Can having a pet make my children or me 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. Cleaning seems to be the best prevention of common illnesses.

However, one important thing is to consider everyone’s current state of health. People with weak immune systems, people with serious illnesses, people with HIV / AIDS, people with organ transplants, people receiving cancer treatment, and infants and young children are at increased risk of developing a disease of an animal than most. other people.

With few exceptions, careless handling of a pet along with not washing hands after cleaning up pet waste are the leading causes of pet-related illnesses.

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

What is rabies? It is a disease caused by the rabies virus and is transmitted through the bite of an animal carrying the virus. Today, most pets are vaccinated against the rabies virus as dictated by most state laws.

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

It may take one to three months for a person to show signs of the virus, and by then it is too late for 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 cats or dogs unless supervised, along with 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 contracted from dogs other than rabies, most of which come from contact with a dog’s feces. This is why cleanliness seems so important. To clean up after your dog eliminates, use plastic gloves, a water scoop, or a plastic bag to avoid touching the stool.

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

Cats can also transmit a disease or two to their humans, but in general, you most likely won’t get sick from touching 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 anaplastic, can generally prevent any illness. Symptoms of cat scratch disease can include infection at the site of injury, swollen lymph nodes, some fever, and loss of appetite.

Another disease associated with cats is toxoplasmosis; however, people are more likely to get 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 virus and do not know it. You can get it from swallowing cat feces.

Yuck, you say why would someone do that? Actually, just by touching your mouth, eyes, or nose, you can pass it on 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 to avoid handling the feces. Keep pets away from the litter box, along with children. For some strange reason, dogs seem to enjoy searching the litter box for treats.

What other diseases can pets transmit to humans?

Salmonellosis, which is a bacterial disease caused by the bacteria Salmonella. 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 is about touching animal feces and not washing your hands after doing so. Some animals may have it on their bodies, as they have picked it up from the ground.

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

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals.

How can you get it?

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

Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or a 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 get it by drinking from a contaminated birdbath.

Ticks carry disease and ticks bite dogs, so the rule of thumb here is that when removing ticks from your pet, be extremely careful. Your chances of contracting Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever are slim and nil, unless you’re roaming areas of the country where those ticks are prevalent and don’t wear protective clothing.

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

Can you get tapeworm, certainly, but only if you eat it and the flea is infected? Keeping your pet and your home free from fleas will prevent either of them from becoming infected. Last but not least on this list of things is ringworm, this is a skin and scalp disease that you can get 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 is a fungus that lives in humans, pets, and rarely in soil. Ringworm appears as a flat, round patch on the skin and then adapts to a ring-shaped patch. It can be treated with a fungal-killing medicine that is usually taken by mouth in tablet form 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’ve made you wonder if I ever have a pet, the answer is of course.

Old common sense hygiene is the answer to most pet and human illnesses. I have never heard of a person dying from a disease transmitted 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 bathroom area and keeping stools clean is the safest thing you can do.

Teach your children to wash their hands frequently after playing with your pet and you will be on your way to a long and happy life.