Zoonotic Disease

Submitted by Veterinary Wellness Partners on Wed, 02/05/2014 - 2:59pm

Zoonotic Diseases

At Seville Wadsworth Veterinary Clinic, we wish to advise you of one potential concern about being in such close contact with our pets: Zoonotic diseases.  Zoonotic diseases are those that are transmitted from animals to humans.

Everyone may know Rabies is transmittable from animals to humans, but not everyone is aware there are many other diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted from pets to people and can penetrate the skin.

Different types of these diseases include roundworm, hookworm, tapeworm, ringworm, whipworm, Toxoplasmosis, Giardia, and mange. It is important to take preventative measures to prevent this from happening. Regular veterinary checkups and intestinal parasite tests are important in detecting intestinal parasites affecting your pet. Not all over the counter dewormers are effective so it is suggested to only use dewormers from your veterinarian.  In our areas of Seville, Wadsworth, Rittman, Lodi and Medina; we recommend year round heartworm prevention, as these products often prevent and treat many different parasites in addition to the potentially deadly heartworms.

One area to be cautious with is your cat’s litter box. It is important to prevent children from touching the boxes. When changing the litter box, you should wear a protective mask and gloves. Pregnant women should avoid changing the litter box altogether.  Cats are the only species that can carry toxoplasmosis and transmits it through their bowel movements.  Cats often do not show clinical signs.  Toxoplasmosis can also be contracted from eating undercooked, or raw meat.

Another area of risk is your yard, parks, and other areas where animals are present. Parasites can live in sandboxes where your kids may play. If you have a sandbox at home, remember to cover the box when not in use. You should scoop feces from your yard daily and thoroughly clean up any accidents in your home to avoid exposure. 

Other preventative measures include not letting your pet drink from puddles, wearing socks and shoes outdoors, and not feeding pets raw or uncooked meat.

As stated above, most heartworm preventatives treat and control intestinal parasites, although there are some that are not included in this protection.  For this reason, it is important to regularly check a stool sample. Please call us if you have any questions about potentially zoonotic diseases that may be carried by your pet.

 

Written by: Shelby Weeman

Written for Seville Wadsworth Veterinary Clinic

(330)336-5823

info@sevillevetclinic.com