How to Stay Healthy When Surrounded by Pets

Having a pet has several health benefits. They have the potential to expand possibilities for people to exercise, get outside, and interact. Walking or playing with dogs on a regular basis can help to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Pets provide company and can help us cope with loneliness and despair. Most US families have at least one pet.

Several studies have found that the attachment between humans and their dogs is associated with a number of health advantages, including:

• Reduced blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms.
• Increased possibilities for exercise and outdoor activities; improved cognitive performance in older persons; and more opportunity to socialise.

Choose the Right Pet

Before getting a new pet, be sure it’s a good fit for you and your family. Do some preliminary study on the animal’s individual requirements. Before obtaining a pet, consider the following:

• How long will this creature live?
• What does the pet eat?
• How much exercise does your pet require?
• How big will it grow?
• What will the cost of veterinarian treatment be?
• Is there enough time in my schedule to adequately care for and clean up after the pet?
• What kind of environment does this pet require to stay healthy?
• What kind of exercise does this pet require?
• Is it okay to have a pet in my house, apartment, or condominium?
• Are there any little children, elderly adults, or people with weakened immune systems who will look after them?

Some individuals are more vulnerable to the illnesses that animals can transmit.

Children under the age of five, persons with compromised immune systems, and those 65 and older are particularly vulnerable to infections shared between animals and humans (also known as zoonotic diseases). Pregnant women are also more susceptible to some animal-related illnesses. Keep the following in mind when obtaining a new pet:

• Pet reptiles (turtles, lizards, snakes), amphibians (frogs, toads), or backyard poultry should not be kept in households with children under the age of five, due to the danger of serious sickness from deadly germs shared between these animals and young children.
• People with compromised immune systems should exercise particular caution while selecting and caring for dogs. Consult your veterinarian for advice on choosing the ideal pet.
• Pregnant women should avoid adopting a new cat or interacting with stray cats, particularly kittens. Cats can contain a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, a birth defect-causing illness. You do not have to give up your present cat if you are pregnant, but you should avoid touching cat litter.
• Pregnant women should avoid contact with pet rats to avoid becoming infected with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, which can cause birth abnormalities. Avoid direct touch with your pet rodent while pregnant, and have someone else clean its surroundings.

Ways to Stay Healthy When Surrounded by Pets

• Wash Your Hands

Washing your hands is crucial whether you are playing with, feeding, or cleaning up after your pet to help lower the chance of getting sick from pathogens dogs can carry. If you or a family member are concerned about sickness, consult a doctor and report any recent animal encounter.

Always wash your hands:

• After you have touched or played with your pet
• Following the feeding of your pet or the handling of pet food Following the handling of pet habitats or equipment (cages, tanks, toys, food and water dishes, etc.)
• Following the cleansing of pet waste
• Even if you did not contact an animal after leaving sites where animals dwell (coops, barns, stables, etc.),
• Prior to eating and drinking
• Prior to preparing food or beverages
• Following the removal of filthy clothing or shoes

• Keep Your Pet Healthy

Regular, life-long veterinarian care is essential for keeping your pet and family healthy, whether you have a dog, cat, horse, parakeet, gerbil, bearded dragon, or other entertaining pet. Regular veterinary checkups are critical to the health of your cat. Consult your veterinarian for advice on how to keep your pet healthy. Give your pet a nutritious diet, clean water, and lots of exercise. Maintain your pet’s vaccinations, deworming, and flea and tick control. Some dogs may carry ticks and bring dangerous illnesses like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever to humans. Fleas may be dangerous to both animals and their owners in plague-infested areas, including certain rural locations in the western United States.

You can help yourself and your family stay healthy by keeping your pet healthy. If you have any concerns about your pet’s health or believe he or she is ill, contact your veterinarian.

• Maintain Good Pet Hygiene

In addition to hand cleaning, basic pet cleanliness can help reduce germ transmission between dogs and people. Keep pets and their supplies away of the kitchen and, where feasible, sanitise pet habitats and supplies outside the house. Cleaning supplies should never be done in the kitchen sink, food preparation areas, or bathroom sink. Pets may contaminate surfaces in your house with germs, and you don’t have to contact them to get sick from them.

Always use a bag to collect and dispose of your dog’s excrement (poop) in your yard and public locations. Dog and cat faeces may carry parasites and bacteria that are hazardous to humans. Keep youngsters away from locations that may contain dog or cat excrement to avoid accidents.

• Children Should Be Taught How to Interact with Animals

Children may learn compassion and responsibility from pets. Children under the age of 5 should be monitored when engaging with animals to guarantee the safety of both the youngster and the pet. Teach youngsters to wash their hands immediately after playing with animals or being in their habitat (cages, beds, food or water dishes). Allow youngsters to kiss dogs or put their hands or other things in their mouths after they have handled animals.

When children under the age of five come into direct contact with farm animals, particularly those at petting zoos and fairs, adults should supervise and be extra cautious.

• Preserve Wildlife

Avoid handling wild animals, even if they appear charming and cuddly, to decrease the danger of infection and damage. Feeding wild creatures such as raccoons, prairie dogs, or wild rats would only encourage them to come into your home. You can come upon a baby animal that looks to be abandoned and wish to save it, but its mum is usually nearby. If you are worried about the safety of a wild animal, call a wildlife rehabilitation centre in your area.