The corona virus in pets

[CountAllVotes]

I have read things in/around the internet re: dogs and cats that test positive for the corona virus.

It is acted as if it is some sort of a huge shock. It is not.

The corona virus is very common in dogs and cats, especially ones that come from shelters, breeders and other crowded places.

I had a cat that lived to be 10 years old. She fell ill and I didn't know what the cause of her sickness was from so I took her to the vet and he too was baffled. He ran some tests on her and she tested positive for the corona virus.

He told me that she had been exposed to it at some point in her life (she was from a kill shelter and sick when I got her) and that her immune system had fought it off so she never got sick from it.

Had her immune system not fought it off she would have died of what is known today as FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis), an illness that is found in kittens. It is deadly and recovery from FIP is rare.

As to the reason my cat was sick, well I figured that out after she died not long afterwards. She was poisoned by the flea preparations that you put on animals. It also sickened my other two cats so I know it was from this garbage flea poison.

I hope this message helps some to understand the reality of corona virus in pets. It is most certainly not a death sentence nor is it transmittable when lying dormant as was the case of my late cat.

[MineralMan]

1. There are many, many strains of the corona virus.

About half of the colds people get are caused by some strain of it. Others are caused by some strain of rhinovirus.

We have all had a coronavirus infection at one time or another.

It is only this specific COVID-19 strain that is of concern right now.

[CountAllVotes]

3. Some countries are killing pets that test positive for the corona virus

Stupidity will get you nowhere in life.

That said, knowledge is power!

[hlthe2b]

2. It is important to realize that animals can be 'exposed' without infection or being able to transmit

the infection to others. It is called environmental exposure. It is only to be expected that RT-PCR (the testing looking for nucleic acid fragment evidence of COVID-19) will likely detect it in some pets living with infected owners. That does NOT mean that the pet is infected with viable virus nor infectious to others nor will become sick (likely they will not). Such exposures are typically referred to as "dead-end" since the wrong animal host is unable to sustain an infection.

More study is needed and epidemiologists and veterinarians will keep an eye on it, but in all likelihood, this will not become a problem.

There are other coronaviruses that do infect pets but do not infect humans. We've known about them for decades. So, at this point not to worry.

There is far more to worry about bacteria on this score. For example, if you contract Salmonella (from undercooked chicken, for instance). Such enteric bacteria are able to be passed from you TO your pet (and vice versa).

[sl8]

4. They might have had "a" coronavirus, not "the" coronavirus. n/t

[CountAllVotes]

5. The disease we are now seeing COVID-19

This disease, this coronavirus, is transmittable between humans.

It does not transmit to your dog or cat nor can a dog or a cat transmit this form of corona virus that they may test positive for to you, whether dormant or active.

It is two different things.

That is the point of this thread.

Animals that test positive are being killed in some countries!

[sl8]

6. I understand, but from your OP, I didn't think you did.

By referring to what the pets had as "the corona virus" rather than "a coronavirus" or "one type of coronavirus", it appeared as though you thought they were the same, or that there was only one type.

Glad to see that's not thecase.