In part one, we introduced a couple of zoonotic diseases, or health issues you can contract from your pet. In today’s post, we’ll examine a couple more providing signs, symptoms, and basic education surrounding them.
At The Vet Set, it is important to not only know common diseases that affect your pet but also the ones that may subject you! Get more information on zoonotic diseases below!
More Zoonotic Diseases You Need To Know!
We touched on giardia, salmonella, and cat scratch in the first part, and now we’ll look at the remaining five. If you recognize any of these signs or symptoms in either you or your pet, it’s important to seek medical attention right away.
Rabies
Oh goodness, if you’ve seen the classic movie Old Yeller, you’ve seen rabid rabies — a sad, sad disease. Rabies is a viral disease that affects our nervous system and can even lead to death in both humans and animals.
Rabies can first mimic the flu that then progresses to neurological issues like disorientation, aggression, and seizures.
Humans contract rabies typically through an animal bite so if you’ve been bitten, it’s important to seek medical attention for post-rabies vaccinations. If left untreated and symptoms develop, it becomes incurable.
To prevent rabies, animals can be regularly vaccinated to avoid spreading this deadly disease.
Ringworm
Ringworm, despite its name, is not a worm or parasite, but rather a fungal infection. It gets its name from the mark it leaves on the skin.
Humans get this disease from contact with an infected animal or person. The lesion ringworm leaves is red, scaly, and irritated circular marks and it can cause hair loss in areas that normally grow hair.
If you get ringworm, it can be treated with topical and antifungal medications, but beware, it’s highly contagious so it is critical to stop it in its tracks with patient zero, otherwise both humans and animals can continue its spread.
Sarcoptic Mange
Sarcoptic mange, known more commonly as scabies, is a skin issue caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite that burrows into an animal’s skin. Humans contract scabies from close contact — snuggles — with an animal. Treatment involves topical or antiparasitic medications.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is contracted through ticks and can affect humans through direct contact from a tick in nature and also from a tick that has attached itself in the fur of an animal that then attaches itself to you.
Lyme disease is known to have little to very few symptoms. Most people are diagnosed years later as a result of fatigue, fever, and muscle and joint pain. The most notable symptom is a bullseye rash on your skin — if you see this, seek treatment right away.
If you live in or around a heavily wooded area, prevent ticks by wearing deet bug spray and wearing long socks, pants, and long sleeves. Also, do a thorough check on yourself and your pets before going indoors.
Toxoplasmosis
This is a parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii and is found particularly in cats and (less so) in undercooked meat.
While most humans are largely unaffected by this disease, it is a concern for pregnant women. If a pregnant woman contracts this disease it may cause a miscarriage or stillbirth, which is why they should use extreme caution around or cleaning a litter box and also around raw food.
Symptoms in humans present as fever, muscle aches, and headaches. Treatment for toxoplasmosis includes antibiotics and increased monitoring of your pregnancy.
Roundworm
Like many other parasites, animals can contract roundworm by ingesting or rolling in contaminated soil outdoors, and puppies have been known to get it both in the womb and from nursing.
Humans can contract this if a pet tracks it in and accidentally ingests it. If it is ingested it causes GI upset in humans.
Rabies, ringworm, roundworm scabies, Lyme disease, and toxoplasmosis are all serious diseases that affect your pets and, in turn, can be contracted by humans. It’s important to know the signs and symptoms to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Diseases like ringworm are easily contracted and, once a human has it, it can rapidly spread from person-to-person so stopping it in its tracks sooner rather than later is better for everyone!
For more information on zoonotic diseases or if you have any questions regarding our vet services, reach out to us today!