A GUISELEY-based vets is reassuring pet owners who are concerned about whether their cats and dogs can catch coronavirus.

White Cross Vets, which has 22 practices across the UK says it has been inundated with questions from worried customers in recent weeks. This follows reports about a dog in Hong Kong that died after testing a ‘weak positive’ for coronavirus - but White Cross says there are precautions owners can take.

Tom Ward, from the Guiseley practice said: “Cat and dog owners are obviously concerned about whether their pets could fall ill to Covid-19 and we have been answering lots of questions about it.

“The veterinary industry is researching the risks of Covid-19 to dogs and cats, but so far there is no evidence they can fall ill to the disease. Instead, experts have suggested the dog’s test in Hong Kong could have been inaccurate or contaminated by its owner, who was suffering with coronavirus. He was also a senior dog and his cause of death has not been reported.

“It’s also worth remembering that viruses hijack cells by getting into certain cell receptors, but domestic pets have different receptors to those found in humans. This means most viruses that are contagious in humans, can’t transfer into pets. The World Health Organisation has also said they have found no evidence that pets can be infected by it.”

Tom added: “It’s still worth taking the precautions though to ensure pets stay healthy throughout the crisis. Owners should also maintain good hygiene practices, including thoroughly washing hands, after handling or feeding pets, which is also a key driver in reducing the spread of coronavirus.

“Finally, in most cases pets can stay with their owners who are showing coronavirus symptoms and self-isolating, although it’s advisable to restrict contact with pets until more is known about the possibility of human to pet transmission. In instances where a pet requires veterinary attention during this time, we’d suggest speaking to your vet to discuss the options because most will have a plan in place for these situations and should be able to help.”