As if the current Corona Virus outbreak in humans is not enough to unsettle life as we know it, the isolated reports regarding the suceptibility of our four legged friends makes things even more complicated. In an effort to clarify the issue, here is what we know at this point.

1. Cats and dogs both appear to be suceptible to Covid 19 but not nearly as much so as their owners.

2. In all reported cases to date, the pet has contacted the virus from family members with whom they have had close contact.

3. In very small pilot challenge studies, cats appear to be more suceptible than dogs.

4. There currently is no known and confirmed incident of humans contacting Covid 19 directly from a pet. To date, the infection has always been from human to pet or what is referred to as “reverse zoonosis”.

5. Dogs (and likely cats) are capable of showing similar symptoms of Covid 19 to those that occur in humans.

6. Routine testing of our four legged friends is not recommended at this point.

7. If any member of your family has tested positive, it is a good idea to distance themselves from the family pets until they have recovered.




If you have any questions regarding the above, please feel free to contact the Brockton Animal Hospital. As most of you know at this point, we have stayed open througout this pandemic and have instituted protocols to keep our staff, our patients and their families safe. We are here for you in any capacity that we may serve. Be well and stay safe.