5 Diseases you could Get from your Pet

Having a pet is a blessing. It’s a great companion that exhibits unconditional love and loyalty, assists you in teaching your child about caring for other beings, and acts as a great stress reliever. Mayem Yao, D.V.M., veterinarian and proprietor of Pendragon Vet Clinic, mentions how pets can be very therapeutic. “They lift you up when your spirits are down or help you cool off when you’re angry. Many adults spend time grooming their animals to take away stress from work.

For kids, it’s a great way to learn about responsibilities such as bathing, feeding, and cleaning up after their pets. Occasionally, it teaches a child about death and learning to treasure each moment with a ‘loved one.’

On the flipside, owning an animal can have its hidden dangers, too! Without knowing it, your pets can easily be disease-carrying creatures that can stealthily harm your family. Here are five common illnesses you can contract from having animals - both pets and pests - around:

Allergies / Asthma
These two popular sicknesses - allergic rhinitis and asthma - are usually triggered by animals that shed (such as dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and rabbits) or by house dust mites found in bedding, upholstered furniture, carpet, and the like.

Symptoms: Joy Ty Sy, M.D., a pediatrician at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, helps you determine which is which. “Children suffering from allergic rhinitis may exhibit chronic cold-like symptoms which include runny nose, nasal stuffiness, sneezing, throat clearing, and itchy, watery eyes. However, if your child has recurrent/nighttime coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing, he may have asthma.”

Treatment: Find out what triggers the allergy. Rosanne Sugay, M.D., an internal medicine and pediatrics practitioner at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, suggests getting your child tested for allergies. “Have a blood test to determine how he will react to animals. Some kids can still take care of a pet that sheds as long as you avoid leaving the pet indoors and you don’t let the pet sleep or stay near the child’s sleeping quarters.” For people with frequent allergy or asthma attacks, take the appropriate preventive drugs such as antihistamine pills, nasal sprays, or inhalers.

Prevention: The quickest way to manage the allergy is by avoiding pet allergens (if necessary, find your pet a new home!). Daily cleaning of the house will also help.

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Rabies
This deadly viral illness is commonly transferred through animal bites - or scratches - from infected mammals such as dogs, cats, and rodents. Joseph John Palarca, M.D., an online veterinary consultant and co-producer of MyPetChannel.TV, explains how the virus affects its victims. “It attacks the central nervous system - striking the brain and nerves. Depending on the bite site and the distance to the central nervous system, rabies can cause fatal consequences within days.”

Symptoms: After being bitten by an animal with rabies, a person may have fever, headaches, violent seizures, excessive salivation, and hydrophobia (a refusal to swallow or drink). Take note that while some rabies victims become violent and aggressive, others become reserved and depressed.

Treatment: Wash the wounds and scratches thoroughly with soap and water, then rush the person to a medical doctor for stitches and proper vaccination. Contact the nearest animal bite center for a post-exposure treatment (call 816-1111 or visit www.animalbitecenter.ph for a list of participating clinics and hospitals in the Philippines), and monitor the suspected animal for two weeks for signs of the disease.

Prevention: When it comes to rabies as well as the cat-scratch disease (an illness transmitted primarily through scratches from infected cats), prevention is better than treatment. Bring your pets to the vet regularly (monthly to quarterly checkups would be ideal), and make sure their shots are up-to-date. Don’t allow pets to lick your child’s face, and instruct your children not to touch their pet’s urine or feces as precautionary measures. According to the Department of Health National Rabies Prevention and Control Program, majority of rabies cases occur during the summer because children play outdoors, so make sure you educate your kids about what to do when they spot a stray animal and discuss safe areas where they can play.

Leptospirosis
A bacterial disease transmitted by infected animals, primarily rats, through their urine. The bacteria can enter the body through skin or mucous membranes, especially if the skin has a cut or scratch. Commonly spread during the rainy season, it can affect both humans and their pets when they come into contact with the infected creatures, their urine, or the infected soil or water. It can also be spread from person to person.

Symptoms: People suffering from leptospirosis experience flu-like symptoms with headaches, muscle pains, and fever. If left untreated, it can cause jaundice (a characteristic yellowing of the eyes and skin) or “develop into a more severe, life-threatening illness with infections in the kidney, liver, brain, lung, and heart,” says Dr. Sy.

Treatment: This disease is only treatable with antibiotics. There are no known human vaccines, and only a few strains of animal vaccines. Dr. Yao highly recommends washing up after access to flood water, cleaning wounds thoroughly, and consulting your physician in case of exposure to the bacteria.

Prevention: Make sure your dogs have updated leptospirosis vaccinations, and address the presence of rats and rodents in your household. Dr. Palarca advises, “Make sure cracks, holes, and other entrances into the house are blocked to prevent contact with pets inside. Trash cans kept outside should be properly covered.”

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Scabies
Also known as “the itch,” this highly contagious skin rash is caused by microscopic parasites that live in the skin. These mites may be contracted from an infected person or animal (dogs and rabbits are usually afflicted) through skin-to-skin contact. According to Dr. Sugay, “You can also get them from mites that shed on objects such as clothes, sheets, and rugs.”

Symptoms: Expect extreme bouts of itchiness, skin reddening, and even scab-like formations that result from scratching. Scabies are usually found on the legs and arms.

Treatment: Consult your physician before using sulfur or other anti-parasitic ointments, and take antihistamine drugs to lessen itchiness.

Prevention: Proper hygiene and sanitation are important. When someone gets scabies, the other family members should also be treated to prevent re-infection. Disinfect the house and wash everything that has been contaminated with hot water.

Salmonellosis
Primarily a food-borne disease, the Salmonella bacteria may also be picked up from the feces, skin, or cages of pet reptiles (like turtles and snakes) and rodents.

Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and bloody diarrhea are common symptoms that may be severe in young children and the elderly.

Treatment: “Basic treatment is oral or intravenous rehydration depending on the case. Antibiotics are likewise administered,” states Dr. Sy. “Infections usually resolve in five to seven days.”

Prevention: Wash hands thoroughly after handling these reptiles. Don’t let your pets roam freely in the house, especially in areas where food is prepared. Children under five years old and those with immune system problems are most at risk for Salmonella infections.

Keeping healthy pets definitely results in having a healthy, disease-free household. Dr. Palarca imparts these words of wisdom, “Pets are pretty much dependent on their owners as kids are to their parents, so how fit and happy pets are depends on how good their owners take care of them.”

Photo from sxc.hu