We at FullBucket wanted to reach out during this troubling time to help provide information about COVID-19 and how it can affect our fur family.
Our co-founders Dr. Rob Franklin, DVM, DACVIM and Dr. Keith Latson, DVM, DACVS and our team realize there is a lot of concerned and questions from pet parents about this new disease and how it can affect their family.
On the bright side...
Many of us are being sent home to work and this means we get to spend some extra time with our animals. Social isolation is common for many of our furry friends and the extra love and attention is good for their health and enriching for our bond.
So we wanted to pass along some information. First, from the experts on the front line…
The CDC and World Organization for Animal Health have stated that there is no evidence generated suggesting that dogs and cats can become ill from COVID-19 or transmit the virus.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, pigs, horses, dogs, cattle, cats, and bats.
Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and now with this new virus (named SARS-CoV-2).
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. All three of these viruses have their origins in bats.
The sequences from U.S. patients are similar to the one that China initially posted, suggesting a likely single, recent emergence of this virus from an animal reservoir.
Like all situations such as this - take precautions…
The recommendations from the CDC & AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) are as follows:
Even though the virus seems to have emerged from an animal source, its primary spread is from person-to-person contact. There is no reason to believe that any animals, including small animal pets or livestock, in the USA might be a source of infection with SARS-CoV-2.
At this time, there are neither reports of pets becoming sick with COVID-19 nor evidence companion animals can spread COVID-19. However, animals can spread other diseases to people, it’s always a good idea to wash your hands after spending time with them.
For more information on the benefits of pet ownership, as well as staying safe and healthy around animals, visit CDC’s Healthy Pets, Healthy People website.
Our shipping partners have also been in contact to assure us that they are taking all steps recommended by the CDC and WHO to ensure the safety of their customers and team members.
The WHO has stated that there is low risk of COVID-19 transmission through packaging.
We foresee no problems with filling orders and are happy to make any adjustments if needed such as additional supplies.
If you’ve been reading our blogs or watching our videos, you know the microbiome is extremely important for maintaining a healthy immune system. Now is a good time to fortify your pets’ microbiomes and your own.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions as we are standing ready to assist as always.
Dr. Rob, Dr. Keith, Robo & Team FullBucket
