_031620.pdf
2. IDEXX Laboratories
https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/coronavirus-diagnostic-update/
3. Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/animals.html
The long and the short of the available information is that there is no evidence at this time that suggests that COVID-19 affects our pets, or that our pets may spread the disease. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that affect mammals, birds, and fish. The coronavirus that affects dogs is an alpha strain, while COVID-19, which affects people, is a beta strain. Coronaviruses can also be responsible for common colds.