Zoonotic Disease: Can I Get Sick From My Pet?

While most human diseases only affect people, and most of the diseases which our pets suffer from only affect cats and/or dogs, it is important to know that there are some diseases that can affect both humans and animals. These are known as zoonotic diseases, diseases which can be passed from pets to people or from people to pets.

Many of you may be wondering how dangerous the threat of these zoonotic diseases can be. The truth is, you’re more likely to "catch" a disease from another person than from your cat or dog. And a little common sense, attention to hygiene, using caution when handling animal wastes, and following preventive health care measures such as flea and tick control can go a long ways towards protecting you from these diseases as well.

What kind of diseases are considered zoonotic? There are many of them. Zoonotic diseases may be bacterial infections (like cat scratch disease, salmonellosis, and leptospirosis), parasitic diseases (such as roundworms and hookworms), fungal infections (including "ringworm"), or protozoan diseases (giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, and toxoplasmosis, for example) and viral infections (like rabies). There are actually way too many zoonotic diseases to name here, but we have listed some of the most common ones.

Most of these diseases pose only minor threat to you and your family. However, individuals who have compromised immune systems may be more susceptible. Young children are a special risk because of the habit of putting their fingers in their mouth or not properly washing their hands before handling food.

Here are some of the things which you can do to protect yourself from these diseases:

• Keep your pet up to date on vaccinations, especially the rabies vaccine.
• Keep your pet free of fleas and ticks.
• Keep your pet free of intestinal parasites, such as worms. Have a fecal sample checked at least once yearly.
• Do not feed your pet raw meats. Keep all cats indoors, and dogs on leashes or under supervision when outside.
• Wash your hands before handling food and after handling animals.
• Do not allow your pet to lick your food utensils or plates, bowls, etc. Do not allow animals to lick your face.
• Clean feces from litter boxes daily and promptly pick up dog waste from your yard.
• Empty and clean litter box periodically, using hot water and detergent.
• Wear gloves when gardening.
• Wear gloves when handling raw meat.
• Cover sandboxes for children when not in use (to discourage stray cats from using the sandbox as a litter box).
• Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating.
• Cook meat thoroughly before eating.
• Seek medical attention if you are bitten by an animal.

Attention to cleanliness, mixed with a little old-fashioned common sense, will help protect you and your family and make your pets more enjoyable for you.

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