The common cold is a disease that most often develops in the autumn-winter period. Rains, bad weather, wet feet? You already feel overwhelmed, squish in your nose, and your throat starts to hurt. Many loving owners who have pets at home worry whether a dog can catch a cold from a person. Especially often, owners of puppies who have just had vaccination and have rather weak immunity ask this question. Let's look into this issue.
We deal with terminology
Dogs also get the flu and colds. But the owners should not blame themselves for the fact that their pet is forced to undergo treatment. Ask your veterinarian if a dog can catch a cold from a person. He will dispel your doubts. But let's talk about everything in order. There are two scenarios:
- An animal becomes infected with viruses, fungi or bacteria from a similar organism and becomes ill.
- The dog is cold if it swims in cold water or lives in an old booth in winter. The immune system weakens, and those bacteria that used to sleep peacefully on the mucous membranes begin an attack. So the disease develops. Moreover, this process can be rapid.
Man dog friend
It really is. But does this relate to the first case? Can a dog catch a cold from a person? If someone gets sick in the family, is it necessary to isolate the pet and take it to relatives? Veterinarians claim that influenza viruses and all other diseases that we call SARS and ARI cannot be transmitted from host to pet.
At the same time, the canine flu virus has been recently detected. His symptoms are very similar to the one that we are sick with. That is why if it happens at the same time that a pet and someone from the family are ill, then they mistakenly believe that one ailment struck them. To date, this topic has been well studied; experts answer negatively to the question whether a dog can catch a cold from a person.
Always together
When the owner gets sick, his loving pet does not want to leave him. The dog lies nearby, constantly licking his hands and face, which causes a natural alarm for his health. Yes, the opinion of veterinarians is unshakable, but suddenly the pet is special. Especially if after some time the dog begins to show symptoms of canine flu. This is usually:
- Heat.
- Cough.
- Sneezing.
- Lethargy.
- Decreased appetite.
Agree, this is very similar to how a SARS in a person proceeds. And from this moment the owner has no doubts whether the dog can get a cold or flu from a person. Of course, vets are just wrong. No, this is a coincidence. You and your pet have been ill with similar ailments.
Transmission ways
Indirectly, a person may be involved in the fact that his pet is sick. It can serve as a carrier of canine flu. In this case, the owner himself will only be a carrier. For example, you came to visit friends whose dog fell ill. Even if there are no clear symptoms yet, pathogens can spread by airborne droplets. With you, they will safely get home and become the cause of the disease of your pets.
In addition, the owner is responsible for the nutrition of the animal and the conditions of its maintenance. Therefore, speaking about whether a dog can get a cold from a person, one can respond positively, but if the owner does not fulfill his obligations. If a pet does not eat well and sleeps in a draft, then a person may become the culprit of his illness.
Recent research
It is unlikely that the veterinarian will tell about this to a frightened owner, whose favorite pet fell ill. But today, scientists are beginning to doubt that viruses are not able to adapt to new conditions and organisms. Of course, this does not happen overnight. They cannot mutate so quickly. But theoretically, the human virus may well adapt to life in the dog’s body, with which a person has been living under the same roof for so long.
But to date, there are no proven experiments. Therefore, no veterinarian will confirm whether a dog can get the flu from a person. Maybe, over time, a new strain mutates, which will freely pass from the pet to the owner and vice versa.
Causes of occurrence
Partially we have already considered them. But there are a number of factors that contribute to the disease of pets:
- Home lifestyle. The dog comes out in the morning and evening for five minutes to meet natural needs. In this case, the immune barrier of the animal is reduced. Even if the weather is bad, the walk is shortened, but not canceled.
- Hypothermia. In cold weather, dress a dog, do not let snow and ice, do not bathe in winter. If the dog lives on the street, then insulate the booth for the winter.
- Nutrition. An unbalanced diet, especially in cold weather, leads to the fact that the body remains defenseless against infection.
Of course, the animal should receive preventive vaccinations.
Diagnostics
This raises another important issue. Each owner has his own opinion on whether a dog can become infected by a person with SARS. And if he is convinced that he can, then he usually does not pay attention to the symptoms of the disease. It is believed that this is a slight malaise and it will go away by itself. In fact, specialist advice is necessary, it is quite possible the development of complications.
The doctor should listen to internal organs, take a blood test, smear and urine. Based on these data, examination and history taking, he will already be able to prescribe an effective treatment. Do not forget that nasal discharge, cough, or fever are not always symptoms of the flu or a cold. Therefore, the doctor should be diagnosed.
Treatment
Only after diagnosis, a specialist can prescribe the necessary drug for each specific. It is most often an antibiotic. In this group, Vilprafen, Dorin, Amoxiclav are appointed. Usually they are sold in a special pharmacy at a veterinary clinic. From the first day of the disease, it is advisable to give antiviral drugs: Vitafel-S, Cycloferon. For better sputum discharge, expectorants are prescribed. It can be licorice root, plantain broth, coltsfoot broth . At high temperature, Analgin is prescribed with Diphenhydramine. But not Paracetamol, it is contraindicated in dogs.
Instead of a conclusion
As you can see, the question is not whether the dog can get the flu from a person (rotovirus or SARS - it doesn’t matter). There are no direct transmission routes between us, humans have their own forms of viruses, and dogs have their own. But everyone can get sick. The future life and health will depend on how quickly the owner will react, bring the pet to the doctor for a consultation and begin effective treatment. Therefore, if you get sick, then it is not necessary to drive away a loving creature. Let the dog be near you, because it’s more fun to be sick together.