December 15, 2020

The AVMA has developed a client handout on “Testing your pet for SARS-CoV-2" to help pet owners understand when their pets might need to be tested for the virus that causes COVID-19.

Most pets will not need to be tested for SARS-CoV-2, according to the handout.

“When testing is appropriate, samples should always be collected by a licensed veterinarian in consultation with a state public health veterinarian or state animal health official after a complete evaluation of an ill pet,” the document states.

The handout is in a Q&A format, answering the following questions:

• Why isn’t routine testing recommended?
• What does illness in pets infected with SARS-CoV-2 look like?
• When might testing be appropriate?
• What should I do if I think my pet may have the virus?

“Despite millions of cases of COVID-19 in people worldwide, there are very few reports of pets becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2,” according to the handout. “Even fewer pets have become ill.”

Per the handout, “Signs of illness thought to be compatible with SARS-CoV-2 infection in pets include fever, coughing, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, lethargy, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge, vomiting, and diarrhea.” Testing may be justified in some cases, such as when “a pet has signs of illness consistent with infection by the virus, more common causes for the illness have been ruled out, and the pet has been in close contact with a known or suspected COVID-19 human patient or the pet has been exposed to a high-risk environment.”

The handout advises pet owners to call their veterinarian if they’re concerned that their pet might have the virus.