Table of Contents
Can you be with pets if you have COVID-19?
If you are sick with COVID-19 (either suspected or confirmed by a test), you should avoid contact with your pets and other animals, just like you would with people.
What should I do if my pet gets sick and it might be COVID-19?
See full answerMost pets that have gotten sick from the virus that causes COVID-19 were infected after close contact with a person with COVID-19. Talk to your veterinarian about any health concerns you have about your pets.If your pet gets sick after contact with a person with COVID-19, call your veterinarian and let them know the pet was around a person with COVID-19. If you are sick with COVID-19, do not take your pet to the veterinary clinic yourself. Some veterinarians may offer telemedicine consultations or other plans for seeing sick pets. Your veterinarian can evaluate your pet and determine the next steps for your pet’s treatment and care. Routine testing of animals for COVID-19 is not recommended at this time.
At this time, there is no evidence of transmission of the COVID-19 virus, a respiratory virus, through food or food packaging, and the FDA does not anticipate that food products would need to be recalled or be withdrawn from the market because of COVID-19.
Is it possible to treat an animal?
And that doesn’t go very far, says Rika Maeshiro, the director of Public Health and Prevention Projects for the Association of American Medical Colleges. If, she explains, a physician simply had to treat an animal, three factors stand in the way of effective care.
Is it legal for veterinarians to use medications meant for animals?
The practice of humans using medications meant for animals is not uncommon, especially with people who work with animals, such as farmers, rodeo employees, horse trainers, and veterinary staff. There are a number of issues with this practice. It is illegal for veterinarians (or anyone else)…
Can veterinarians give first aid to humans?
Each state has its own Good Samaritan law and its own veterinary practice act, but neither necessarily gives clear direction about veterinarians administering emergency medical aid to human patients. “There is a gray zone between rendering first aid and treating, and it will be governed by circumstances,” Lacroix said.
Should we expect more from veterinarians than ordinary citizens?
Dr. Charlotte Lacroix, a veterinarian and lawyer, believes that the public is “entitled to expect more in the way of emergency assistance” from someone with medical training, including veterinarians, than from ordinary citizens.