Pets show no signs of COVID-19; drug makers report potential shortages

As the coronavirus spreads, some pet owners worry their pets might be in danger. A dog in Hong Kong recently tested “weak positive” for the coronavirus, and its owner tested positive too.

The virus causes the flu-like illness known as COVID-19, which the dog’s owner had, but not the dog. It’s not clear yet what the “weak positive” result means, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Hong Kong officials said the dog showed no clinical signs of illness, has been quarantined and is being cared for, and will continue to be monitored and tested to determine its status.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no animals in the United States have been identified with the virus, and there’s no evidence that dogs or other pets can contract or spread COVID-19.

Officials at insurance company Trupanion said that so far, they’ve seen no unusual increases or changes in the frequency of illnesses in their pet health database. “We monitor our data on a very granular level; daily, weekly and monthly and by breed, country, city and even at a neighborhood level to make sure we understand and are on top of any health-related trends that might be out of the norm,” said Mary Rothlisberger, Trupanion’s vice president of analytics. “As of today [March 1], we have not seen any increases or changes in the frequency of illnesses that would appear unusual.”

While pets don’t appear to be affected, animal drug manufacturers may have some trouble ahead.

As of February 28, no firms had reported shortages of their drugs, or the ingredients they use to make their drugs. But six of the 32 firms questioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said they were seeing supply chain disruptions that could lead to shortages soon.

The FDA is sharing information on its website about the availability of drugs and medical supplies.