Pet Ownership at Christmas 

Owning a pet is a long established Irish tradition and a particularly topical issue at Christmas time.  A pet is a wonderful addition to any family, bringing with it hours of fun, exercise and unconditional love that an animal bestows on a family who treat it with loving care and responsibility.

A pet is not a toy, and must be cared for emotionally and physically.  Pet health care is an area of priority for any responsible pet owner and also of responsibility are the hygiene rules, which should be strictly adhered to. 

Most people are unaware of the common infectious diseases passed between humans and animals (zoonoses), which include roundworm, tapeworm, toxoplasmosis and toxocariasis.  The basic rule to avoid animal to human transfer of these diseases is thorough hand washing.  Even if the physical contact amounts to just a passing cuddle you should always wash your hands to avoid contracting an unwanted infection. Hands should always be washed before eating.  

Toxoplasmosis is a rare disease but can be particularly dangerous to pregnant women and to people whose immune system is not working properly.  Pregnant women can suffer a miscarriage or the baby may suffer from severe brain damage, blindness or other serious defects because of it.  Individuals who are immunocompromised (e.g. after treatment for cancer, after organ transplantation, or those infected with HIV) are more at risk of developing severe infection of the brain, the heart, the lungs or the eye. As cats may carry this disease, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals should avoid cleaning the cat litter.  All adults and children should wash their hands after gardening or handling soil and before eating.  

Toxocariasis is a common roundworm that can be caught by coming into contact with infected faeces from dogs and cats or even by stroking these pets.  The young worms hatch in the intestine and travel to the lungs, liver and sometimes to the eye or other organs where they can form cysts.  Some children may develop infections in the lungs or eyes accompanied by fever, but generally the disease is mild.  Very young children and toddlers are most likely to pick up the condition by handling contaminated soil or litter and putting their hands into their mouths. 

Dr. Ann Marie O’Byrne of the South Eastern Zoonoses Committee said, “Prevention is the most important thing that parents can do.  Being aware of the problem is fundamental, de-worm family pets every three months with a reputable wormer supplied by your vet.  Kittens and puppies may need to be de-wormed more often, as advised by your vet.  Pet owners must ensure the safe disposal of pet faeces; cat litter trays should be changed daily.  Parents should supervise young children when washing their hands and children should be encouraged to wash their hands regularly throughout the day.  This is important for all children - not just children who are in regular contact with animals.  A clean pet combined with regular hand washing and awareness leads to a non infected human".