Our pets enrich our lives in countless ways. They provide companionship, reduce stress, encourage us to stay active, and are cherished members of the family. While some diseases can be shared between animals and people, the risk for most families is low, especially when pets receive regular veterinary care and preventive medicine.
Part of the Veterinarian’s Oath includes the words “the promotion of public health”. Even though veterinarians are doctors for animals, part of their job is to use their skills to improve public health as well. This can include prevention of diseases that can spread between animals and humans, which are called zoonotic diseases, or zoonoses. Helping pet owners understand how these diseases are transmitted allows them to take simple steps that protect both their pets and their families.
At Friendship Animal Hospital, we believe prevention is the best medicine. Through regular wellness exams, vaccinations, parasite prevention, good hygiene, and Fear Free veterinary care, we strive to keep veterinary visits as stress-free as possible while helping your pet stay healthy throughout every stage of life.
How Do Zoonotic Diseases Spread?
Most zoonotic diseases are not spread simply by petting or living with your dog or cat. Instead, they are typically transmitted through:
- Contact with feces or contaminated soil
- Bites or scratches
- Contact with infected skin or hair
- Exposure to urine or bodily fluids
- Poor hand hygiene after handling pets or cleaning up after them
Fortunately, many of these risks are easily reduced with routine preventive care and everyday hygiene.
Common Parasitic Zoonoses
Parasites are one of the most common sources of zoonotic disease. Fortunately, they are also among the easiest to prevent.
Examples include:
- Roundworms
- Hookworms
- Tapeworms
- Giardia
- Toxoplasmosis (cats)
Many intestinal parasites are spread through microscopic eggs or organisms found in contaminated feces or soil. Puppies and kittens are infected by their mother if she has parasites.
Deworming when appropriate, staying up to date on fecal parasite tests and keeping your pet on a year-round parasite prevention program are effective ways to protect both your pet and your family.
Common Infectious (Bacterial and Viral) Zoonoses
Several bacterial and viral diseases can occasionally be transmitted between animals and people.
Examples include:
- Rabies
- Leptospirosis
- Salmonella
- Cat Scratch Disease (Bartonella henselae)
Fortunately, many of these diseases are preventable! Effective vaccines exist for rabies and leptospirosis (dogs). Parasite control, prompt treatment of illness, and practicing good hygiene are helpful.
Did You Know?
A disease is considered zoonotic only if it can naturally spread between animals and people. If humans and pets both get the disease from another source—such as a tick, mosquito, flea, contaminated food, or the environment—it is not considered a zoonotic disease, even though both species may become ill.
Common Fungal Zoonoses
Some fungal infections, most commonly ringworm, can spread through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments. Ringworm is not a worm at all; it is a fungus.
Early diagnosis and treatment help reduce spread within the household while allowing pets to recover comfortably.
Who Should Take Extra Precautions?
Anyone can practice good preventive habits, but additional care is especially important for:
- Young children
- Older adults
- Pregnant women
- Individuals with weakened immune systems
These individuals can safely enjoy the companionship of pets while following simple hygiene practices and maintaining regular veterinary care.
Prevention Is the Best Protection
Most zoonotic diseases are preventable. A few simple habits can dramatically reduce the risk of transmission.
We recommend:
- Keeping your pet on year-round flea, tick, heartworm, and intestinal parasite prevention. This is for their protection as well as yours.
- Scheduling regular wellness examinations and routine fecal testing
- Keeping vaccinations current
- Washing your hands after handling pets, cleaning litter boxes, or picking up waste
- Promptly disposing of pet waste
- Maintaining clean food and water bowls
- Keeping your pet’s environment clean
- Avoiding contact with wildlife
- Discussing any concerns with your veterinarian before your pet becomes ill
- Avoiding feeding raw diets to pets
How Fear Free® Veterinary Care Supports Prevention
At Friendship Animal Hospital, preventive care isn’t just about vaccines and medications – it’s also about creating positive veterinary experiences.
Fear, anxiety, and stress can make veterinary visits more difficult for both pets and their families, sometimes leading owners to postpone routine care. Fear Free® techniques are designed to reduce stress before, during, and after appointments, making preventive visits more comfortable and helping pets receive the care they need throughout their lives.
When pets are more relaxed, it is often easier to perform thorough physical examinations, recommend appropriate preventive care, and identify health concerns before they become more serious.
By making veterinary visits a positive experience, we hope to strengthen the partnership between your family and our veterinary team while helping protect everyone’s health.
We’re Here to Help
The benefits of sharing your life with a dog or cat far outweigh the relatively small risk of zoonotic disease. With regular veterinary care, year-round parasite prevention, vaccinations, and good hygiene, most families can enjoy a lifetime of healthy companionship with their pets.
If you have questions about parasite prevention, vaccinations, or your pet’s wellness plan, our team is happy to help you choose the best options for your pet’s lifestyle and your family’s needs.
When it isn’t Zoonotic
One common misconception is that if both humans and pets can develop the same disease, they must be able to pass it directly to one another. In reality, many diseases affect both species but are not considered zoonotic because they are acquired from a common source rather than through direct transmission between pets and people.
Some examples include:
Lyme Disease
Both dogs and people can develop Lyme disease, but dogs do not spread Lyme disease to people. Instead, each becomes infected after being bitten by an infected black-legged tick. Protecting your dog with year-round tick prevention can reduce the number of ticks brought into your environment, but Lyme disease cannot spread directly between pets and family members.
Tapeworms
Dogs, cats, and people can all become infected with certain species of tapeworms, but pets do not typically pass them directly to humans. Most (but not all) tapeworm infections commonly seen in dogs and cats occur after swallowing an infected flea. This is why consistent flea prevention is one of the most effective ways to protect both pets and people.
Heartworm Disease
Heartworms are spread by mosquitoes, not through contact between animals or from pets to people. Dogs are the primary host, while cats can also become infected. Although rare human infections have been reported, people are considered accidental hosts, and heartworm disease is not spread from pets to their owners.
Influenza (Flu)
Certain influenza viruses can infect both people and animals, but they are usually adapted to a specific species. While rare transmission events can occur with some strains (and are usually well publicized), seasonal human influenza is not routinely spread between dogs, cats, and people. Likewise, canine influenza is considered a separate disease from the influenza viruses that commonly circulate in humans.
The important takeaway is that sharing a disease does not necessarily mean sharing the infection. Many illnesses require a mosquito, tick, flea, contaminated food, wildlife, or another environmental source to complete their life cycle.
Understanding how diseases are transmitted allows veterinarians to recommend the most effective preventive measures for your pet and your family.
