 |
 |
|
vancouver animal wellness hospital healing as nature intended homeopathy | nutrition | acupuncture | chiropractic | full-service surgery | physiotherapy/rehabilitation |
|
|
 sitemap |
|
|
|
› about us
› site map
› home
|
|
|
› articles by michael goldberg, dvm
Sleeping with Pets Dear Dr. Goldberg, Is there any health risk to humans who have their dogs sleep in the bedroom either on the floor or on the bed with either children or adults? G.D., Melfort, SK Dear G.D., Firstly, there are a large number of our population that considers their pets like they do their children and there are very few diseases that are picked up from pets as a consequence. I feel that there are also a significant number of diseases that are transmissible from human to human that are more significant. There are a number of diseases that may be passed on from pets to their owners. The most common ones happen to be parasites and fungal disease. Parasites such as roundworm can be passed from pet to human usually through contact with feces. The most common transmission is in children who may be unhygienic with the pet. In other words, they may pick up stools and handle them thus contracting the parasite. This disease in humans is known as visceral larval migrans. Fungal disease or ringworm can be transmitted to humans though this is usually again in children or older people whose immune systems are less efficient. Toxoplasmosis can be contracted by humans and are risky to pregnant women. This is a parasite usually found in the cat (picked up by hunting) and if the cat is shedding the parasite in the stool, there is a potential for pregnant women to have birth problems if they contract the parasite. It can also be present in soil. If there is concern, you can contact your physician for more information on this. The important thing to remember is that if you are pregnant I would stay away from cat stool and have another family member clean the litter box. Fleas can cause problems in humans and in immunocompromised individuals, there have been reports that bacterial disease can be contracted from pet to human. This being said, there are numerous pet owners who sleep with their pets and have no problems. I feel that about half my clients sleep with their pets and the other half do not. I think it is a personal preference and I feel that pets do not pose an undo health threat to humans. There are certain individuals who may be susceptible to these diseases but this must be decided on an individual basis. It is a common misconception that pinworms that are so common in children are contracted from the cat or dog. We must always use basic hygiene principals in our conduct with our pets. The best defense is good nutrition on the pet's part so they will not be susceptible to this type of parasitism in the first place. I have gone over the virtues of raw feeding in previous articles. There are regular deforming programs both conventionally as well as herbal that you can get through your veterinarian if this is a worry. For roundworms, use homeopathic Cina 3X (Wormseed) one tablet 3 times daily for at least three weeks. For tapeworm, use homeopathic Filix Mas 3X (male fern) one tablet three times daily until there is no evidence of worms (they look like rice grains around the anus). An alternative is Granatum 3X twice daily for 5 days. Many health stores also now carry herbal dewormers for pets. Dr Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health of Dogs and Cats (Richard Pitcairn, Rodale Press) is a good source for deworming programs in a natural manner. Read more Articles by Michael Goldberg, DVM... |
|
|
vancouver
105 east broadway |
 photo by Heidi Zutter |
|
k9phodography.com fine art pet photography |
|
|
|
vancouver animal wellness hospital Michael Goldberg, DVM; Sue Hughson, DVM 105 e. broadway, vancouver, bc v5t 1w1 / phone: 604.738.4664 / fax: 604.738.4694 Hours of Operation: Monday, Thursday & Friday: 9am - 6pm, Tuesday & Wednesday: 9am - 7pm, Saturday: 9am - 5pm © Copyright 2004-2006. vancouver animal wellness hospital. All rights reserved. › Contact Us › Privacy Policy › Sitemap › Home |