What can you Catch from your dog

"Can I catch it from my dog?" is a question asked every day of every veterinarians in practice and the answer is almost always negative. Almost but not always. Depending on the authority quoted, there are165 to 30o diseases transmissible Irons lower animals to man. Why the discrepancy in numbers?

Many years ago, a study was made of the dogs in our veterinary establishment and our own research kennel. The sampling was done monthly for eleven months. It indicated that over 28 percent had salmonella of one type or another in their intestinal tracts. The investigator thought the findings were so significant that he would not publish them for fear the owners would get rid of their dogs.

There an occasional case of scabies and ringworm in dogs, perhaps one of each a year, where some human in the family has the sameproblem. Ringworm may be brought home Irons school by the children and infect the dog,rather than vice versa.

On the list, less than half the diseases are found in North Americaand some have been reported so rarely that they make medical historywhen identified.
Perhaps the best known virus disease transmitted from dogs to manis rabies. There is no doubt that it is the most serious disease, butpreventive inoculations have made it a rarity in dogs. Wild animals arethe chief vectors with skunks, foxes, bats, and raccoons leading the listof cases of this fatal disease. However, more humansdie of infected ingrown toenails each year than of rabies.
Of the other virus diseases, measles and mumps are transmitted todogs from a sick person in the house but once established, these virusesmay be passed from the dog to another person in the house.

RICKETTSIAL DISEASES

In some areas of the world rickcttsial diseases are represented bydogs as important hosts to infected ticks which may then transmit it toman.

Q fever does not appear to be a very serious problem in NorthAmerica but blood tests indicate a significant part of the populations hashad and recovered from it. Since the symptoms in mass are similar tothose caused by many strains of flu, Q fever may be overlooked in thediagnostic process. It is estimated that 19 percent of all animals includ - ing man have had the disease. Lower animals show few signs of illnessbut it is thought they play some role in spreading the disease. Ticks andsome other bloodsucking insects spread it but airborne organisms prob - ably enter through the respiratory system in most cases of Q fever.Another disease in this group is Rocky Mountain spotted fever,which is spread by ticks. This tick - borne disease is rarely reported butwhen it is it is usually found as headline news.

BACTERIAL DISEASES

The list of bacterial diseases is long, but dogs with any of them rarelytransmit them to us. If dogs do have a high incidence of salmonellathere does not appear to be a corresponding incidence in man. There have been a few cases of brucellosis in dogs that were trans - mitted, it is thought, by pets to mats

SPIROCHETAL DISEASES

Many animals, perhaps most, are capable of contracting leptospiro - sis, a spirochetal disease, and there have been cases reported now andthen of people contracting the disease from their pets. Lime fever is spread by ticks and has been diagnosed in a few dogsbut so far is thought to be priinarily a human problem.

FUNGUS DISEASES

Ringworm heads the list of fungus diseases, but how many people doyou know who have contracted it from their pets? Although cats have amuch higher incidence of it than do dogs, few people have seen it inany pet. When contracted it's little more than a nuisance. All petsappear to develop an immunity upon recovery.
Many of the fungal diseases have an affinity for the lungs and onceestablished are among the most difficult of diseases to treat in man andbeast. They are contracted by inhalation of spores of dust in the air.The infected dog may cough up spores that dry up, become airborne,and can infect us.

PROTOZOAN DISEASES

Although dogs do have amoebic dysentery, a protozoan disease, theytransmit it by contaminating food or drinking water, which man mustingest to become infected. Most of us, however, don't eat such food ordrink such water.
The disease toxoplasmosis has had extensive reporting ins the moresensational press. It is dangerous to developing embryos in pregnanthumans and it may cause birth defects. Dogs do have the disease aboutas frequently as man and a majority of humans tested indicate theyhave had and recovered from the disease without demonstrating anysymptoms.

NEMATODE DISEASES

The wormlike creatures in nematode diseases are at worst a nuisanceexcept in the occasional rare case. When ingested by children, the eggsof the roundworm hatch, burrow through the intestinal wall, and mi - grate anywhere in the body. If one finds its way to an eye it may bemisdiagnosed as a type of cancer.
Dirofilaria, or heartworm disease, in man may cause a lesions in thelungs that may appear as lung cancer. The dog hookworm may pene - trate the skin and cause a skin rash called creeping eruption. Dogs andman do contract trichinosis, but only in areas of the world where leandog meat is eaten could this disease be transmitted from dog to man.

CESTODE DISEASES

The flat worms and flukes of cestodc diseases are more serious inlands far from North America. When a dog is affected it acts as anintermediate host to infect man. A parasitized dog passes feces withthe parasite eggs into the water where fish, crabs, crayfish, and evenplants are infected which, if eaten by man, can cause one of thesediseases.

ARTHROPOD DISEASES

Scabies in Irian caused by contact with a dog withsarcoptic mange. There have been rare cases of so - called red ordemodectic mange resulting irons direct contact with a parasitized pet,and it is so infrequent that veterinarians don't talk about the possibility to owners. Demodectic mange is commonly found on the human face,where it causes no problem. Over the years, during the many outbreaks of influenza that haveoccurred in North America, veterinarians have observed the house dogwith a condition similar to that of the flu - afflicted human members ofthe household.

POISON IVY

Another condition perhaps more common than all the others com - bined is poison ivy poisoning. Although dogs do not contract it theycan run through the lush leaves and come home to be petted, therebyexposing humans in the household to the oil of the plant that causesthe rash.

ALLERGY

There are people who say they are allergic to their dogs. They arereally allergic to their dog's dander. It becomes airborne and is inhaled,resulting in a reaction in a susceptible person. An asthmatic - sounding client who had to take many short breaths during eachsentence. One day he arrived to leave his Boston Terrier in our care. Hewas going into the hospital for tests to determine the cause of hisshortness of breath. When he returned three days later with a clean billof health, his breathing was normal. He collected his dog and left. Anhour later someone brought the little dog back. It seems that the ownerwas allergic to his dog and in the hospital, away from his pet, he hadrecovered from the allergy. With the dog in the car on the way homehe had had a violent attack and had to be rushed to the hospital. Whenhe returned two days later he told us the doctors wanted him to get ridof the dog but that he would rather die. Rub your palms with mineral oil and rub the oil over the dog's body daily. This "sealed"the skin, preventing the dander from becoming airborne, and our aller - gic client solved his problem.