Can my pet make me sick?

Can having a pet make me or my children sick?

The answer to that question is “yes” and “no.”

There is always the possibility and there are also ways to prevent problems.

The best way to ensure that germs and/or bacteria are not transmitted is to practice good hygiene. Cleanliness seems to be the best prevention of common diseases.

However, one important thing is to take into account the current state of health of everyone. People with weak immune systems, people with serious illnesses, people with HIV/AIDS, people with organ transplants, people being treated for cancer, and infants and young children are at increased risk of contracting a disease of an animal than most. other people.

With few exceptions, careless handling of a pet and failure to wash hands after cleaning up after a pet are the leading causes of pet-related illness.

What are some of the possible diseases that may be associated with animals? The most feared thing in my mind is rage.

What is rage? It is a disease caused by the rabies virus and is transmitted through the bite of an animal carrying the virus. Today, most domestic animals are vaccinated against the rabies virus in accordance with the laws of most states.

However, a bite from an unknown animal, domestic or wild, until the animal is known to have been vaccinated, should treat the recipient of the bite as if the animal had the virus.

It can take one to three months for a person to show signs of the virus and by then it is too late for any treatment to work.

It is very important that your pet, even if it is an indoor pet, is vaccinated against the rabies virus.

Teaching children to avoid trying to pet strange dogs or cats unless supervised, as well as avoiding the temptation to catch a wild animal, is one of the best lessons you can teach your child.

There are many germs/viruses that can be caught from dogs other than rabies, most of which come from contact with a dog’s feces. That’s why cleanliness seems so important. To clean up after your dog eliminates, use plastic gloves, a poop scoop, or a plastic bag to avoid touching the feces.

A dog can carry many types of germs, bacteria and/or viruses and not be sick, but you can catch it and suffer. Most illnesses caused by pets usually include diarrhea, vomiting, some fever, and muscle aches. As with any disease, consult your medical provider.

Cats can also transmit a disease or two to their humans, but in general there’s a good chance you won’t get sick from handling or owning a cat.

Cat scratch fever can come from a scratch or bite, but using normal precautionary measures, such as washing the wound and putting an anapestic on it, can usually prevent any illness. Symptoms of cat scratch disease can include infection at the site of the injury, swollen lymph glands, mild fever, and loss of appetite.

Another disease associated with cats is toxoplasmosis, however people are more likely to contract it from eating raw meat or gardening.

What is toxoplasmosis? It is a disease caused by a parasite, about 60 million people are infected by this bug and do not know it. It can be contracted by swallowing cat feces.

Yuk, you say why would someone do that? Actually just by touching your mouth, eyes or nose you can transmit it to yourself. The symptoms are similar to those of the flu. It is particularly dangerous for pregnant women as it can be transmitted to the fetus.

When cleaning the litter box, always be careful and avoid touching the feces. Keep pets away from the litter box, along with children. For some strange reason, dogs seem to enjoy searching for treats in the litter box.

What other diseases can be transmitted to humans by pets?

Salmonellosis, which is a bacterial disease caused by the Salmonella bacterium. Most of the time people get it from infected chickens, eggs, or other contaminated food. Symptoms can cause severe diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain.

The salmonellosis virus can also be transmitted to humans by handling pets such as reptiles (lizards, snakes, and turtles), chicks, ducklings, and occasionally a cat or dog.

Again, it’s about touching animal feces and not washing your hands after doing so. Some animals may have it on their bodies, having picked it up from the ground.

Water can also be a point of contamination, where animals have access to it and because runoff, feces and urine can flow into the water, humans need to be careful.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals.

How can you get it?

By exposure to many things, such as the bacteria is secreted through the urine of infected animals. It can be found in water (ponds and streams), food, or soil that contains urine from infected animals. Swallowing water (swimming in a pond or stream), contaminated food, or by hands that have been in contact with a source and rubbed in the eyes, nose, or mouth, or through a break in the skin.

Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Seek medical treatment as soon as possible, especially if you have been swimming in the “old swimming hole”.

Leptospirosis is found throughout the world, but mainly in temperate and tropical climates. Pets can acquire it by drinking from a contaminated birdbath.

Ticks carry disease and ticks bite dogs, so the rule of thumb here is when removing ticks from your pet, be very careful. Your chances of contracting Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever are slim to none, unless you’re wandering in areas of the country where those ticks are prevalent and you’re not wearing protective clothing.

Fleas can cause tapeworms in household pets. Animals contract it by swallowing a flea that has been infected.

You can certainly get tapeworm, but only if you swallow an infected flea. Keeping your pet and your home free of fleas will prevent any of you from becoming infected. Last but not least on this list of things is ringworm, this is a disease of the skin and scalp that can be contracted not only from animals, but also from people.

How can you get ringworm?

Ringworm is a contagious fungus that can be spread from person to person, pet to person, or pet to pet.

It has nothing to do with worms, but it is a fungus that lives on humans, pets, and rarely in soil. Ringworm appears as a flat, round patch on the skin and then adjusts to a ring-shaped patch. It can be treated with a fungus-killing medication that is usually taken orally as a tablet or with an ointment applied to the affected area.

The important thing here is not to share personal items with an infected person, not to touch infected areas, to keep children away from infected pets, and to thoroughly wash all items handled by the infected person or pet.

Now that I made you wonder if I would ever have a pet, the answer is of course.

Common sense hygiene is the answer to most pet-to-human illnesses. I have never heard of a person dying from a disease contracted by a cat or dog. With the possible exception of someone being bitten by a rabid animal and not seeking treatment.

Keeping children’s play areas free from being your pet’s toilet area and cleaning up after feces is the safest thing to do.

Teach your children to wash their hands often after playing with your pet, and you’ll be on your way to a long and happy life.