Auburn Veterinary Hospital’s Dr. Cullom Chats with us at Rairdon’s Subaru Of Auburn About Pets & COVID-19

Do you have questions about your pets & COVID-19? The good news is that we have some answers for you. We partnered with a local companion animal vet, Dr. Cullom at Auburn Veterinary Hospital, right down the street from us at Rairdon’s Subaru of Auburn, to bring you the latest information to help keep your 4-legged family members safe from COVID-19.

Here at Subaru, our pets are such an important part of our daily lives, but they can’t necessarily tell us how they’re feeling, so Dr. Cullom gave us a few things to look for:

If you or someone in your household has COVID-19, it’s best to isolate that person from other members of your household, including your pet. Pet care including feeding, cleaning/bathing and walking should be done by someone who is well, or if you live by yourself and are your pet’s only caregiver, as difficult as it may be, it’s best to limit close contact with your pet until your doctor feels you are past the contagious stage. Typically 14 days.

Most of the animals infected with Covid-19 show no symptoms, so you may not know whether or not you have passed COVID-19 to your pet. If your pet is showing symptoms like cough, fever, lethargy, vomiting or diarrhea, get in touch with your vet as soon as possible.
If you do suspect that your pet has COVID-19, contact your vet right away for a care plan. There is a COVID-19 test for animals, but it is a special test that needs to involve your veterinarian notifying the USDA and Public Health Department, so if you feel that your pet should be tested, contact your veterinarian.

I also learned that COVID-19 is not the only illness our pets can catch from us humans. Though it is not very common, our pets can also get the flu from us – so, the bottom line is that if you aren’t feeling well, snuggles with your favorite furry family member might have to wait until you’re feeling better. Close contact like snuggling is the most common way to pass an illness from human to pet or pet to human.

Now, in terms of coming into contact with other people’s pets, Dr. Cullom says, it’s probably ok to pet someone else’s dog or cat. She says you’re more likely to catch COVID-19 from the owner than from saying hi to their pet – so follow the same advice you would for shopping in the grocery store, and stay at least 6 feet apart from others’ while on walks or an outing like the dog park. And even though you can still pet that cute new puppy down the street or your friend’s cat, practicing good hygiene and washing your hands after petting any animal is always best.

In other good news, Dr. Cullom advises that you can feel comfortable doing all the normal things you would with your pet, like getting them groomed, taking them for walks, to the park, or the vet. The only exception to this, she says, is any animal that might come into close contact with multiple people in a short period of time – like a therapy animal, for example. Right now, it’s best to have short 1:1 interactions between people and pets, to keep everyone happy and healthy!

A big thanks to Dr. Cullom for sharing her expertise with all of us animal lovers here at Subaru of Auburn. We’re happy to hear we don’t have to give all the cute puppies and kittens the cold shoulder until the pandemic is officially over!

To keep up to date, or get care for your pet, get in touch with Auburn Veterinary Hospital. And, stay in touch with us at https://www.facebook.com/subaruaofauburn or @SubaruofAuburn on Instagram!