Dalmatian was first dog to catch Covid in UK - and he was left in agony

A Dalmatian was left in agony with breathing problems after becoming the first dog in the UK to catch Covid.

Kip's concerned owners Gareth and Alison Ayles-Owen took him to the vet and he tested positive for the Kent variant.

The family from South West London think nine-year-old Kip caught the virus when they had Covid in October 2020.

Vets at Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre in Marlow, Buckinghamshire checked Kit and Montpellier University in France carried out further analysis, confirming the diagnosis.

Experts say there is no evidence the animal was involved in the transmission of the disease to its owners, or that pets or other domestic animals are able to transmit the virus to people.

Kip was the first dog to test positive for Covid in the UK (file photo) (Getty Images)

Alison told The Sun : “The family had Covid in October 2020 and we think that is how Kip got infected. We thought it might be Covid because we heard a lot of people were suffering with heart arrhythmia but it was not thought pets could get it at the time.

"He was really poorly for a few weeks.”

In line with international agreements, Kip's case was reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health.

He has now fully recovered.

The British Veterinary Association said: “Confirmed cases in cats and dogs worldwide remain rare and it’s highly likely that the transmission route was from infected owners to their pets, rather than the other way round.”

Last week chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: "There is no clear evidence to suggest that pets directly transmit the virus to humans. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will update our guidance to pet owners should the situation change. "

Scientists in the Netherlands found that coronavirus -1>coronavirus is common in pet cats and dogs where their owners have the disease and owners have previously been told to avoid their pets while infected.

While cases of owners passing on Covid-19 to their pets bring negligible risk to public health, the scientists said there is a "potential risk" that domestic animals could act as a "reservoir" for coronavirus and reintroduce it to humans.