Owners asked to be more careful around their pets after multiple cases of COVID-19 were reported in pets across the world.
By Vivek Madhu
April 16, 2020
Kochi: Pet owners more cautious their pets, as cases of COVID-19 in animals starts to in countries.
A pet dog in Hong Kong was tested positive and was placed into quarantine. The dog, a Pomeranian, had not shown any symptoms the illness ts owner was positive for Covid-19. Similar cases were reported in China and Belgium.
Kerala Animal Husbandry Department has asked people to cautious with their pet dogs as there are chances they might contract the virus from stray animals. A cat was reported dead in a house of an isolated man in the state, but is yet to be confirmed as the sample is being tested.
Athira Suresh, a veterinarian of Alappuzha District Veterinary Hospital, said that it is vital to distance from the animals during this period. “Only one person family should feed the pets. They should ensure that the animals are clean and are not exposed to other animals outside. After feeding, they should clean their hands with sanitizers before touching anything else.”
In an experiment conducted in China using five cats, it was found that cats are “highly susceptible” to coronavirus and can spread between easily. this study shows other animals like dogs, chickens and ducks were unlikely to catch the infection.
However, The World Health Organisation (WHO) has clarified that dogs and cats are not involved in spreading infection in the current episode of coronavirus infection.
Ajinsai Jayaraj, a member of Alappuzha Municipality, said that the panchayats are given the responsibility to update the health department about the health of pets every day. “Reports of minor changes in the behavior of pets will be reported and necessary action will be taken by the officials”
