DEAR READERS,
Margaret, from a Kingston 8 address, is concerned that her six-year-old son could catch some disease from the new pet puppy in the home. Her son falls asleep with the puppy on the couch and sometimes will finger feed the puppy from his own plate, while eating. The puppy is kept mostly indoors. While Margaret feels it is a good thing for her son to learn how to take care of a pet, she is also concerned that there should be no risks.
The transmission of diseases from animals to man is possible and does happen, but only rarely. Ticks, fleas, fungi and mites readily live in animal fur and feathers and can be transferred from them to man when they are hugged and petted or when man comes in contact with animal faeces.
The transmission of disease can often be prevented by practising good hygiene. For example, washing hands after being in contact with animals and wearing shoes when outside with animals. Also, keeping a cat litter box if you have a cat as a pet, and keeping the box clean.
All pets should be examined by a vet before being introduced into the household and dogs and cats require regular deworming, immunisation and flea treatment. All sick animals should be taken to the vet promptly. Two common infestations transmitted by dogs are hook worms and ticks.
Dog faeces may contain hook worms and people who walk barefoot where dog faeces has been dropped are at risk for hookworm infestation as the hookworm can penetrate the skin of the feet. The worms later travel to the small intestine (bowel) attach themselves there and suck blood which can lead to anaemia.
BLOOD SUCKERS
Ticks also suck blood. These arachnids attach themselves to the skin by barbs, which are deeply embedded. Both hookworms and ticks can be treated by the vets in animals and by the physicians in man. Be careful while trying to treat ticks at home as the large blood filled body easily pulls away leaving the heat imbedded deep in the skin. A pair of tweezers should be used from the outset to hold the head of each tick and pull on the head, removing the tick in its' entirety from the host body.
Cats can transmit cat-scratch disease and toxoplasmosis. Cat scratch disease occurs after a scratch from a cat becomes infected and forms a boil. It is seen most in youngsters under age 10 years and the person experiences swollen lymph nodes, nausea, weakness, headache and fever. If not treated with bactrim or erythromycin it can progress to brain inflammation. Normally, after a cat scratch occurs, the area should be washed well and disinfected to prevent infection.
Toxoplasmosis can be trans-mitted to man through infected cat faeces.
Toxoplasmosis is most danger-ous to children before they are born, when still within the womb.
This infection causes mis-carriages, severe fetal mal-formation, brain disease and blindness. To prevent infection a pregnant woman should not be the person to change out a cat litter box.
Fleas and ringworm can be spread by both cats and dogs. Dogs with ringworm show disease with hair loss and bare patches of skin. Cats don't show this infection obviously and spread it more easily than dogs.
Birds can also spread disease although the dreaded bird flu has not yet affected family pets and, of course, has never been docu-mented as occurring in Jamaica.
Parrots and parakeets can spread psittacosis - a chylamdial disease, in their dropping and old feathers. Psittacosis, if not treated, can also cause a dangerous pneumonia in man. So birds should also be examined by the vet before being accepted into the home.
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