What diseases of dogs are transmitted to humans. Can a dog get the flu from humans? Rabies is a serious viral disease. How to protect yourself from a fatal disease

Unfortunately, our faithful four-legged friends are susceptible to a number of dangerous infectious, viral, bacterial diseases... Owners, breeders of dogs should remember that some purely canine infections, invasive diseases, under certain circumstances, can be transmitted to people. In addition, there is a whole group of canine diseases and pathologies that have a common name with diseases diagnosed in humans. Therefore, in this review, we decided to consider which diseases of dogs are transmitted to humans.

Infectious diseases of dogs, routes of infection

Bacteria, viruses, pathogens enter the dog's body in various ways: through infected food, household items, dog ammunition, bowls, bedding, by airborne (aerogenic) way. Infection of dogs with dangerous infections most often occurs through close contact of healthy people with infected individuals. The causative agent of infections can enter the dog's body through the alimentary route, when eating infected feed (meat, internal organs sick agricultural animals).

The risk group includes small puppies with immature, not formed immunity, older dogs age groups, animals with a weakened immune system, reduced body resistance. The predisposing factors include unfavorable conditions of detention, lack of proper care, failure to comply with sanitary and hygienic standards in group keeping of dogs in enclosures, kennels.

The spread of viruses is facilitated by the transportation of dogs with violations of the rules for transporting animals, excessive physical exercise, unhealthy diet, prolonged hypothermia, frequent stressful situations that weaken the body, minor chronic infections and pathologies.

Helminthiasis

Acute echinococcosis

Lichen, other dermatological diseases

Dog rabies

All of the above diseases are most often diagnosed in veterinary practice in dogs in our regions. In the list of the most dangerous diseases that are transmitted to humans from dogs, other animals can be called rabies.

Human infection with rabies occurs when a sick animal bites. The virus of a dangerous disease is found in high concentration in the saliva of infected animals. For infection, it is enough that a minimum amount of a sick animal gets on the mucous membranes and even into a microscopic wound. As you can see, if a person has a weakened immune system, for an infection to occur, it is enough just for a dog infected with rabies to lick its hands.

After entering the body, the rabies virus instantly spreads from the bloodstream throughout the body, localizing in various organs and systems. First of all, damage to the organs of the central and peripheral system occurs. If you do not take action, the disease becomes the cause of death.

The insidiousness of an infectious disease lies in the fact that rabies in dogs can manifest itself in various forms and the first signs of infection of a pet may not be noticed immediately. But the main characteristic sign that makes it clear that something is wrong with the dog is a sharp change in behavior, fear of hydration.

Dog rabies is not treatable and infected dogs are euthanized.

Helminthiasis

The most dangerous helminthiases for humans include:

    echinococcosis;

    toxocariasis;

    alveococcosis;

    toxascariasis;

    diffilobotriosis;

    dipylidosis.

The presence of helminths in your dog's body can be determined by the following signs:

    violation of digestion processes;

    refusal to feed or, on the contrary, increased appetite, but the dog does not gain weight;

    frequent signs of vomiting, nausea;

    shortness of breath, cough, difficulty eating;

    deterioration of the condition of the coat;

    diarrhea alternating with constipation.

In the feces there is mucus, you can see fragments, segments of helminths. Treatment of helminthiasis requires a comprehensive diagnosis and immediate treatment. With strong helminthic invasions, a complete blockage, rupture of the intestine can occur, which will inevitably cause death.

Helminthiasis is a real danger for young children and pregnant women. For this reason, give your dog an anthelmintic drug several times a year after consulting your veterinarian.

Chlamydia of dogs

Chlamydia in dogs is dangerous infection caused by pathogenic microorganisms of the genus Chlamydia, of which several species are known. In dogs, an infection characterized by various forms clinical manifestations(rhinitis, bronchitis. pathology of pregnancy, childbirth), causes Chl. psittaci. Chlamydia is transmitted from dog to person by airborne droplets. The causative agent is contained in secretions from the genitals, vaginal sercreta, semen, blood, nasal, ocular outflows. The danger of chlamydia lies in the latent, latent course of the infection.

Treatment of dogs infected with chlamydia is long-term, since pathological microorganisms are intracellular organisms.

Leptospirosis

Another dangerous zooanthroponotic disease of dogs and other mammals transmitted from animals to humans is leptospirosis. Infection is caused by leptospira that live in polluted water bodies, soil, and other objects. the environment... Infection is possible by aerogenic, contact. Leptospira penetrate into the human body through the damaged epidermis, mucous membranes.

Reproduction of leptospira in the body occurs in the structures of the epithelium, cells of internal organs, in particular in the liver, kidneys, spleen.

Dermatomycosis

Dermatomycosis is a group of diseases common to animals and humans that cause pathogenic microscopic fungi. the disease is characterized by serious lesions of the skin, coat.

The most commonly diagnosed dermatomycosis include microsporia, trichophytosis. The characteristic features the disease is the presence of bald areas on the body (in the ears, croup, on the muzzle) of an irregular rounded shape. A person can become infected with dermatomycosis through direct contact with sick animals.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious infectious disease representing mortal danger for animals and humans. The causative agent of the disease is aerobic mycobacteria, which, after entering the body, are localized in various organs - in the lungs, lymph nodes. At the site of introduction into the organ, a nodule is formed - a tuberculous granuloma, which is subsequently encapsulated.

In dogs, tuberculosis is caused by mycobacteria of the human, bovine type. Unfortunately, an infectious disease, due to its high contagiousness, cannot be treated, and most often veterinarians recommend euthanizing a sick pet.

Prevention of infectious diseases in dogs

    Create optimal conditions for the dog, choose the right, balanced, fortified diet. If the dog is on a natural diet, add mineral and vitamin supplements to the diet. What vitamins your beloved pet needs will help to determine the veterinary specialist.

    Closely monitor the behavior, general condition of your dog. If you notice the first deterioration in well-being, immediately contact your veterinarian. You should not engage in self-medication, because due to the similarity of clinical symptoms, it is very important to carry out a comprehensive, differential diagnosis in a timely manner.

In addition, if a dog is not accustomed to good manners from an early age, or the owner does not pay due attention to his pet during a walk, it is possible that the dog will have forbidden "delicacies", for example, bones, pieces of meat that may contain eggs, larvae worms. Do not forget that the main route of infection with worms is alimentary, oral-fecal, less often - contact.

A dog can get infected, for example, swallowing a flea, after eating raw meat products that have not undergone heat treatment, drinking water from a puddle or picking up a "delicacy" from the ground, seeded with larvae.

Owners of miniature, decorative breeds of dogs who rarely go for a walk or constantly sit in the hands of their owners on the street should understand that the larvae, helminth eggs can get into the house on the soles of shoes, household items, clothing.

Do not forget that our smaller brothers are very contact, friendly, active pets. On walks, dogs communicate with their relatives, other animals that can be infected with worms.

A dog showing his love licks his hands, the face of the owner. Some owners allow dogs to climb onto a sofa or bed. Undoubtedly, children are crazy about their pets. The child plays with the dog, cares for it, kisses, hugs his pet. Thus, with constant contact with the dog, infection with worms occurs.

Read also: Chipping dogs is just about complicated

The danger of helminthic invasions for humans, manifestations of helminthiasis

Important! Most often people are diagnosed with echinococosis. With this disease, the larvae of echinococcus migrate from the bloodstream to the liver, spleen, brain, spinal cord, and kidneys. They can affect bone and muscle structures. This type of helminths provokes the development of cysts, neoplasms in the internal organs.

Helminths are especially dangerous during pregnancy. Strong helminthic invasion can cause miscarriage, provoke premature birth, various disorders of embryogenesis.

Infection with helminthiases occurs to a greater extent due to reduced resistance, weakening of the immune system. The risk group includes Small children weakened viral infections, chronic pathologies, diseases people.

Among the main symptoms that indicate a person's infection with helminthiasis are:

  • violation of digestive processes;
  • unstable stools (constipation, diarrhea);
  • pallor, yellowness of the mucous membranes;
  • frequent bouts of nausea, vomiting;
  • loss of body weight;
  • itching in the anus;
  • bad breath;
  • allergic rashes;
  • sleep disturbance, lethargy, apathy, decreased performance;
  • profuse salivation;
  • cough, shortness of breath, fever;
  • periodic severe cramps, abdominal pain.

In the season of influenza and respiratory diseases, four-legged animal owners are keenly worried about whether humans can infect dogs.

A favorite is always near the patient: he lies nearby, sniffs, licks the sick person's face. The question arises: how great is the danger for our pets, and can a healthy dog ​​get the flu from humans?

First, let's try to figure out what the flu is. It is an acute infectious disease caused by the influenza virus that occurs in the respiratory tract. It is dangerous because it leads to complications and sometimes deaths.

Animals get sick in two ways:

  1. Infection occurs from viruses, bacteria, various fungi.
  2. Disease causes hypothermia with reduced immunity.

In our case, we are interested in the first path. When someone in the family gets sick, they become a breeding ground for the virus.

According to veterinarians, influenza or other respiratory viral diseases are not transmitted from humans to their animals, just as canine diseases are not transmitted to humans.

Dogs have their own diseases. One of these was the canine flu virus discovered in 2004. Symptoms are very similar to those of humans:

  • high temperature rises;
  • a cough appears;
  • passivity and loss of strength are noted;
  • lack of appetite.

If the dog is moderately ill or mild form diseases, only the upper respiratory tract is affected, pneumonia also develops in a more serious form.

In most cases, dogs are characterized by a moderate form. However, due to the fact that it is caused by a pathogenic microbe, all dogs susceptible to the virus become infected.

The symptoms of the flu are expressed in a violent cough, sometimes even with vomiting, as if the animal had choked on a foreign body, and it was stuck in the throat. Much mucus is discharged from the nose, and in a dream, the runny nose increases to a gurgling in the nose. Sometimes even discharge from the eyes begins. There is also an increase in temperature up to 40-42 ° C.

The spread of the disease is very high, especially in places where dogs congregate, so it is best to avoid them to avoid infection. The source of the disease can also be a person, acting as a carrier. This disease spreads by airborne droplets, it can move on clothes and shoes, but a person will not get sick, and the likelihood that a dog will get sick is quite high.

Do dogs have the flu?

No one likes to have colds or viral diseases. Often, at these moments only our four-legged pets remain with us. They faithfully look into our eyes, warm us when we are cold, and try in every possible way to ease our pain (oh). But, are they at risk of catching the flu or the common cold from us? Yes, and in general, can a person infect a dog with the flu? Or is it still worth taking precautions in relation to our four-legged pets?

Methods of getting the flu

Before answering the question of whether a person can infect a dog with influenza, let's turn to the mechanism by which the virus itself enters the human body. We could be hypothermic, or we caught a disease from its carrier.

Accordingly, our pet can get sick if:

  • viruses, fungi, bacteria will enter his body;
  • he will be overcooled - just swim in cold water, drink cold water or just take a walk longer than usual in bad weather;
  • his body is weakened, and the immune system cannot cope with bacteria that get on the mucous membranes.

In doing so, pay attention to a very important point.

According to veterinarians, viruses of human flu, other respiratory viral diseases, do not pose a threat to dogs. That is, theoretically, the owner cannot infect a dog with a flu.

But do not rush to think that the danger has passed.

Canine flu

Animals, in particular dogs, have their own viruses. So, for example, in Russia, in 2004, the canine flu virus was detected. Then the breed of greyhounds suffered the most from him. That being said, the flu symptoms were very similar to human symptoms:

  • the animals showed a high,
  • dogs coughed and sneezed,
  • general lethargy and decreased appetite were observed.

Why a dog can get the flu

And although the cases of canine flu registered in 2004, fortunately, no longer had a recurrence, nevertheless, most often dogs get sick with colds, not because of viruses and harmful bacteria entering their body, but because their body hypothermic. In addition, the following circumstances can contribute to the occurrence of a cold in a dog:

  1. Passive lifestyle of the dog, lack of walks in sufficient and high-quality quantity (o). As a result, the animal's immune barrier is automatically reduced and it becomes more vulnerable to viruses. That is why experts recommend not to forget about long walks in good weather, as well as additional insulation in bad weather. Snow and rain outside the window is not a reason to refuse a walk, rather it is a reason to get it and go for a walk according to an abbreviated program.
  2. The next one follows smoothly from the previous point. Very often the dog's body suffers from real hypothermia. If the dog has short hair, he needs clothes in autumn and winter. If the animal lives on the street, in a booth, it must be sufficiently insulated and windproof. Do not experiment with bathing your dogs in open water in bad weather. Animals also need to be protected from drafts.
  3. An unbalanced diet and a lack of vitamins, all this becomes the reason that the immune system begins to fail and cannot cope with the attack of viruses and bacteria. Especially enhanced nutrition is needed in winter and spring. Then it is relevant and.
  4. Lack of vaccination and preventive examinations by veterinarians - increases the risk that the animal will get sick.
  5. Dry indoor air - The use of heaters, especially during the winter season, leads to dry indoor air. Automatically this leads to overdrying of the mucous membranes of the animal and the latter can no longer resist viruses so. Instead of a barrier that prevents the penetration of the disease into the body, they turn into a kind of gate. That is why pet owners need to additionally humidify dry air and monitor its performance using a special hygrometer device, and not by eye. What you and I may find comfortable can be completely unsafe for a dog.

Canine Flu Videos

Today we talked about whether the owner can infect a pet with the flu. Human viruses are not scary for dogs. But, in the case of canine flu, a person can be a carrier of the disease. Also, improper care of a pet provokes the development of viral and colds in him. Therefore, it is important to take proper care of the dog. If you still encounter symptoms similar to those of the human flu, just that it is not you who sneeze, but your dog, do not hesitate to visit the veterinarian. Trying to cure your dog of the flu at home is difficult. In addition, the health of a pet is not at all something worth risking ...

Has your dog ever had the flu? Do you take precautions for your pet when you have the flu? We will be interested to know your answers.

Pets are an integral part of our life. And the dog also acts as a reliable and faithful friend. But sometimes dog friendships are not as safe as they seem at first glance.

Four-legged friends can carry dangerous diseases. Therefore, before you get a pet, you should carefully study the information on this topic. After all, forewarned means forearmed.

Dermatomycosis. Its other name is ringworm. It is expressed in damage to the skin, which is caused by various fungi.

Fever. An acute infectious disease caused by Batonella bacteria.

The most dangerous

Rabies. A viral disease that can be fatal due to damage to the nervous system.

Leptospirosis. In other words, canine typhus.

Salmonellosis. Intestinal infection caused by microbes of the genus Salmonella.

Reference! Rodents are often the lifelong carriers of leptospirosis. Therefore, in the treatment and prevention of this disease, it is worth starting with their destruction.

Non-infectious

General

All types of injuries: bruises, fractures, sprains.

Poisoning with various substances.

Individual internal

Diseases of organs and their systems: pancreatitis, cardiomyopathy, joint dysplasia, epilepsy, dermatitis, urolithiasis and many others.

How does this happen?

You can get infected with this or that disease from a dog:

  • By touching the tissues affected by dermatomycosis on the head, ears or neck of the animal.
  • Having contact with excrement without protective gloves.
  • Not noticing the lethargy, irritation of the animal, trying to play with it.

Important! Dry nose, apathy, excessive irritability, diarrhea, vomiting - all this should alert and push you to visit the veterinarian.

  • You can get infected when dog saliva enters the human body.
  • Failure to comply with the rules of hygiene, cooking also leads to sad consequences.
  • If you do not wash your hands after contact with an animal, or allow him to climb on the table, or sleep with him in the same bed, you risk your health.
  • You should not bring the animal to your face and kiss it.
  • It is impossible to wash and wash the houses and sleeping places of animals without gloves.
  • Buying low-quality food for dogs increases the risk of infecting the animal with an infection and getting sick yourself.

All these actions lead to direct human infection with various diseases transmitted from animals, or provoke the appearance of a disease in pets.

Symptoms

The symptoms of these diseases are very diverse.

For example, for dermatomycosis a person has pronounced red circular spots on the skin.

Infection round worms can cause shortness of breath and cough, abdominal pain, and even blood in your stools.

Infected fever you may feel very tired and swollen lymph nodes.

Rabies has a whole range of symptoms, including fever, excessive sensitivity to bright light and loud sounds, unreasonable fear, insomnia. A particularly severe stage is expressed in paralysis of the limbs and eye muscles. Nonsense is possible.

Toxoplasmosis may have no symptoms at all. In severe forms, the temperature rises, the person is tormented by headaches, convulsions and vomiting. A more detailed examination revealed an enlargement of the spleen.

Leptospirosis entails an increase in the liver, spleen. Tachycardia and anemia are common. These symptoms are accompanied by an increased body temperature.

Salmonellosis also causes fever, abdominal pain and vomiting.

If you notice similar symptoms in yourself, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Prevention

In order to protect yourself and your family from the most common diseases transmitted from dogs, you just need to follow simple rules.

Training is important in a dog's life. The animal must be adapted to life in society and not allow the pet to bite, scratch, attack people or animals for no reason.

We must not forget about the health of the dog. Visit your veterinarian regularly.

Observe the rules of feeding and caring for your pet. Do not allow food to be picked on the street, do not provide unprocessed meat, do not feed spoiled food or feed that has expired.

Follow the principles of a balanced diet. Raw meat must be thermally processed.

At the slightest deviation from the norm in behavior, in biological processes, it is better to immediately show the animal to the doctor. Do not self-medicate. Many diseases have the same symptoms, and only a specialist can establish the truth.

Use anti-tick and flea remedies, as well as special shampoos for four-legged animals.

If you find a tick, immediately go to the clinic, or carefully remove the insect and wash your hands thoroughly, and then show it to the doctor.

Once you have washed the litter box, feeding bowl, bedding, pet toys, and other pet belongings, you should wash your hands well.

Teach children to wash their hands after playing with the dog.

If you are pregnant, it is best to have another family member take care of your dog.

Avoid contact with stray dogs and other stray animals.

These simple steps will help you and your pet to stay healthy for years to come.

Conclusion

Animals cannot speak, complain of pain in one place or another, or malaise. They do not have the opportunity to talk about what worries them and list the symptoms. A problem discovered in time can save the life of not only a beloved and faithful friend, but also the owner himself.

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