As parks open around the US, no one is more anxious to get out for some fresh air and exercise than our beloved four legged friends.
Currently, very little is known about how large of a role pets play in the spread of COVID-19. So we did some digging for you to find out exactly what is being recommended by the CDC.
The good news: the risk of getting sick with COVID-19 from our dogs is considered low.
The bad news: there have been confirmed cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 spreading to dogs after close contact with an infected human. However, most of the small number of confirmed cases show no symptoms, and the ones that do present only mild symptoms. There have been no pet deaths due to COVID-19.
The CDC has released basic guidelines will help keep you and your dog safe:
- Remain at least six feet away from non-family members.
- Wear a mask.
- Limit your dog’s contact with non-household members.
- Try to time your visits to parks during off-peak hours.
- If your dog is particularly social, consider keeping them leashed, even in areas that allow off-lead exercise to keep your dog six feet away from non-household members.
Protocol for pets that may be infected are the same as humans.
- Try to keep them isolated from other family members.
- Discourage licking as best as you can.
- Keep them home and away from people and other animals.
So go ahead and enjoy the Autumn sun. With a few precautions that are common place anyway, there’s plenty of fetch left this season.