A Dublin vet has assured pet owners that a virus being picked up by many dogs in the city is not COVID-19.
However, he said a spike in dog ownership and dog walking during the pandemic has created a situation where infectious diseases can spread among dogs more easily.
Recent weeks have seen Dubliners warned of a rise in a virus that can cause vomiting or diarrhea in dogs, with pet owners being advised to take care while out walking.
Liam Moriarty is a vet with the MyVet group, which has clinics in the greater Dublin area, and he spoke to Lunchtime Live.
He said: “We have been seeing an increase in gastrointestinal cases in dogs over the last month, which peaked around 10 days ago - I think in my vet in Lucan last Sunday week, we had 25 consecutive cases of vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.
“Speaking to vets across the clinics… they have seen a significant increase as well."
The increase in sick dogs has left some people worried their pet may have picked up COVID-19, but Mr Moriarty is assuring them that's not the case.
He explained: “The causal agents may be a canine coronavirus - it is not COVID-19. We’re getting a lot of panicked calls about that… but there are many coronaviruses.
"The causal agent here might, in some cases, be a coronavirus dogs get, but nothing to do with COVID-19."
The virus in question doesn't affect people or other animals such as cats.
The Dublin vet said many cases are being detected in the same household, which suggests the virus is infectious.
He said most dogs are responding well to standard treatments, although some older or vulnerable dogs may need to be hospitalised overnight on an IV drip.
However, he was happy to report that his clinics have seen no deaths related to the virus.
"People have gotten more dogs"
While the virus itself is not COVID-19, Mr Moriarty did note the current lockdown may be creating an environment for the illness to spread.
He said: “I think there’s a reason we’re seeing more in Dublin - I think that’s related to the pandemic. People have gotten more dogs: we have seen a 60% increase in new puppies in 2020 compared to 2019.
“An awful lot of people have gotten more dogs, because they’re at home and have time to spend with them. Secondly, they’re walking their dogs more - and a lot of people are walking the dogs in the same place.
"With more dogs and more crowding in dog parks or dog areas, there’s more chances for an infectious disease to spread in dogs.
"There’s just an ideal set of circumstances at the moment to spread the disease."
He said that the likes of winter vomiting bugs aren't uncommon at this time of year anyway, but the current large number of cases is likely down to more dogs being out and about.
In terms of advice to pet owners worried about the virus, Mr Moriarty said: "I think what people can do is to make sure people clean up properly after their dogs.
"If they have multiple pets in one household, make sure the water bowls are kept clean… if a dog has bad diarrhea, try to restrict him to the garden.
“If it’s possible, walk them in areas with less dog traffic… crowding is often a big factor. Try to avoid the well-beaten path. Keep them on a lead and don’t let them off in those [busy] areas.”
However, he assured pet owners the current infection rate will pass.
