Pet Tips & Tails
January 2009

What Are Zoonotic Diseases?

dog_and_catOwning a pet can be a wonderful, rewarding experience for you and your family.  However, pets can transmit diseases that may be harmful to humans, especially young children and people with certain medical conditions.  These are called zoonotic diseases or zoonoses (pronounced zoo-NO-sees).  There are two types of zoonotic diseases that concern pet owners:  Illnesses that can be transmitted from animals to humans and diseases that infect both people and pets.

Most people are not aware of the potential zoonotic diseases they can get from their dog or cat.  That is why Largo Veterinary Hospital would like to help you and your family stay informed.

More than 1/3 of the nation’s dogs and cats are infected with intestinal parasites.  The most common intestinal parasites are roundworms and hookworms.  Both can result in very serious health conditions in humans.  Approximately 4-20% of children contract roundworms from their pets each year.  Children, in general, are more susceptible because they tend to stick their hands and foreign objects in their mouths.

 

Zoonotic Diseases
  • Cat Scratch Fever

  • Giardia

  • Hookworms

  • Leptospirosis

  • Lyme Disease

  • Rabies

  • Ringworm

  • Roundworms

  • Toxoplasmosis

The transfer of parasites from pet-to-owner is completely preventable. Largo Veterinary Hospital can help you find the perfect solution for your family in preventing zoonotic disease. 
Call us today!
(727) 584-8370


How To Protect Your Family and Your Pet
from Zoonotic Diseases

  • Prevent contact between children and contaminated areas.boy_embracing_dog_199px

  • Cover sandboxes when not in use.

  • Teach children to avoid feces.  Emphasize personal hygiene.

  • Obey fecal cleanup laws for dogs.  SCOOP THE POOP!

  • Avoid kissing your pet or letting it lick your face.

  • Wear disposal gloves when cleaning the litter box or handling fecal matter, and if you are pregnant, avoid cleaning a cat’s litter box.  

  • Avoid walking bare-foot where animals have defecated.

  • Pick up fecal material on a regular basis from your yard to remove infective worm eggs before they contaminate the environment to be picked up by people and pets.

  • In dogs, use a monthly heartworm prevention which also protects against internal parasites.

  • Have your pet visit the doctors at Largo Veterinary Hospital for semiannual exams and annual fecal parasite exams.

Largo Veterinary Hospital www.LargoVet.com
1120 Starkey Road Largo, FL 33771  (727) 584-8370