Thursday, March 19, 2020

Spring Smiles!


Hi pals! If your peeps are anything like my momma, they need to see a smile today.


We ackshually got a walk today. It wuz all fun and barking until well, da monsoon hit. We WOULDA been home, but someone named whose name starts wif a BRIN and ends wif a LEY took a long time to do dat second poop. Wif lotsa spinning. So we got VERY soaked. It wuz kinda fun though speshully running around like CRAZY when we got home.


If your humans are worried about YOU and da coronavirus, here are some good news from our vet:


Coronavirus and Your Pet

There’s been a lot of information in the recent media about the latest strain of human coronavirus, but nothing about pets and how they fit into this picture. In this short article I wanted to briefly discuss coronavirus and pets.

Dogs can become infected with a canine coronavirus. It is fairly species-specific and will not infect people but can infect cats (without causing clinical disease in naturally infected cats.) Most infected dogs do not show symptoms and recover without showing signs of infections; young puppies may exhibit mild diarrhea.

Cats have their own coronavirus that like dogs usually causes an asymptomatic infection or mild diarrhea or respiratory infection (especially in kittens.) However, this coronavirus, for unknown reasons, can mutate in the GI tract and transform into the (usually) lethal feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus (this occurs in about 10% of infected cats.) Again this feline cornonavirus will not infect dogs or people and only infects felids. (A curious note is that cats can become infected with the human SARS coronavirus experimentally and naturally but do not become ill, and the original SARS virus was suspected to have originated from a mongoose.) As with the human coronavirus, canine and feline coronaviruses can survive outside of the pet’s body for a period of time (especially in a colder environment) but are easily killed with most detergents or disinfectants.

So how do dogs and cats fit into the current picture of the human coronavirus?

First, it’s unlikely the pet will become infected and serve as a source of infection for people. 

Second, dogs and cats that develop their own coronaviral diseases will not infect people and contribute to the current spread of the human disease.

Third, by serving as fomites (objects that can carry an infectious organism,) dogs and cats MAY infect other family members IF the currently infected family member gets infected material (saliva, respiratory droplets, etc.) onto the skin or hair of the pet and another uninfected family member contacts the infected material on the pet. To be safe, it may be wise to keep the family pet away from the infected family member of at least have the infected family member bathe and/or wipe the pet’s coat with a wet washcloth before the pet is exposed to uninfected family members.

Finally, keep in mind that maintaining proper blood levels of vitamin D in people and in pets is important in minimizing infectious diseases. If you or your pet have not had recent vitamin D testing and started appropriate supplementation, this is a good wake-up call to do just this.

Shawn Messonnier DVM

18 comments:

  1. That was informative...and we just now got a note from our vet that he is only taking in urgent/emergency cases...but he will dispense meds as needed... At least our pets don't see many peeps away from our den, as we are not big 'takers of them with us to places'...hardly even the pet shop, BOL! They are SO well behaved...

    Happy Spring!!

    It was 53 here today...but rainy...at least one doens't need to shovel that:)

    Need a laugh?? Check this out, petcretary's sister sent us this link:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/473733673064061/permalink/960478071056283/?sfnsn=mo

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    1. BOL, that wuz cute!

      Our vet is still open, but offering that people can stay in their cars and they'll come out to get your pet. Which momma thinks is kinda silly, but I guess some people are scared to go anywhere.

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  2. a smile helps a lot to get da courage back. we are completely locked now, because of a warning of da vet inspection office for animal epidemic like parvo and such , but we carry on...

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    1. We're worried a more severe lockdown is coming.

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  3. My mom always takes vitamin D. Her doctor has said for years that the sun doesn't give most people enough. We also have to practice social distancing because Mom snuggles with us all the time and if anyone else touches us and is infected, Mom might get it through our furs. Good advice for those who haven't thought about that.

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    1. We usually practice it becuz we're terriers. We're mostly nice, but terriers can nip and momma wouldn't want us to get in trouble.

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  4. You girls always bring smiles to our faces. How fun that you got caught in the rain. We bet your peeps enjoyed getting soaked too. BOL!

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    1. BOL, actually my momma liked it. Just cuz she's been going crazy wif dis quarantine stuff.

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  5. Usually when one dog goes to the vet, the other goes for moral support. The vet will not allow this anymore.

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    1. Me and Brinley usually go together. Finley goes by herself.

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  6. I'm not too worried about catching any of those viruses, since I hardly ever go anywhere. Yup, it's safe at my house! But everyone please be careful and follow the rules until all this mess runs its course!

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  7. Interesting. The cats here ALWAYS practise social distancing, so we're safe there. Sorry your got rained on, so soon after a baff. But that wet-dog zoomies is sooooo much fun. Worth it.

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  8. None of us are going anywhere so we should be safe from all the coronas. Be safe pals.

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  9. I am sorry you got a wet walk. Stay careful out there.

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Leave me a woof, I'll bark right back atcha!