Diseases You Can & Can’t Get from Dogs
When dogs are diagnosed with infectious diseases like humans, it usually causes pet parents to have the same first question, “Can it spread to my kids or me?”. The answer is yes, depending on what disease they’re diagnosed with. However, most dog diseases are not zoonotic, meaning it passes from animal to human, but there are a few that dog owners should be aware of. Use this article as a guide for your and Fido’s safety!
Diseases You Can Contract From a Dog
Parasites
Internal parasites, like roundworms, hookworms, and giardia, are spread through fecal-oral transmission. Dogs contract these parasites from eating infected fecal matter, typically from wildlife, and it immediately attaches once it’s found a new host. Pet parents are infected from improper hand-washing after picking up pets’ infected droppings or from walking barefoot on the stool, as humans can be infected directly through naked skin.
Bacteria
Similar to internal parasites, intestinal bacteria are spread through fecal-oral transmission. However, not all bacteria are harmful; your gut has many good, natural bacteria. Examples of harmful intestinal bacteria are salmonella, listeria, and campylobacter; moreover, these are all significant risks for pets on raw food diets. Pet parents reduce the spread by practicing good hand-washing and talking to their Vet about raw food risks.
Skin Infections
Ringworm and scabies (sarcoptic mange) are the most common skin infections spread from pets to humans. Ringworm is a fungus that latches onto the skin and causes lost hair and itchy skin. Alternatively, scabies is a little mite that burrows under the skin, causing the same reactions as ringworm. These are passed to humans if you make direct contact with the infected pet’s skin lesions.
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacterial kidney infection that affects humans and dogs, usually through contact with urine-contaminated water. Wildlife animals typically carry this disease; if they urinate into any water, that water is now infected. To avoid your pet coming in contact with this bacteria, don’t let them drink from puddles or ponds. Alternatively, there are leptospirosis vaccines to provide extra protection.
Diseases You Cannot Get From a Dog
Heartworm
Mosquitoes primarily spread heartworms through their bites; once they bite an infected dog, they continue to carry it on to the next dog. This disease is species-specific, so humans cannot contract it. It should be noted that all veterinarians recommend that dogs take monthly heartworm medicines to prevent the spread.
Cold & Flu
Humans and dogs cannot give each other common colds and flu; in particular, these viruses are picky about the hosts they can thrive in as they are species-specific.
Lice
While dogs and humans have the same itchy reactions, dog lice and human lice are very separate. Dog lice are uncommon, but they only latch onto dogs; moreover, pet parents don’t need to worry too much about pets bringing in lice.