Can Cats Get Dogs Sick? Our Vet Explains Illnesses & Prevention Tips

The station Can Cats Get Dogs Sick? Our Vet Explains Illnesses & Prevention Tips by Dr. Rachel Ellison DVM (Veterinarian) appeared archetypal connected Catster. Copying implicit full articles infringes connected copyright laws. You whitethorn not beryllium alert of it, but each of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, truthful they aren't considered nationalist domain. However, we admit that you similar the nonfiction and would emotion it if you continued sharing conscionable the archetypal paragraph of an article, past linking retired to the remainder of the portion connected Catster.com.

If you person a sick cat, you whitethorn wonderment if they whitethorn beryllium capable to dispersed the aforesaid sickness to your unsuspecting dog. The abbreviated reply is that it volition beryllium connected the illness, but yes, immoderate aesculapian maladies tin beryllium passed from a feline to a dog. But, portion this tin occur, it whitethorn beryllium comforting to cognize that the bulk of sicknesses are species-specific and don’t dispersed from 1 taxon to the other.

Below, we’ll research successful much item immoderate of the aesculapian problems that tin dispersed from a feline to a canine to assistance empower favored owners with much cognition connected the subject.

The 5 Potential Illnesses That Can Spread From Cats to Dogs

While this is not an exhaustive list, it volition see immoderate aesculapian afflictions that tin dispersed from an affected feline to a dog. Some of these illnesses tin adjacent dispersed to people, termed zoonotic diseases, truthful knowing your cat’s unwellness to support different cats, your dog, oregon adjacent humans harmless is imperative!

1. Fleas

Fleas are tiny insects that unrecorded by consuming carnal blood. Even though determination are much than a mates 1000 antithetic flea species, the astir communal 1 that affects some cats and dogs is the feline flea, called Ctenocephalides felis felis. These parasites are outer ones, which means they unrecorded extracurricular their big but inactive provender disconnected them. While they bash not person wings, they are large jumpers for their tiny size!

Most commonly these insects origin itchiness, discomfort, and irritation to their hosts and tin origin flea allergy dermatitis, secondary tegument infections, oregon adjacent anemia successful terrible circumstances. In addition, fleas are vectors, which means they tin transmit a pathogen from themselves to a susceptible host; immoderate examples for fleas see the bubonic plague, feline scratch disease, oregon tapeworms.

Signs of fleas whitethorn see excess scratching, licking, itching, oregon hairsbreadth loss. While inspecting an affected host, you whitethorn really spot a fast-moving flea, but this is not ever the case. Sometimes, grounds of a flea’s beingness is non-existent, oregon 1 whitethorn find their fecal material, which appears arsenic achromatic specks, successful a pet’s fur.

Treatment is two-fold. First, the affected carnal indispensable beryllium treated, arsenic good arsenic immoderate different animals that whitethorn travel into interaction with the affected pet. This volition enactment to destruct the existent fleas and to forestall their continued spread. Because taxon benignant (cat vs. dog), age, size, weight, etc. are each important components for treatment, veterinary products are recommended. The 2nd portion of attraction is biology cleaning attraction specified arsenic vacuuming, laundering, oregon imaginable pest power measures to forestall cross-infections oregon reinfection.

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2. Bartonellosis

Bartonellosis, commonly known arsenic feline scratch illness oregon feline scratch fever, is simply a bacterial corruption owed to the bacteria Bartonella henselae. This infectious illness is primitively chiefly transmitted by infected fleas oregon ticks to an carnal via the bloodstream, but it tin besides go contiguous if an infected carnal scratches oregon bites an unsuspecting subject. While the illness is reasonably communal successful cats, it tin besides contiguous successful different animals including dogs, humans, and assorted home and wildlife species.

Many cats that are infected are asymptomatic (do not amusement signs of infection), but this is not ever the lawsuit successful different species, specified arsenic dogs. Signs of corruption whitethorn see fever, vomiting, chemoreceptor discharge, swollen lymph nodes, sore muscles, deficiency of appetite, and inflammation of galore interior organs including the bosom and eyes. Diagnosis is reliant connected laboratory investigating that tin find if the bacteria is contiguous successful humor and attraction of antibiotics is recommended for those who person objective signs.

Supportive attraction specified arsenic fluids oregon symptom medicine whitethorn beryllium needed successful immoderate cases. Strict flea and tick power is indispensable successful limiting the likelihood of the dispersed of this disease, and further considerations see not allowing unsmooth play behaviors specified arsenic biting oregon scratching, trimming a pet’s nails, having vigor outlets for enrichment, and having a feline beryllium indoor only.

3. Gastrointestinal (GI) Parasites

There are respective interior gastrointestinal (GI) parasites that tin primitively infect a feline but past beryllium dispersed to a dog. Roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms are communal culprits that are commonly referred to arsenic “worms” but determination are different parasite types specified arsenic the protozoan parasite, Giardia.

Testing successful immoderate cases whitethorn beryllium done with nonstop introspection of the parasite. In different cases, a illustration whitethorn beryllium taxable to assorted tests, specified arsenic introspection of an affected fecal illustration that is examined nether the microscope for eggs, drawback tests, etc. Sometimes, nary signs successful affected pets are noted, portion different times determination whitethorn beryllium diarrhea, value loss, oregon a protruding circular belly.

Treatment consists of the due recognition of the GI parasite and their consequent circumstantial treatment. Regular, regular cleanup of the fecal material, utilizing a disinfectant to cleanable the litterbox connected a regular basis, not feeding earthy nutrient diets, and ensuring power of different intermediate hosts, truthful arsenic to person good power of parasites are each important components for prevention erstwhile treated.

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4. Mite Infestation

While galore antithetic types of mites are species-specific, immoderate kinds tin beryllium contagious betwixt species. Ear mites (Otodectic mange) could dispersed from a feline to a canine and sarcoptic mange (also called Scabies) are a benignant of mite that is usually more commonly seen successful dogs, but tin besides hap successful cats. Both of these mites tin dispersed from 1 infected carnal to an uninfected 1 astir commonly via nonstop contact.

Common signs see aggravated itching, hairsbreadth loss, crusting, and secondary infections. Diagnosis is astir often done via sampling areas to analyse the mite nether the microscope. Treatment via medicine medicine to termination the circumstantial benignant of mite is available. If determination is simply a secondary infection, antibiotics whitethorn beryllium needed, and medicated baths oregon receptor cleaners whitethorn besides beryllium indicated.

5. Ringworm

Did you cognize that this is not really a worm, but rather, a fungus? This tegument information is besides called dermatophytosis, for the fungi (dermatophytes) that origin the condition. Their fungal spores, primitively recovered successful the outdoor environment, tin besides dispersed via nonstop interaction with an infected carnal specified arsenic different cat, arsenic good arsenic from contaminated objects specified arsenic bedding.

Signs of an corruption see an country of hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment with redness, scaling, oregon crusting. The affected carnal whitethorn besides grounds excess grooming oregon scratching. In addition, brittle oregon breached nails with infected nail beds tin occur. In people, a diagnostic round, raised reddish lesion is often seen, but this is not the emblematic presumption recovered successful cats. Testing to corroborate ringworm whitethorn see the following: a Wood lamp that tin fluoresce with airy successful immoderate infections, a microscopic introspection to look for fungal spores, a fungal culture, PCR investigating of hairsbreadth for dermatophyte DNA, oregon a biopsy illustration to beryllium evaluated.

Treatment often consists of a operation of oral antifungals and topical therapy, arsenic good arsenic biology decontamination and cleaning to forestall reinfection via the fungal spores. If possible, until the feline is cured, isolation of the infected feline from immoderate non-infected animals is ideal. In addition, it is important for immoderate quality petting oregon dealing with the affected carnal to lavation their hands aft contact.

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6. Rabies

Rabies is simply a viral disease that affects the tense strategy of immoderate imaginable mammalian species. Transmission is via an infected animal’s saliva and astir commonly occurs via a wound but could besides hap if an affected animal’s saliva is transmitted to different via an unfastened coiled oregon done the eyes, nose, oregon rima of another. Often chaotic animals specified arsenic raccoons, bats, coyotes, etc. are astir apt the taxon for rabies to primitively hap in.

In galore parts of the world, a rabid canine tin beryllium a communal root to infect others but, much precocious successful America, cats are the most prevalent home species infected. This is due to the fact that immoderate owners whitethorn not vaccinate them for rabies arsenic often arsenic they bash dogs, and the cats tin beryllium exposed to rabid wildlife. For an affected animal, the microorganism travels via the nerves to the brain, and signs of corruption whitethorn see excess drooling, occupation swallowing, seizures, staggering, paralysis, fearfulness, oregon aggression.

Once signs are contiguous for rabies, determination is nary attraction available, but the bully quality is rabies is wholly preventable done due vaccination.

7. Kennel Cough

Bordetella bronchiseptica, besides commonly referred to arsenic “kennel cough”, is simply a precise contagious bacteria that causes respiratory illness with inflammation successful the windpipe (trachea) and bronchi. While often much recognized with dogs, this bacteria tin impact some cats and dogs, and adjacent much absorbing is that it tin dispersed from one affected taxon to the other. It tin beryllium dispersed directly, specified arsenic with grooming each other, but besides successful the aerial with coughing oregon sneezing.

Furthermore, a contaminated situation (surroundings, bedding, nutrient bowls, etc.) whitethorn besides let for the spread. If seen, signs whitethorn see coughing, sneezing, oculus and chemoreceptor discharge arsenic good arsenic fever, inappetence, and lethargy. In much terrible forms of illness, occupation breathing whitethorn besides beryllium present. When indicated, attraction consists of circumstantial antibiotics, and pet-safe cough medicine, and successful rarer yet harsh illnesses, hospitalization whitethorn beryllium needed for further care.

While a vaccine is not wholly foolproof, it tin assistance bounds the severity of the unwellness if contracted; successful addition, galore boarding and grooming facilities necessitate it.

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Prevention Tips

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Conclusion

While astir favored diseases are species-specific, determination are immoderate that tin beryllium passed from a feline to a dog. Because of this, for that subset of circumstantial wellness conditions, it’s important to person awareness, bully preventative care, and punctual aesculapian attraction arsenic integral components successful your toolkit to guarantee the champion wellness for your pet.

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The station Can Cats Get Dogs Sick? Our Vet Explains Illnesses & Prevention Tips by Dr. Rachel Ellison DVM (Veterinarian) appeared archetypal connected Catster. Copying implicit full articles infringes connected copyright laws. You whitethorn not beryllium alert of it, but each of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, truthful they aren't considered nationalist domain. However, we admit that you similar the nonfiction and would emotion it if you continued sharing conscionable the archetypal paragraph of an article, past linking retired to the remainder of the portion connected Catster.com.