Niagara-area dog tests positive for COVID-19 but most pets are still safe

A dog in Ontario’s Niagara Region has tested positive for COVID-19, although researchers say most pet owners shouldn’t be worried.

Positive tests for novel coronavirus in dogs are rare because they are typically asymptomatic and they get over the ailment relatively quickly.

Scott Weese, the chief of infection control at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, is part of the study that found the positive case in the Niagara area.

He says that of approximately 40 pets tested only the dog has tested positive.

A cat in the study had some lingering antibodies from COVID-19, suggesting it had once been sick.

Weese notes that other animals, like non-human primates and minks are much more susceptible to the virus.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2020.

The Canadian Press