Pets

Pets

They have been serving people since ancient times. Being susceptible to many infectious diseases common to both animals and humans, pets under certain conditions can infect people who come into contact with them. Dogs and sometimes cats can transmit rabies to humans.

Infection of a person (animal) occurs when a sick animal bites or its saliva gets on mucous membranes or damaged skin. In the early stages of rabies, the dog becomes irritable, does not respond to calls, and hides in dark corners. Swallowing is difficult, salivation is increased, the dog refuses food and water (hence the common name for the disease - hydrophobia).

Later, it becomes aggressive, attacks other animals, people, even the owner, and dies 8-11 days after the first signs of the disease appear. In cats, the disease usually occurs in a “violent” form, and aggressiveness is more common; They die within 3-6 days. To prevent rabies, dogs should not be allowed out of the house without supervision, because they can be bitten by rabid dogs or wild animals (wolf, fox, etc.).

Therefore, dogs must be kept on a leash in the yard, taken for walks on a leash, and vaccinated against rabies annually. If a person is bitten, the dog (cat) should be isolated and must be shown to a veterinarian. It is impossible to kill an animal before a diagnosis is made, because this will make diagnosis difficult. Dogs and cats can infect humans with toxoplasmosis. The causative agent is excreted in feces and urine, and a person becomes infected mainly through contaminated foods. The disease in animals is manifested by vomiting, diarrhea, cough, and inflammation of the eyes.

Dogs and cats can also transmit fungal diseases of hair and skin to humans: trichophytosis, microsporia, scab. With these diseases, the hair of animals becomes dull, breaks off, falls out, and areas of baldness appear, covered with scales and crusts. Sometimes the disease can occur in a latent form and infect a person.