July 17, 2020 | 1:36pm
A South Carolina dog needed to be euthanized after it tested positive for the coronavirus early this month, Clemson University officials announced.
A private veterinarian decided to test the dog, an 8-or-9-year-old shepherd mix, after one of its owners was confirmed to have the contagion, Dr. Boyd Parr, state veterinarian and director of Clemson Livestock Poultry Health, said in a Thursday statement.
Findings by the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the dog had the virus on July 9, according to the statement.
The findings also indicated the dog had a chronic health condition — which led to the decision to euthanize it.
The dog is the first animal confirmed to have the virus in South Carolina, according to Parr.
Also early this month, a 2-year-old Fort Worth-area canine became the first dog in the Lone Star State to test positive for COVID-19.
Last month, the FDA warned that humans can possibly spread the coronavirus to their pets.
But “based on current knowledge, there continues to be no evidence that pets play a significant role in spreading SARS-CoV-2 to people,” Parr said.
“It remains a good idea to restrict contact with your pets and other animals,” the doctor added. “Just like you do with other people, if you are infected with COVID-19 in order to protect them from exposure to the virus as recommended by the CDC.”
In April, two pet cats in New York tested positive for coronavirus, which has also sickened tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo.
