Friendship, love, frenzied chasing of inanimate objects -- cats share beautiful (and hilarious) experiences. But not everything your cat shares is so wonderful. Here are four diseases you can catch from your feline friend that prove sharing isn't always caring.
1. Ringworm: The Not-So-Worm-Like Fungus
Ringworm, believe it or not, is a type of fungus that is highly contagious and commonly found in cats. Ringworm has nothing to do with worms, but it does cause bald patches with red lesions that look like rings. If your cat has these symptoms, take your pet to the vet immediately as the fungus can easily be transferred from your cat to you.
If you develop ringworm, see your doctor, who will likely prescribe an antifungal cream to treat the
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infection. 2. Rabies: More Than Just A Dog Problem When you think of rabies, you might conjure up images of a rabid dog, foaming at the mouth. But cats can get rabies too. Many wild animals, including raccoons and bats, carry rabies and can spread the viral disease to your cat if they bite your furry friend. Rabies will likely cause your cat to become more aggressive, which could lead to you getting bitten and getting rabies yourself. So keep your cat away from wild animals, and see a vet if your cat becomes unusually aggressive.
3. Cat-Scratch Disease: From Fleas To Swollen Lymph Nodes
Do you suffer from swollen lymph nodes, joint pain, and headaches? You might have your cat to blame. Or, more specifically, you might have fleas to blame for giving your cat the disease in the first place.
Here's how it works. The fleas bite your cat, which infects your cat. Then your cat bites you, which infects you. If you become infected, the symptoms can last several months, and you may need to be treated with antibiotics.
4. Toxoplasmosis: A Single-Celled Parasite Linked To Psychiatric Problems
Toxoplasmosis is another disease your cat may unknowingly share with you. This single-celled parasite affects up to 30 percent of the human population and has been linked to impulsivity and anger problems.
The parasite is spread through contact with feces of the infected cat. So be sure to put on gloves before cleaning your cat's litter box. Otherwise, you might become infected -- and, quite possibly, find yourself unbearably angry too.
Your cat may be sharing more than you realize. So take your cat to the vet regularly to ensure your feline friend -- and you -- stay disease
free.
...may have the same symptoms. The symptoms are red bumps that may bleed if the sores are picked over.
Toenail fungus is an infection that affects millions of people all over the world and eight percent of adults in the United States. It is a contagious problem that may spread to your fingernails, causing embarrassment, and could have a significant effect on your social life. There are several different types of toenail fungus, but onychomycosis is the most common.
Canine Heartworm Disease Canine Heartworm Disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease caused by the parasite Dirofilaria Immitis. The disease can infect over 30 species, including humans, however dogs are the definitive host. The most common way this disease is transmitted from one animal to the next is through mosquitoes. A mosquito carrying infective heartworm larvae bites a dog and transmits the infection to them. The larvae grow, develop, and migrate in the body over a period of 6 to 7 months, in which time they become sexually mature male and female worms.
Declawing solves the issue of torn up furniture and unnecessary scratches. Having a cat declawed puts an end to ruined furniture, torn up carpet, and having the household look a wreck. If that’s a pet owners concern, then they should definitely reconsider even having a cat. A cat's claws can inflict a considerable amount of pain and damage to their owners. Cat scratch disease may also be a result of having a cat declawed. This disease is caused by a bacteria known as Bartonella henselae. Statistics show that About 40% of cats have this bacteria at some point in their cat lives. This bacterial infection shows no signs in a cat. Kittens are also more likely to scratch and bite while they play with their owners. Although, your cat might use your hands or furniture for clawing and scratch, declawing is certainly not the
Other lesions, such as eczema, body lice, insect bites, fungal infections, poison ivy, and various forms of dermatitis can make a person susceptible to this infection.... ... middle of paper ... ... The New York Times.
This disease may be on the brink of being eradicated entirely but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the grossest things that anyone has ever seen. The parasite enters the body via unsafe drinking water. When people drink water infected with water fleas that have have been hosting the larvae of the parasite. There are no symptoms, to begin with, but about one year later, blisters on the feet or legs begin to develop and then the adult fully developed worm crawls out of the host body over a period of a few weeks. It’s said that the pain is intense and can incapacitate a person for weeks at a time. The pain can also continue for months after the infection. The parasite needs to infect a person at least once a year in order to continue. There were an estimated 3.5 million cases in 1986 but the disease has been greatly reduced over time and only 22 cases were reported in 2015. This disease will probably be the first parasitic disease to be completely eradicated in humans.
Worms. It's not something that most dog-owners want for their beloved pups; but unfortunately, it's something that happens all too often. Worms and other parasites aren't just disgusting to think about, they are also potentially dangerous. At the first suspicion—or sight—of worms, you should take action quickly, so that your family pet doesn't suffer from upset tummy, grumpy behavior, or death.
Canine Heartworm Disease -. 01 Jan. 2014. Web. The Web. The Web.
horrible disease was spread by infected rats and fleas and killed 1/4 to 1/3 of the
Heartworms are a parasitic nematode of mammals and have first been observed in Italy in 1626 (3). Later the parasite was introduced to the Americas by European immigrants leading to the earliest recorded heartworm finding in the United States in 1847 published in The Western Journal of Medicine and Surgery (3,5). In 1995 the intracellular Gram-negative bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia, belonging to the order Rickettsiales, was identified to reside in the heartworms tissue (4).Today heartworm infections have been reported in all states except Alaska and the number of incidents are increasing at an alarming rate (5).
Dogs are extremely lovable and the only thing in life that they want is to be loved by their owners. With dogs, everything in life revolves around love and affection. The only thing that is on a cats mind is food and what they
Scabies mites are distributed worldwide, affecting all races, ages and socioeconomic classes in all climates. Sarcoptes scabei, human itch, or mange mites, are in the arthropod class Arachnida, subclass Acari, family Sarcoptidae. These mites burrow under the skin, living in linear burrows. Other races of scabies may cause infestations in other mammals such as domestic cats, dogs, pigs, and horses. It should be noted that races of mites found on other animals could not establish infestations in humans. They may cause temporary itching due to dermatitis but they do not tunnel into the skin.
After losing Charlie in a car accident, and Vegas being returned to his rightful owner, I decided to get a new cat. A new cat would be more affordable, and fit in with my apartment house lifestyle. The ability to maintain a cats responsibilities while attending school, and spending weekends at work, is far less of a job than it would be for a new dog. The decision has proved worthwhile. Flea is doing well adapting to her new surroundings, and doing her best to avoid the lava life throws her way.
You play a key role in keeping your pet safe. If you start to notice any ongoing behaviors that seem odd for your cat or dog then it is time to call your veterinarian. Noticing and reporting changes in behavior is the first step to finding and fixing a health problem. And, the sooner you locate the cause of your pet’s pain, the sooner they can start to feel
There are the many differences and similarities between the most popular household pets, dogs and cats. These pets really do make a wonderful addition to the family; but, before you decide on which pet to bring home think about the different attention, grooming care, and bathroom usage for each of these pets, to make sure you are able to provide proper care for your pet. Having a pet is a lot of hard work, but in the long run it’s very