The most common pets - cats and dogs - can be infected with parasites, which means they become a real threat of infection of households. This is not a paranoid idea. Undoubtedly, the communication of children with animals is emotionally important, but it is worth knowing about the possibility of infection and ways to solve this problem.
According to studies conducted in Europe, about 30% of domestic cats and dogs are infected with parasites. At the same time, it turned out that 50% of pet owners did not know that they could become infected with a pet from any disease, and 23% of those surveyed did not know that parasites were dangerous to their health.
How can I get infected?
The probability of infection with eggs of parasites through excrement is high. This can happen even with a regular walk. And it is not necessary to touch the animals. After all, dog excrement, unfortunately, can often come in the way of people walking. It would seem enough not to touch the contaminated earth with your hands. However, excrement is a biological material whose particles can easily mix with dust and settle on all kinds of objects.
Another point is that people have a close emotional relationship with domestic animals. Communication is accompanied by constant physical contact: the owners pet the animals, they lick, bite, sleep next to them. No matter how embarrassed this topic is, the hosts are daily forced to remove excrement behind them. This may not even be so acutely perceived by a person, because when fulfilling an unpleasant duty he will take some steps to protect himself. Nevertheless, the peculiarity of performing the toilet with the same, at first glance, clean-cat, leads to the fact that cat excrement falls on her body anywhere.
How to protect yourself from being infected by parasites?
Firstly, it is necessary to observe a minimum of hygiene and veterinary requirements. According to the advice of European veterinarians, pets should be given antiparasitic drugs every three months.
Secondly, when walking with dogs you need to avoid getting them into bodies of water with stagnant water. We again touch upon an unpleasant topic, but infected excrement can get into such reservoirs from animals, this place will become very dangerous, as parasite eggs can easily be stored in water.
Thirdly, the owners themselves must comply with hygiene requirements: clean up after your pets for a walk, do not let your face lick and always wash your hands after talking with the animal.
How to learn about parasite infection?
As for animals, if antiparasitic prophylaxis has not been carried out for a long time, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the pets. Parasitic infection in the first place can affect the condition of their gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea, vomiting, etc.). If in doubt, it is important to contact your veterinarian.
As for people, here, in addition to the described symptoms, it is recommended to listen to your feelings: the appearance of stomach, headaches, loss of appetite, weakness, the presence in the feces of mucus, blood or even the parasites themselves. In any case, it is important to immediately consult a doctor for help.