We’re still figuring this out at the time of this writing.
Reports from Hong Kong in February 2020 do indeed suggest that a Pomeranian did have virus in its nasal and oral cavities. What does this mean? Not too much:
- We’re not clear how infectious the virus is to other dogs (we barely know about this in humans!)
- We don’t know how likely they are to spread this to humans
Guidance? Try not to get dogs/pets infected:
- If you have symptoms, restrict contact with them and wear a mask (like you would for another human!)
- Try to practice social isolation with your pet, when feasible
Rationale?
- Your pet may get sick (very unlikely)
- You may sneeze virus onto your dog, who can then spread that to others (unintentionally, I’m sure!)
- Your pet may pick up virus from the community on their fur, mouth, tongue, etc., and bring it home!
Other (dense) resources:
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/covid-19
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html
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