I’ve been asked this question several times. The reason it comes up is fear that a dog may catch hep C from the person and become ill. But, there is also another concern – that a person could catch the virus from a hep C-infected dog.

The short answer is no, but let’s delve into this a little more.

Hepatitis means inflammation in the liver, from any cause. In the case of dogs, it can be due to a virus called canine adenovirus 1 (CAV-1). This virus also infects skunks and bears.

Standard canine vaccines protect dogs from this disease. Hepatitis in dogs can also be caused by bacteria that invade the liver from the intestinal tract.

In people, hepatitis can be caused by many viruses, including hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Hep C is particularly prominent because it can cause chronic disease and eventual liver failure. The symptoms of hepatitis in both dogs and people are the same because the viruses and bacteria create the same end result – liver failure.

Hep C is transmitted by blood products, so it’s easy to worry when you see a dog licking a fresh wound on a person. Thankfully, the hep C virus is species-specific and won’t infect dogs. It is also impossible to catch hep C from dogs.