My daughter didn’t get a dog for Christmas. Oh no she di-int! And it wasn’t because of the exorbitant cost of raising a pup.
Okay, maybe money was a factor. A huge factor. But now I have another reason why I am glad my oldest isn’t cuddling with a pooch.
According to a new report, sleeping with Fido or Fifi may increase your risk of contracting dangerous infections. In addition to an exposure to fleas, worms, ticks, and other parasites, the CDC just released a new study that found pet owners, who share their beds with their dogs or cats, are at risk of contracting a host of infectious diseases. What’s more, the report goes on to say that cuddling, kissing or being licked by pets could also cause unwanted illnesses, especially in young children and individuals with compromised immune systems.
Health experts say that while your dog or cat may not be afflicted with a particular disease, if Fido plays outdoors he could step on bacteria particles and transmit the germs from their paws to your sheets or your kids’ clothes.
If you still don’t think that having your kid snooze with your pet is a big deal, then consider these startling cases cited in the February issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases:
*A man had a dog sleep in bed with him. During the night the dog licked his hip replacement wound and the owner got meningitis.
*In 1974 a 9-year-old boy slept in bed with a flea-infested cat and got the bubonic plague.
*A newborn contracted meningitis after the family’s pet cat stole the baby’s pacifier and repeatedly licked it.
*A 44-year-old woman developed meningitis after admitting that she “regularly kissed her dog’s face and fed it by transferring food mouth to mouth.”
Do you allow your dog to sleep in your kids’ beds?
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