Pets can definitely make you sick if you are not careful. It is so comforting to pet and cuddle with them that you do not necessarily think about what they have been doing and where. Pets can easily harbor bacterial, viral and fungal infections after being exposed to them simply by walking in a park, having play time with other animals and even rooting through garbage or feces.
The best way to avoid illness from your pet is to practice good hygiene for both yourself and your pet. Keep them washed and groomed. Trim their nails and bring them in for regular veterinarian appointments. Of course, despite the best precautions, it is still possible to pick up an illness. Here are the three most common:
1. Worms – Vets call a case of worms – larval migrans. These worms found in the intestinal tract are eliminated through feces. Touching soil contaminated by feces or picking up feces for cleanup can cause a skin infection. If you neglect to wash your hands regularly, particularly after cleaning feces, gardening, or even touching your pet, you can accidentally ingest worm eggs. These eggs can migrate throughout the body causing different symptoms. Serious unchecked cases of worms in humans have resulted in damage to the eyes, brain, lungs and other internal organs.
Preventing the contraction of worms is easy. Make sure your pet is regularly dewormed at veterinary visits and administer maintenance medications as needed to prevent a worm problem in your pet. In addition, make it a priority to wash your hands often, especially when handling your pet or cleaning up their messes.
2. Cat scratch disease – Bacteria can harbor in the claws of your family feline. If they scratch you, these bacteria can potentially be transmitted to you through the broken, scratched skin. An infection could result, causing a number of symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes and redness and inflammation. Kittens tend to harbor bacteria more often than mature cats. It is important to keep kitty cat’s claws trimmed to prevent the bacteria from hiding in them. Herbal creams or lotions made from goldenseal can help your scratches heal faster because of its antimicrobial properties.
3. Ringworm – Ringworm and other fungal infections are commonly transmitted from pets to humans. While cats carry fungus on their fur more often than dogs, they are asymptomatic, meaning they do not show symptoms of an infection. Dogs do tend to exhibit signs of fungal infections such as hair loss and round, raised lesions on the skin.
In humans, ringworm presents itself similarly as it does with dogs. You will develop a raised, circular lesion that is red or inflamed and quite itchy. In some cases, the ringworm may appear flaky. While over the counter antifungal creams can help treat ringworm in humans, there are herbal remedies that can also do the trick. Tea tree oil and oregano oil both have powerful antifungal properties and can be applied directly onto the site.
Most illnesses transmittable from pets to humans can be easily treated or prevented with just a few precautions. Washing hands is the biggest preventative. Also, regular veterinarian check-ups for your pet and frequent washing and grooming can help too.
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