A pet dog or cat is like a family member to residents. Therefore, your pet may be on the tables, chairs, and beds that you use. This is normal. But have you ever thought that, if not properly controlled, your pet can cause health problems for you and your family? There is indeed such a risk. Today, we will talk about it. This article is based on a discussion with veterinarian Ashan Lanka.
What diseases can we get from dogs and cats?
Diseases caused by pets are called zoonotic diseases. Ringworm infection, skin rashes, and worm infections are the most common among these infectious diseases. These diseases are mostly transmitted to humans through dogs and cats. But most of the health problems caused by pets can be prevented by following proper guidelines. Let’s see what guidelines can be followed to prevent zoonotic diseases.
1. Choosing a suitable pet.
Choosing a pet that is right for you is something that needs to be carefully considered. Let’s look at an example of how this fact affects your and your pet’s health. Did you know that some people are allergic to animal fur? So before bringing a pet home, you should be aware if you or someone in your family has such an allergy. If you have an allergy, a dog that sheds a lot of fur or a cat is not for you.
The behaviors of dogs and cats vary from breed to breed. So while choosing a pet, you should think about that too. I will explain this with an example. If you are a person with a busy life, you may not have much time or attention for your pet. Then you should choose a pet that can be raised without much attention. Otherwise, your pet may have health problems because the mental state of dogs and cats that are kept as pets at home directly impacts their physical health. I discussed the differences between different cat breeds in Cute Cat Breeds – Part 1 and Cute Cat Breeds – Part 2 articles. You can get some idea about this from these articles.
2. Having a good understanding of the pet’s normal behavior.
You should have a good understanding of your pet’s general behavior. This is very helpful in early detection of your pet’s diseases. If your dog or cat is out of the ordinary behaving, first check its body for injuries or wounds. If not, secondly check its body for parasites such as ticks. If the cause of the pet’s unusual behavior is not both, immediately refer it to a qualified veterinarian for treatment. Because if your pet’s illness is cured quickly, the risk of contracting the disease to you and your family is reduced.
3. Get your pet vaccinated at the right time.
Dogs and cats living in homes are at risk of contracting various diseases if they are not given timely immunization vaccines. Cats can get the panleukopenia virus and the calicivirus. Dogs can get parvovirus. If it gets this kind of disease, your pet may experience symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. Then the viruses and bacteria in such waste can infect the people in the house. Therefore, give your pet immunizations at the right time for the good health of your pet, you, and your family.
4. Proper disposal of your pet’s feces.
A common symptom of an infected dog or cat is diarrhea and vomiting. So, in the vomit or feces of such an animal, pathogenic viruses or bacteria that are harmful to humans can stay and grow. You should be more careful if you have small children in your home. Because of the ignorance of young children, the germs in this kind of waste can enter the body through their mouth or nose. So remove your pet’s vomit or feces as soon as possible. After that, clean the area using an antiseptic.
5. Keep the pet’s living space and environment clean.
Your pet gets infected with pathogens from the outside environment. If the surrounding environment is dirty, there are 2 ways you can catch diseases from pets. The first way is the pathogenic bacteria present in the germs in the environment infect your pet and the disease spreads to you through the pet. The second way is when your dog or cat leaves the house and comes back with disease-causing germs on its skin or fur. At this time, even if your pet is not sick, you may get sick.
There is another point that needs your attention. If there is garbage, such as spoiled food, in the environment around your house, animals like dogs, cats, and rats will come to eat it. Then your pet can get infected with diseases from such animals. Therefore, keeping the environment around you clean is something that must be done by you who have a pet dog or cat.
6. Keeping pregnant mothers away from cats as much as possible.
Cat feces can contain various germs and bacteria that are harmful to humans. If such a germ enters the body of a pregnant woman through food, it can harm the fetus in the womb. Therefore, if you have a pregnant woman in your home, be careful about disposing of the cat’s feces properly. It is also safer for pregnant women to stay away from cats as much as possible.
