On Pet Transmitted Diseases and Pet Obsessions
The researchers from California have discovered that being too close to your pet can be hazardous for the health.
People, who allow their dogs or their cats to sleep with them in the bed, have higher chances of contracting various diseases. These diseases are not common at all, but it has been discovered that these people have higher chances of getting sick because of them. The diseases which the people can contract because of the extra affection for their pets can be plague, bacterial infections, and a MRSA infection. These diseases can be transmitted through the fleas of the animals, or though the parasites which these animals have. Bruno Chomel, who is a professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, was the leader of the study. He stated that he started examining this situation when he heard that many of his students were too close to their pets. It has been discovered that there are many people who are too focused on their pets, and the attention can reach obsessive proportions. It has been discovered that in more than 52 percent of the cases of the people who live in the U.S, Netherlands, United Kingdom and France, the dogs sleep in the bed of the owners, whether during the night when the owners sleep in it as well, or during the day when the owners are not in bed.
In the case of the cats, the percentage is even higher, as 62 percent of the cat owners have stated that they allow their kitties to sleep in the same bed where they sleep. 25 percent of the women have stated that they allow their dogs to sleep in the bed with them, whereas 16 percent of the men have allowed their dogs to sleep in the same bed. Chomel said that the dogs and the cats can be kept in the house, but they should not be allowed to sleep in the bed, because they can carry lots of diseases. He admitted that the probability is pretty low, but nevertheless, one can never be too careful when it comes to his health. Numerous cases of plague have been reported in the United States of America since 1974. It has been discovered that the majority of the people who contracted the terrible disease had cats, and they allowed the pets to sleep in the same bed with them. All of these cats had fleas, and in case you did not know, the fleas are able to transmit the disease. A bubonic plague outbreak took place in 2008, and it has been discovered that the majority of the people who were infected, had dogs as pets, and they allowed their dogs to sleep in the same bed with them. The problem is that in the case of the dogs it is much more difficult to recognize the plague, than it is in the case of the cats. In the case of the cats, the disease is easily distinguishable, whereas in the case of the dogs, it isn’t.
Allowing the pet to sleep in the same bed as you do is not the only way of contracting a disease. Kissing the pet, or allowing the pet to lick you is also a great way of enhancing your chances of contracting a bacterial infection. It has been discovered that a single lick on the hand can lead to very dangerous results. If you have a pet, and you allow it to lick your hand, make sure that you wash your hand after each and every time it has licked you. You should also never allow your pet to lick your wound or your skin if it has an infection, as that is a great way of allowing the viruses to enter your bloodstream. In the United States of America the most common infections caused by the dogs are roundworms and hookworms. The roundworms can also be contracted if one touches the fur of the animal, and if the fur contained worm eggs. It has been discovered that the people who are the most susceptible to these diseases transmitted by the animals, are the ones who have a weak immune system, such as the children and the elder. If you have a pet, it is very important to take it to the veterinary very often for regular check-ups, and to make sure that it does not have worms, or fleas. Make sure that you give him baths every two weeks, with regular water, and once every month with shampoo. These are just some of the things you should do in case you have a pet. It has been discovered that more and more people take pets into their homes, and treat them as a family member. It has been discovered that 71 million Americans have a pet, and that the majority of them treat the pets in an unusual manner, in the sense that they allow behaviors which they should not allow.
It has also been discovered that 45 percent of the people who own pets, have at least two animals in the house. The pet owners spend more and more money on their cats and dogs, as it they consider them to be more than a pet. They treat them as their own, and that can lead to all sorts of problems, such as the ones I already mentioned. In 2007, more than $41 billion have been spent on the pets, in the United States of America alone. In the past, the things which the owners purchase for their pets were considered to be very strange. Nowadays, it is very usual for one to buy various accessories for their pets, to take them to doggy day cares, and so on. There are even pet cemeteries where the pets receive a religious service. It is very clear that the pet owners care about their pets much more than they did back in the day. Alan Beck, who is a veterinary professor with Purdue University’s Center for the Human-Animal Bond, stated that back in the day, owning a pet was considered to be a luxury. Nowadays, the situation has been changed completely, as a pet is not out of the ordinary. In fact, it is more common to own a pet than it is not to own one. Back in the days, people had pets, but they used them in order to take care of certain problems. They kept cats in order to hunt the mice, or they kept dogs in order to use them at hunting. They did not own pets because they needed a companion, but nowadays, this is the main reason why people have them.
Everything changed in the 20th century, when owning a car, a house, were considered to be usual stuff. People could afford more items, and they could afford buying a pet as well. Unlike the past, owning a pet was no longer considered to be a sign of wealth. The situation changed completely after WW II, as that was the period when the majority of the people from the United States of America started to own a pet. That was when the typical American family picture was formed, with a house with picket fences, where a father, a mother, two children and a dog lived. People started to form an image regarding the typical American family, and the image included a pet as well. It has been discovered that more than 40 percent of the dog owners have pictures of their pets, and they keep the pictures in the wallet, together with the pictures of the other family members. When a pet dies, the members of the family go through a lot of suffering, just as if one of their own has died. The situation is very difficult especially if they had the pet for a very long period of time, such as more than 10 years or so. There are pet cemeteries where the owners of the pets can take their best friends after they died. They can also choose to incinerate them in order to keep their ashes. In the case of a divorce, a very common subject of dispute is the pet, as both the wife and the husband would like to remain in its possession. This usually happens when the couple did not have children.
The society has started to recognize the pets as important members of the family as well, and that usually happens in the case of the dogs. Businesses have been created thanks to these furry animals, as there are many dog day cares, and there are many people who will babysit your animal while you are gone. More and more companies allow their employees to bring their pets to work, and so on. The animals have become a very important part of the human life. Dogs are allowed into places where they could not enter ten or 20 years ago. Now, it is very usual to see a person with his dog in a bar, or in a store, as long as they have their muzzles on. The pets have become TV and move stars as well, as there are many movies in which a pet is the main character and TV series as well. TV channels such as Animal Planet are created for the animals, and they can influence people when it comes to choosing a pet as well. The veterinarians have become more and more specialized in their domain, as they are more prepared than they were back in the day. There are lots of surgeries which they can perform; surgeries which were not done in the past. Since the media has become interested in the pets as well, we are more prepared to take care of them. There are numerous TV shows which explain the way in which you should take care of your pet, the way in which you should train it, and so on.
Since the doctors can do more when it comes to taking care of a pet, the owners are willing to pay more for their services. There are many people who pay for chemotherapy sessions for their pets who have been attacked by cancer. Prior to the Second World War, the pet stores did not exist, and the pets consumed the same food that we do. Because of that, it was kind of expensive to keep a pet, but the situation is very different nowadays. The pet food is cheaper than the regular one, so this means that more and more people can afford owning a pet. Prior to the 1950s, it was very difficult to keep a cat in the house, because the litter boxes did not exist. Because of that, the entire house smelled bad. Nowadays, there are lots of products one can choose from, in order to enhance the comfort of his pet. In the case of the dogs, the owner can take it to the groomer. There are many types of dogs that need haircuts once in a while, so people take them without a hesitation. There are even hair stylists for dogs, and it has become very popular to take your dog to such a salon. There are numerous toys for your pet you can choose from, whether if you have a cat or a dog, and they are cheaper than they once were. The pet owners do not regret spending this amount of money on their best friends. They do it because their pets give them something in return, which they value very much: affection. A pet, especially a dog would love you even if you would not offer it food or shelter. The simple act of showing it compassion would be more than enough for it, and it will show you the compassion and affection back.
