Ryan Stewart
Special to The Oklahoman
The coronavirus has never been a problem limited to people. Since the pandemic s start, the virus s potential to impact pets, livestock and wildlife has been a global concern.
But will the four-legged friends we share our homes with need vaccines? It s unlikely in the short term, said Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation attending veterinarian Jennie Criley, D.V.M. Although there are a few reports of dogs and cats testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, they typically show no or very mild symptoms, said Criley, who is also the director of comparative medicine at OMRF. Currently, there is no evidence that dogs and cats play a significant role in transmitting the virus to humans or other animals.