With news of the monkeypox virus currently making headlines, pet owners want to know: Can dogs get monkeypox? And what about cats?
Monkeypox is a virus in the Poxiviridae family, which also contains smallpox, cowpox, rabbitpox and other viruses. In general, most mammals (including dogs, cats and humans) are susceptible to poxviruses, meaning that, yes, your dog or cat could get monkeypox.
Based on the first suspected case of human-to-dog monkeypox transmission, the CDC has a message for pet parents — if you contract monkeypox, stay away from your pets for 21 days to avoid transmission. Many scientists still don't know how this virus spreads, but with this first suspected case detected, pet parents should be on alert.
According to Dr. Hilary Jones, veterinarian and chief veterinary officer at DodoVet, and Dr. Ruth MacPete, a veterinarian and media personality, we may see more positive cases in the future based on the latest transmission news and monkeypox's past history.
"At this time, we don't know exactly what the reservoir host is for monkeypox, though we know that small mammals, like rats, squirrels and prairie dogs, as well as non-human primates, play a role. And we
know the most common transmission is from animals to people through direct contact or a bite," Dr. Jones told The Dodo. And unfortunately, similar to COVID-19, animals with monkeypox won't always show signs of being sick.
