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Coronavirus in dogs is divided into two types – intestinal and respiratory. The incubation period (before the first symptoms begin to appear) is up to 10 days, usually a week. The owner during this time may not suspect that the pet is already sick.
Enteric coronavirus is transmitted from animal to animal through direct contact (sniffing each other, playing), as well as through the excrement of an infected dog (four-legged dogs often get dirty in feces or even eat them) or contaminated water and food.
Respiratory coronavirus in dogs is transmitted only by airborne droplets, most often animals in kennels become infected.
The virus destroys the cells in the intestines, harming the blood vessels. As a result, the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract becomes inflamed and ceases to perform its functions normally, and pathogens of secondary diseases (most often enteritis) enter the affected area, which can be extremely dangerous for young animals.
A dog that has caught the intestinal coronavirus becomes lethargic and lethargic, completely refuses food. She has frequent vomiting, diarrhea (fetid smell, watery consistency). Because of this, the animal is severely dehydrated, so that the pet is losing weight before our eyes.
Respiratory coronavirus in dogs is similar to the common cold in humans: the dog coughs and sneezes, snot flows from the nose – that’s all the symptoms. The respiratory form of coronavirus in dogs is generally not dangerous and is either asymptomatic or mild (1). It is extremely rare that inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia) occurs as a complication, the temperature rises.
Antibodies to coronavirus are found in more than half of the dogs kept at home and absolutely in all living in enclosures, so the coronavirus is ubiquitous.
There are no specific drugs, so if a coronavirus is diagnosed in dogs, treatment will be aimed at general strengthening of immunity.
Usually, veterinarians administer immunoglobulin serum (2), vitamin complexes, prescribe antispasmodic drugs, adsorbents, and antimicrobials to remove inflammatory processes. In order to avoid dehydration put droppers with saline. Whether your pet needs a dropper or not, the doctor will determine based on blood and urine tests. If the course of the disease is not too severe, you can get by with abundant drinking and drugs like Regidron and Enterosgel (medicines are sold in a “human” pharmacy).
The treatment of coronavirus in dogs does not end there, even if the pet is on the mend, he is prescribed a diet: feeding in small portions, and the food should be soft or liquid so that it is easier to digest. You can not add milk to the feed.
It is preferable to use specialized industrial feeds designed for diseases of the liver and intestines. Manufacturers add hydrolyzed protein there, which is well absorbed, as well as probiotics, the optimal amount of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals that speed up recovery. Thanks to this nutrition, the intestinal walls are restored faster.
Dietary feeds are available both in dry form and in the form of canned food. If the dog has only eaten home-cooked porridge with minced meat before, you can safely immediately transfer it to a specialized food, no transition period is required for adaptation. In the morning the dog ate porridge, in the evening – food. This will not cause any problems for the animal.
If dogs develop symptoms of co-infections along with the coronavirus, antibiotics may be needed. This is decided by the doctor.
At least a month after a complete recovery from coronavirus in dogs – no physical activity.
Symptoms of coronavirus in dogs are usually minor, animals respond well to symptomatic therapy, so additional tests (usually these tests are expensive and not every veterinary clinic can do them) to confirm the diagnosis, as a rule, are not done.
If such a need nevertheless arose, veterinarians most often examine fresh feces or swabs to determine viral DNA by PCR (in molecular biology, this is a technology that allows you to increase small concentrations of certain nucleic acid fragments in a sample of biological material). The results are occasionally false-negative because the virus is unstable and breaks down quickly.
Usually, veterinarians don’t even have to do research to find coronavirus, because dogs are rarely brought in with the first symptoms – before the weakened animal has contracted a number of other comorbidities.
There are responsible owners who go to the clinic as soon as the animal stops eating. But more often, dogs are brought to veterinarians in a serious condition: with indomitable vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and dehydration. All this, as a rule, causes parvovirus, which walks “paired” with the coronavirus.
In this case, veterinarians no longer take samples for coronavirus, they immediately test for parvovirus enteritis, it is from it that dogs die. And the treatment regimen is the same: immunomodulators, vitamins, droppers.
It is not necessary to separately vaccinate a dog against coronavirus (CCV). Thus, the International Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) in its vaccination guidelines includes vaccination against coronavirus in dogs as not recommended: the presence of confirmed clinical cases of CCV does not justify vaccination. Coronavirus is a disease of puppies and is usually mild before six weeks of age, so antibodies appear in the animal at an early age.
True, some manufacturers still include the vaccine against coronavirus in dogs as part of complex vaccinations.
At the same time, your dog must be vaccinated against parvovirus enteritis (CPV-2), canine distemper (CDV), infectious hepatitis and adenovirus (CAV-1 and CAV-2), and leptospirosis (L). These diseases are often infected “thanks” to the coronavirus: the latter, we recall, weakens the animal’s immunity, allowing pathogens of other, more serious diseases to enter the body.
Puppies are given several vaccinations against the mentioned diseases at short intervals, and adult dogs are vaccinated twice a year: one injection is a polyvalent vaccine against the listed diseases, the second injection is against rabies.
Coronavirus in the external environment survives poorly, is destroyed during boiling or treatment with most disinfectant solutions. He does not like heat either: he dies in a heated room in a few days.
Therefore, keep clean – and you will not be visited by the coronavirus in dogs. Prevention of this disease is generally quite simple: strengthen his immunity with a balanced diet, regular exercise, give him vitamins and minerals. Avoid contact with unfamiliar animals that may be sick.
An important component of the prevention of coronavirus in dogs is to avoid contact with the feces of other animals.
In addition, deworming should be carried out on time. If a puppy has helminths, then his body is weakened: helminths release toxins and poison the animal.
As soon as an infection is suspected, immediately isolate potentially sick animals from healthy ones!
Popular questions and answers
We talked about the treatment of coronavirus in dogs with veterinarian Anatoly Vakulenko.
Can it be treated at home?
Inpatient treatment is rarely necessary when the animal is severely dehydrated and needs IVs. Most likely, the main course of treatment will take place at home – but in strict accordance with the recommendations of the veterinarian.
Sources of
- Andreeva A.V., Nikolaeva O.N. New coronavirus infection (Covid-19) in animals // Veterinary doctor, 2021 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/novaya-koronavirusnaya-infektsiya-covid-19-u-zhivotnyh
- Komissarov V.S. Coronavirus infection in dogs // Scientific journal of young scientists, 2021 https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/koronavirusnaya-infektsiya-sobak