According to health officials, a client arrived at North Carolina State University Veterinary Hospital on Aug. 3 with her dog, who earlier in the day demonstrated signs of respiratory distress at the start.
The dog later died of his disease.
The client told staff that a family member had previously tested positive for COVID-19 and later tested negative.
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Samples collected from the dog were tested for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and were then sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories for testing.
Those tests confirmed a positive result, according to health officials.
A necropsy was performed to try to determine the health status of the animal at the time of death and the cause of death. The investigation is still ongoing.
“Based on the available information, the risk of animals spreading the virus to humans is considered low,” said Drs. Carl Williams, Public Sector for Public Health, in a news release.
If pet owners are concerned about their dog’s health, they should contact their veterinarian and discuss the dog’s symptoms before bringing them to the veterinary office.
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According to the CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, there is currently no evidence that pets play a major role in spreading the virus.
“There is currently no indication that dogs can transmit the virus to other animals, so there is no justification for taking measures against companion animals that could compromise their welfare,” said NC State Veterinarian Doug Meckes.
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