Besides the reduced stress, good company, and unconditional love from your dog, you can also get viruses, fungi, and bacteria that cause diseases. Pets, including dogs, also carry fleas and ticks that are also dangerous to human health.
Fleas also like human blood; they may jump from your dog's bedding or fur onto your skin. Some people have adverse reactions to flea bites, and scratching the itches can lead to skin infections. Keep your home and dog flea- and tick-free to prevent flea and tick bites and the parasites that can come with them.
The following are some of the diseases you can get from your dog.
This dreaded and deadly disease is found in affected wild animals like foxes, bats, skunks, and raccoons. Rabies is carried and transmitted through animal saliva. Dogs get the infections if they get into a brawl with an animal infected with rabies. If an infected animal bites your dog, they acquire rabies. If your dog bites or even scratches your skin with its teeth, you should immediately get rabies shots. Do not wait to develop symptoms like hallucinations, delirium, or flu-like illness, as getting to the symptom stage can be fatal. Have your dog regularly vaccinated against rabies to prevent the disease.
This is a common bacterium found on human and animal skin. Generally, MRSA causes no problems, but it is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause severe complications and infections in humans. When your dog has MRSA, he will not get sick or exhibit any symptoms.
Humans get the disease through direct contact with dogs, and it causes skin infections in humans and disorders of the urinary and respiratory tracts. MRSA can cause fatal complications like pneumonia, septicemia, and even death if you don't get treated.
Young puppies are more likely to transmit this disease to humans than older dogs. Ringworm is a fungal disease that makes people have scaly skin, have a bald patch on their scalp, or a reddened circular rash on the skin. People pick ringworms when they touch an infected dog, their towel, or blanket. Ringworm is also found in garden soil where dogs and cats do business. A ringworm infection is treated with a topical antifungal ointment or, in severe cases, an oral antifungal drug. To prevent being infected with ringworm, wash your hands after petting your dog and wear gloves when gardening.
Most kittens and puppies are born with roundworms, so you should have them regularly tested and treated. Roundworm eggs can survive up to 30 days in moist environments such as soil and sand where the pet defecates. If you touch the soil or sand and eat without cleaning your hands, you may swallow the eggs. Although rarely, a person infected with roundworms may experience lung, heart, eye, and neurological symptoms.
Parasites transmit hookworms. Humans get infected when the hookworm larvae from soil previously contaminated by their dog penetrate their skin. This is the reason dogs are not permitted on the beach.
This is a bacterial present in infected animals' urine, such as dogs, squirrels, rats, and mice. Humans get the bacteria through contact with contaminated urine, where the bacteria survives for weeks to months on soil or water. Your dog can give you this disease if he runs through a yard containing infected urine and then cleans off his paws in your house.
Symptoms of leptospira include chills, vomiting, fever, and a rash that can cause kidney failure if left untreated. The illness is treated using antibiotics like penicillin or doxycycline. You can prevent this disease by keeping up with your dog's vaccinations and keeping rodents out of your yard and house.
Parasitic mites cause scabies, and it is highly contagious. When your dog has scabies, you'll notice severe itching, hair loss, sores, scabbing, bald spots, and self-inflicted wounds from scratching. Humans acquire the mites through prolonged contact with their infected dogs when they share a bed or touch their contaminated bedding.
You will experience red bumps, rash, and severe itching when you have scabies. You should decontaminate towels, clothing, and bedding you've come in contact with three days before treatment. Wash them in hot water, dry them in a hot dryer, or seal them in a plastic bag for 72 hours. Mites that cause scabies cannot survive for more than three days without human skin.
Many people link salmonella with eggs and poultry, but the disease can also be transmitted from dogs to humans. Salmonella can also be found in dry dog treats, food, and chew toys. Although your dog may not get sick when infected, salmonella can lead to serious illness in humans. Typically spread through the fecal-oral route, you can also get salmonellosis through direct animal contact.
Salmonella incubates for 12-72 hours after infection, and you can be sick for four to seven days. You'll have symptoms such as abdominal cramping, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you have severe diarrhea, rehydrate with extra fluids as this disease is self-limited and has no specific treatment.
To avoid getting diseases from your dog and other house pets, ensure they are vaccinated as required and consistently clean your hands after petting them.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.