April 2020
woman walks dogs while wearing face mask
WHAT RISKS DOES COVID-19 POSE TO PETS OR THEIR CARETAKERS?
In response to recent confirmed cases of COVID-19 in animals, including a Bronx Zoo tiger and pet dogs and cats, Doug Kratt, a 1998 DVM graduate of the UW School of Veterinary Medicine and president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association, said pet owners should keep calm and not overreact. "All of those animals were being cared for by people that actively had COVID-19" and were "in an environment where they were more at risk," Kratt told People. The number of confirmed cases in animals is low and there is currently no evidence that animals can spread COVID-19 to people. "What I'm concerned about is that people are going to think that their pets are going to play a major role in this virus. At this point, there's nothing to prove that that's going to be the case," he added.

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Pet Tips and Clinical Studies
Black and white cat in bed
PET CARE AMIDST COVID-19
If your pet lives indoors with you and is not in contact with COVID-19 positive individuals, it is safe to pet, cuddle and interact with your animal, according to UW Veterinary Care Director Ruthanne Chun. If you are ill with COVID-19 you should restrict contact with pets. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and CDC provide additional guidance for managing pets in homes where people are sick with COVID-19. Per the AVMA, there is currently no reason to remove pets from homes where COVID-19 has been identified in members of the household, unless there is risk that the pet is not able to be cared for appropriately. Families should include pets and other animals in emergency preparedness planning, and preparations should be made for the care of animals should you need to be quarantined or hospitalized due to illness.
 

dog looking through door window at cat
ONLINE SURVEY ABOUT TICKS
Dog and cat owners are invited to participate in an online study about ticks to help researchers better understand how getting a dog or cat might change your use of tick prevention methods, your exposure to ticks, and how you think about these topics. This research is being done because Lyme disease is the most common tick-transmitted disease in the United States and Wisconsin, and pet owners find ticks on themselves more often than people who don't have pets. The study involves completing two 5- to 10-minute surveys; the first survey upon enrollment, and the second later in the summer. You will also be asked to download the Tick App and join the Tick App study. Participation may benefit others by helping researchers learn about the role of pets in preventing tick bites and diseases transmitted by ticks.

UW Veterinary Care Service Update
UW Veterinary Care is currently open to life-threatening emergencies in both the small animal and large animal hospitals; current patients who require ongoing treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and amino acid infusions; and medically urgent appointments for current patients.

Our veterinarians remain available to consult with other veterinary medical practitioners on emergent cases and urgent questions. And our pharmacy will continue to send out urgent refill medications as needed. Please submit requests using our online refill portal.

Thank you for your patience during this uncertain time. We are continuously reassessing and adjusting our operational plans based on the ever-changing situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Screening procedures and policies have been implemented to help keep you safe, as well as our staff and the community. 

We are doing our best to flatten the infection curve, adhering to the portion of the veterinary oath to "protect the health of the public and the environment," as well as fulfill our jobs as clinical veterinarians and staff with clients and patients whom we care about deeply.
UW Veterinary Care
608-263-7600
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