In today’s uncertain climate, and on top of it all having blood cancer, you might be re-evaluating things you have always done, wondering if they are now safe for you. Many of us have heard the advice given that we should wear gloves and long sleeves while gardening to avoid possible deadly soil fungus and cuts and bug bites, for example. We might have decided to never eat leftovers as our risk of food poisoning is increased. Many of us were probably “masking up” when in public places long before Covid. And perhaps we are now more in tune about cleaning surfaces or wiping down items we just received from a store.

This leads to another concern for the pet owner: can my pet contract Covid? Is this bad for my pet? Most importantly, can Fido or Fluffy pass it to me?

This is an important concern as we are immunocompromised, and we definitely want to avoid illness as much as we humanly can. And after comparing three recent articles on the topic, the consensus is broadly that we most likely cannot catch a Coronavirus infection from our dog or cat. Researchers have known for a long time that there is a canine variety of Coronavirus that does not spread to humans, but what if you or a family member has been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 and you have pets in your home? All three sources confirm that it is possible to pass the illness along to them. In fact, in one study of 310 cats and dogs, a small sample set of the pets tested actively positive for Covid and a good number had developed antibodies against it, which means that they were exposed. In a study conducted by veterinarians in Ontario, Canada, where they tested animals from Covid-positive households and animal shelters, they found that a majority of the pets from the Covid-positive households had developed antibodies and less than one in 38 from the shelter group.

The conclusion? Pets do not transmit the virus to us. We generally can expect our pets to be exposed to SARC-CoV-2 if our household has, but they apparently exhibit very few symptoms, if any. Their risk for serious illness is very low, as most were not observed by their owners as being ill. Be aware that the possibility of infecting your cat is a little higher than dogs, and the reason is that they may be up and close to your face more than dogs are.

Testing them when you have tested positive is not recommended, unless they are very ill. Examples of severe illness could be lethargy, chronic coughing or sneezing, inability to eat, but please call your veterinarian if concerned. Good preventative measures to keep your pet from illness is to: #1 keep your face away from their face, #2 keep their food and water areas clean as well as things they can brush up against, #3 keep them out of your bedroom while you are recovering from the virus, and #4 keep them from other animals if you take them out of the home (social distancing in the park, for example). Other people have asked whether or not their pet needs to wear a mask (like my Nino is in the photo at the beginning of this article), and the consensus was no, but it depends on your (and your pet’s) comfort level.

Sources:

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/can-dogs-get-coronavirus/
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-57666245
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-with-covid-often-infect-their-pets/

Other things that we can pass to our pet are mentioned here:

https://www.healthline.com/health/can-dogs-get-sick-from-humans#flu

Now on to other matters that are related and I believe equally important. What can my pet pass to me? With what should I be concerned? Important question! I feel that with normal pets (excluding most exotic pets from the equation) there are some common things to watch out for. There is so much evidence for animal borne illnesses being transmitted to humans, that I am surprised that our doctors do not continuously remind us! I have narrowed it down to the following, but I am also including a huge list of illnesses from the CDC at the bottom of this article that I do not recommend you peruse unless you are of strong constitution!

Top illness (common to dog, cat, rodent, reptile, and bird owners, primarily)

• Toxoplasmosis a parasite found in feline feces that can be very dangerous to pregnant women and immunocompromised people.
• Salmonella a bacteria that can be present in animal feces, especially diarrhea. Also in reptiles and turtles.
• MRSA a bacteria found on skin and nasal passages and pet scratch infections (including cat scratch disease-a bacterial infection from cat saliva passed on through an open wound or when you get scratched).
• Scabies a condition that can be passed from animals who are infected with mites to humans.
• Psittacosis caused by a bacteria called Chlamydia psittaci spread through the parrot family of birds and some other kinds of birds.
• Ringworm a fungal skin infection.
• Hantavirus a virus from rodents that can pass to humans through tiny particles shed from animal waste and saliva that becomes airborne.
• Four common reptile diseases like salmonella, botulism, campylobacteriosis, and leptospirosis.

I am also putting a mention in for E coli which is something that any of us can catch from petting zoo animals and farm animals like pigs, cows, and horses. When I was growing up, we had a few farm animals, and we were very chummy with our goat, Jake, which, as it turns out, is dangerous to human health. Yet, I still love petting goats or letting them climb on me (if given opportunity) to this day. We just visited with some at the county fair! But thankfully, the fair had a hand washing station right next to the petting area and I was careful to not touch my face.

The overall best advice to give? Keep your face away from your pet’s face. Do not let them lick you, especially your face, and wash your hands after petting or handling an animal or their waste product.

Just diagnosed? Here are several perspectives on whether or not you should keep your pets:

Pet ownership can decrease your need for pain control, give you a sense of purpose, and calm your anxiety. If considering a new pet, we need to sincerely consider how much work it is going to be for us. Also, what if we are hospitalized? We need to make a plan on how to care for the pet if we cannot. But pet ownership is generally a very good thing as it can increase our activity level (as most pets need exercise, even if it includes you tossing a ball around the house) and it can help lower our blood pressure and cholesterol levels. There is even some evidence of longer life and better heart health with dog ownership. But you should consider your current pets as a potential infection threat if you are getting chemo. If possible, have someone else care for the pet while you are actively getting chemo treatments, especially if your pet if particularly rambunctious.

Follow these excellent tips if you have some lead time on your chemo treatment to prepare you and your pet for treatment or if your know your immune system is still deficient post treatment, courtesy of the American Cancer Society:

• Avoid very close contact, such as kissing, snuggling, or sleeping with your pet in the same bed.
• Visit your veterinarian so your pet(s) can be checked for any diseases that might cause infection and get medications to prevent infections from heartworms, fleas, or ticks.
• Keep your pets and their sleeping areas clean.
• Wear waterproof disposable gloves if you must clean the fish tank, bird cage, cat litter box, or to pick up dog droppings.
• Wash your hands after petting, caring for, touching, feeding, or cleaning up after pets (even if you wore gloves).
• Wash your hands before taking medicines and handling food, dishes, or other things in the kitchen.
• Ask others to clean fish tanks and cages of birds or other pets.
• Avoid contact with reptiles, their cages or terraria, and objects from their cages.
• Keep your pets, like cats and dogs indoors as much as possible to minimize exposure to other pets and animals, such as birds and rodents.
• If your pet has a runny nose, cough, weight loss, vomiting, or diarrhea, see a veterinarian right away. He could have an infection that can be passed on to you. A person with a weak immune system might be at higher risk of getting an illness from their pet when it’s sick.
• Keep your pet away from animal waste, garbage, and other “found treats”.
• Don’t let your pet drink from the toilet or standing water outside.
• Watch for signs of rats or mice in your home, and take measures to control them. source and entire list: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/low-blood-counts/infections/safety.html

In summary, pet ownership can be simple if you keep to some basic concepts: keep your hands clean, keep your face away from your pet, avoid their bodily fluids at all costs, avoid being bitten or scratched, make sure they are up to date on their routine medical care, and a have a care plan for them if your health takes an unexpected turn for the worse. This will go a long way to a safe, long pet/human relationship.

Inclusive CDC list of illnesses humans can catch from a pet

https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/index.html

For Further Reading: