“Researchers warn against kissing pets - East Valley Tribune” plus 1 more

Researchers warn against kissing pets - East Valley Tribune

Posted: 26 Jan 2011 10:25 PM PST

They give you joy. They give you loyalty. They give you sloppy kisses.

But before you allow Fido or Fluffy to climb into bed with you at night, as an increasing number of Americans are doing, know that they can also give you something else: zoonoses.

A University of California, Davis, veterinary professor has penned an article for a scientific journal showing that people who allow their pets to lick them, give them "kisses" or sleep with them are at risk for a variety of diseases known as zoonoses. The conditions can range from the mundane to the life-threatening.

Bruno Chomel and his co-author, Ben Sun, emphasize that pets provide many health benefits, including stress relief, and they stop short of recommending that people abstain from smooching their pooches. But in reviewing reports from several countries, they argue that such interactions carry some risk, particularly among infants and people whose immune systems have been weakened by disease, chemotherapy or other medicines.

"The risk is not huge. But the trend is that more and more people are sharing their environments with pets, allowing them in their beds, kissing them like crazy," Chomel said in an interview. "They need to know that a risk does exist" from bacteria that live in the mouths of felines and canines.

In their article, to be published in next month's edition of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, Chomel and Sun note that pets are becoming increasingly popular in urban households and "have conquered our bedrooms."

According to a recent survey by the American Pet Products Association, nearly half of pet dogs and 62 percent of cats sleep with their humans.

Among the bacterial, parasitic and viral conditions they may be bringing with them are plague, cat-scratch disease and staphylococcus infections, Chomel and Sun report.

The researchers reviewed literature about diseases transmitted from animals to humans. In Japan, a study found evidence of zoonoses in pet owners who kissed their animals regularly, but not in those who abstained, according to the paper. Some of these bugs cause mild symptoms, but others can morph into daunting illnesses, such as meningitis.

In the United States, the most common parasitic zoonoses associated with dogs are caused by hookworms and roundworms, which in humans can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, anemia and other conditions. Pasteurella multocida, an infection commonly caused by pet licks, can cause everything from mild respiratory symptoms to serious conditions including endocarditis.

None of those issues are scary enough to keep Lesley and David Kirrene from doting on their pets.

The Kirrenes, who live in Sacramento, Calif., share their bed every night with Austin, a 60-pound Australian shepherd, and a portly tabby, Sammy. Their other pooch, Reba, has no interest in joining them.

Until recently, David Kirrene had adamantly opposed the sleeping arrangements.

"To me, it just seemed like a sanitary thing. Animals in the bed? Would you start smelling like an animal?"

But Kirrene has changed his tune. Austin is his running partner, after all, and helps keep everyone warm on cold winter nights, he reasoned. "Now I call him up on the bed," he said.

The Realtor and his spouse are less keen on engaging in full-on smooches with their pets.

"I'll allow a little kiss on the face," Lesley Kirrene said, but she knows where to draw the line.

The Sacramento SPCA, where Lesley Kirrene works, holds an annual fundraiser that features a "kissing contest" involving animals and their owners, and some participants go overboard in the name of competition.

"Sometimes it's truly embarrassing," she said. "It's really hard to watch."

Chomel advises against such behavior.

Those who do choose to share bed and lip space with animals can avoid disease transmission by hand-washing, tooth-brushing, regular veterinary care and good overall hygiene, he said.

"Certainly I am a pet lover, but my pets have never been in my bed," said Chomel. As for doggie and kitty licks and kisses, he said, "You could do it, but I'm not sure your husband will want to kiss you after that."

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Animal sanctuary lets volunteers foster pets - Citizen

Posted: 21 Jan 2011 01:13 PM PST

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — A 3 a.m. daily wake-up call of fur in the face is one of Christine Spanley's favorite rituals with her adopted cat, Zoey.

Spanley, a Jackson resident, first met Zoey last year while serving as the foster caretaker for a litter of kittens from Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary in Jackson. Spanley has served as a volunteer at Safe Harbor since 2007 and has been fostering animals since 2008. She has fostered numerous cats and dogs through the years and has adopted some of them as a result. Zoey, three other cats and a dog all started as temporary residents in the Spanley home.

"It's a great experience," Spanley said. "Once they're gone I really miss it. There's nothing sweeter than little kittens."

Spanley said she has been a cat lover all of her life thanks to being exposed to animals at a young age. Living in the country, her family had an abundant amount of cats and dogs that were not always able to receive medical attention.

"I always swore to myself I would never let that happen to my pets," she said. "It's rewarding to me to see kittens in a nice safe environment. I do what it takes to make them into good, healthy kittens."

As a foster caretaker, Spanley receives help from the shelter to provide for the animals.

"We can provide medications, veterinarian care and food for any fosters," said Alice Wybert, director of Safe Harbor.

Wybert said individuals who wish to foster should be compassionate, caring and patient. Caretakers must be at least 18 years old. The process of becoming a foster with Safe Harbor includes a home visit, a background check and paperwork.

"You want to provide a safe environment for your animal like you would your children," Wybert said.

Fosters can choose what type of animal they would prefer and how long they wish to care for the animal.

"We would like for someone to try it for a week or two," Wybert said. "Overnight doesn't work. You have to give things a little time."

Currently, Safe Harbor has 223 cats and kittens and 16 dogs available for fostering. Putting the animals with a family -- even if it's only temporary -- helps socialize them and frees up space at the shelters.

Along with Safe Harbor, the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri also has a fostering program.

Cheryle Dillon, director of the Humane Society, said individuals interested in fostering an animal can fill out an application at the shelter. The Humane Society requires veterinarian checkups for the animal and the foster caretaker to be at least 21 years old.

Dillon said a suitable individual for the fostering program is a person who wants a companion but cannot afford to adopt with the medical expenses.

"The foster fills that gap," she said.

Rochelle Steffen, a Cape Girardeau resident and eight-year volunteer at the Humane Society, became a foster for her first litter of kittens last year and since has fostered three litters.

"I can't have 40 dogs, but I sure can help 40 animals," Steffen said.

Establishing a larger volunteer base is crucial at both Safe Harbor and the Humane Society in order to help prepare the animals for adoption.

"The public appreciates us taking the next step of trying to make the animals more adoptable," Dillon said. "The more help we get from the community the more help we can give the community."

Currently Safe Harbor has an average of 20 volunteers and the Humane Society averages around 10 volunteers for fostering.

"I have some people come out here and they just work and work and work. They are few and far between," Wybert said. "I just wish more people would volunteer or foster. What expense do you have other than your love and your time?"

On the first Saturday of every month, Safe Harbor and the Humane Society team up with other rescue centers in the area for Fostering Hope at PETCO in Cape Girardeau where people can see some of the animals available for fostering and learn more information about the programs.

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Information from: Southeast Missourian, http://www.semissourian.com

Pets Zone

Thursday, January 27, 2011