Guinea pigs and COVID-19

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Perla

Post   » Fri Mar 13, 2020 9:09 pm


Does anyone know if cavies can get COVID-19? In our house one of us works in health care and is increasingly worried we might be exposed to the virus. While neither of us are in the population groups that appear to be most vulnerable to the virus, we don't want to pass anything on to our pigs. I did some googling for this but mostly came up with information specific to dogs and cats. Has anyone read or heard anything about coronavirus and cavies?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Mar 13, 2020 10:17 pm


I do not think it is currently known if our guinea pigs could be affected. I heard about a dog that tested positive twice.

Just in case, practicing good hygiene at home might be wise right now.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:33 am


I read where it was fatal to guinea pigs, but they had been injected with it for experiments. Of course that made me sick to my stomach to read that, but there was nothing to say whether they can contract the virus through other means. I am going to go ahead and say that you should take every precaution to avoid passing it on to your pets.

Wash your hands and arms with warm water and soap before and after handling them. If you have symptoms, don't handle them. Get someone to take care of them until your symptoms pass or you test negative for the virus. Keep your place and their habitat clean and sanitary. Consult your vet if you have any questions or concerns.

rjespicer

Post   » Sat Mar 14, 2020 2:39 am


I had been wondering the same thing. We have just tried to be doubly cautious when it come sto washing any veggies as well as washing hands before and after handling then as Renonvxsparky suggests. Thats a lot of washing though as we pet them quite a bit.
I have also been trying to enforce a no outdoor shoes to be worn inside policy, that's something I have always done ever since i was a kid but it seems that not everyone does it, so I get some odd looks when I mention it to some of our visitors.

rjespicer

Post   » Sat Mar 14, 2020 6:23 am


I found this online which may be of some help
https://www.avma.org/sites/default/file ... sRkq16ChO0

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:39 am


It certainly is true that guinea pigs are vulnerable to respiratory infections. I hate to think they could contract the virus.

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Sat Mar 14, 2020 11:01 am


Very helpful link.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sat Mar 14, 2020 5:19 pm


Thanks for that link.

rjespicer

Post   » Sat Mar 14, 2020 6:06 pm


No problem. I get info from a couple of specialized Rodent Doctors and Nurses. If they post anything else that may be useful I will put it here.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Sat Mar 14, 2020 7:46 pm


I can't stress washing your hands and using good personal hygiene enough. Hand sanitizer is not a suitable substitute for good hand washing. It is ok for the short term until you can get somewhere to properly wash up, but you cannot depend on it alone. Proper washing and hygiene is your best defense against any viral or bacterial infection.

My granddaughter is a liver transplant patient and on immunosuppressant so this is something that we know a lot about and practice all of the time, regardless of what's going around. We wash our hands at least a couple of dozen times a day.

The information I'm passing on came directly from the transplant center at Stanford University. You can't wash your hands too much. Hand sanitizer doesn't kill and totally remove pathogens from your hands. So without rinsing, you are just leaving any surviving pathogens on your hands along with the dead ones. Antibacterial soap kills most known pathogens. Those that are killed and those that aren't are washed away by the running water.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:03 pm


Actually, Renonvsparky, it's my understanding that all antibacterial soap does is create antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. It's not strong enough to kill anything. Here's a link from the FDA: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer- ... -and-water.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Sun Mar 15, 2020 1:22 am


I had heard about the problems with triclosan, and the antibacterial products were getting out of hand, like antibacterial window cleaner. I'm not sure why I would need to kill bacteria on windows.

I do think alcohol-based anti-bacterial dish soap and hand soap would be appropriate in areas where many people share work spaces or kitchen areas. At work, there were about 40 people who shared a coffee counter, brought food in and had it sitting out for everyone, shared copiers, etc. We had an employee with COPD and other health issues. Not everyone washes their hands long enough or as thorough as they should, so I could see where antibacterials might be beneficial.

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