11 Non-joys of Pet Ownership
What with the warmer weather, your pets will probably be spending more time in the great outdoors.
Then return to the great indoors. Lie on the bed, couch. Patter around your house. Tracking/spreading unpleasantness all over. Maybe you even
kiss your pets. Ugh.
Here is my take on an article written by
Leah Zerbe, Prevention & Rodalenews.com entitled
11 Diseases You Can Get from Your Pet.
1. Ringworm
Nice article on defeating the fungus here.
The delightful spores live for months unhosted. Highly contagious.
Doggy ringworm.
Article suggests washing bedding once per month in hot water. OK.
WebMD recommends changing your socks and underwear at least once per day.
They also helpfully recommend putting socks on before underwear. So as not to spread the fungus to your delicate regions. Sparky up there must have missed that memo.
I should think the plain advice would run: Be aware of your pet's health. Immediately address lesions. Wash what Sparky-tainted surfaces/items can be washed.
2. Roundworm
One of the banes of kittydom, the most common cat parasite.
And here is why they were such a fright in ages past:
It can actually be more stomach-knottingly nightmarish. Again, forewarned.
Yep. That's some poor devil's eye. Left untreated, roundworm infection could progress to blindness.
But don't think this is only a problem of
yore. And note in the link that over half of infections occurred in southern states, Georgia and Florida being singled out.
Wow, these nematodes are high on my unclean list.
Article suggests, that just maybe, "house cat" indicates cats should live inside houses. Worms outside. Cat stay inside. I'd add that maybe, just maybe, there are
other excellent
reasons to keep them
inside.
They also suggest hand washing after tending the litter box.
Bonus from the article from the University of Maryland Medical Center: eat bitter and spicy foods such as turmeric, cayenne,
ginger, olives, and garlic to naturally deter infection.
3. Hookworms
They live on blood sucked from dog's intestines.
The problem here is poop. Scoop the poop promptly, according to the article, so the eggs won't hatch in your yard.
I must suppose common sense would indicate not walking barefoot were animals may be expected to tend to their toilette. Clean you and anything that comes into contact with the nastiness.
He has a thing for feet. You're feet.
4. Giardia
Looks kinda cool, actually. After the last two monsters anyway.
Most frequent gut parasite, and most frequent organism associated with waterborne infection in the US. Responisble for 4,000
hospital admissions per year.
Giardia sets up shop in the gut and causes diarrhea.
The article mainly recommends taking water with on trips. Don't allow your pet to drink from open water sources.
Great recommendation. Probably difficult to enforce.
5. Campylobacter
Puppies and kittens are the scourge here, according to the article.
The usual advice stands-- touch puppy, wash hands.
If the puppy has had diarrhea, be aware that it can shed germs for weeks after infection.
6. Salmonella
Just like those things in the Matrix.
The authors of the article have a bit of trouble with the difference between reptile and amphibian. Nonetheless, the point is taken that our more scaly/slithery pets can harbour salmonella. Chickens are another potential reservoir. And, yes, people keep chickens as
pets.
Wash your hands advice.
Good advice I hadn't considered is to not wash tanks in the kitchen sink. You could disinfect afterwards, of course, but why chance the exposure and go to the trouble?
Salmonella causes tummy ache, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
7. Tapeworms
Still amazes me this was a thing.
If your pet is boot-scooting across the carpet it may be time for a visit to the vet.
Worms can be seen in stool-- pet or human-- as rice-like bits.
Useful bit aside from the now all too familiar wash your hands: You can be infected if you ingest a carrier flea.
So don't eat fleas, I guess.
8.Cat Scratch Fever
You knew you'd see this guy.
Bartonella hangs out on cats' nails. 40% of cats are infected at some point in their nine lives.
This is another flea vector problem. If kitty has been flea (or tick) infested and has swollen lymph nodes-- off to the vet.
The advice: keep cat's nails trimmed, and, get this, don't let them lick open wounds. Seems to me if they are indoors they won't be facing a tick problem and less chance of a flea problem.
In humans the disease causes swollen and tender lymph nodes near the wound, fever, fatigue, joint pain, rash.
9. Bubonic plague
That hapless fellow with the black hands is Oregonian Paul Gaylord. He was infected July of last year. So, yeah, the plague is definitely still around. No word on whether the Gaylord's kept Charlie the cat.
Once again the flea is the vector, which I suppose everyone knows. But did you know there are seven cases per year?
Keep you pets flea free.
Update:
10. Toxoplasmosis
This one is the reason pregnant women are discouraged from cats, or at least unfamiliar cats. It is once again also a good reason to mind the "house" part of house cat.
If you must see the infected baby pics they are
here.
Article says keep cats out of gardens and sandboxes. Of course that wouldn't be a consideration if they were in the house.
Edit:
11. Rabies
Untreated, rabies is going to kill. The article quite reasonably impresses that if you have any suspicion your pet may be rabid it is time for the vet. And if you have the slightest suspicion a rabid animal has bitten you seek medical attention right away. Symptoms won't appear until the disease has reached the brain, and by then you're two days from death. Imminent, irrevocable death.
Naturally this isn't really a cat problem as they only live in the house. Only and always.
Outdoor dogs should be vaccinated.
So there you have it.
Enjoy your little biological terror.
