Millions of Americans have conditions that jeopardize their immune system, including diabetes, kidney failure, HIV, autoimmune disease, organ transplants, as well as cancer. An immunocompromised patient’s immune system is weakened either by the disease, or by the medications utilized to treat the disease. As a result, these individuals have a decreased capability to fight off opportunistic infections which would typically not impact a healthy person.
Numerous studies have shown that animals have a advantageous impact on human health, many physicians now agree that by complying with simple, typical sense guidelines, immunocompromised clients can reduce the danger of infection without having to provide up their feline household members.
Possible risks
Diseases transmitted from animals to humans are called zoonoses. the most typical illness that may present a risk to humans are intestinal infections triggered by salmonella as well as Campylobacter or Cryptospiridium bacteria, feline scratch disease, which is triggered by the Bartonella bacteria, as well as toxosplasmosis, which is triggered by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. two fungal diseases, dermatomycosis (also called ringworm) as well as sporotrichosis, are likewise zoonotic as well as may cause infections of the skin in humans. feline bites as well as scratches likewise present a danger of infection.
Simple precautions reduce the danger of infection.
Keep cats indoors
Keeping cats inside your home minimizes the danger of them catching illness from birds, mice or other animals.
Practice risk-free food dealing with for all feline food
Wash off all surfaces as well as utensils that touched the food. Don’t prepare any type of other food on the exact same surface up until it has been thoroughly cleaned. laundry your hands with soap as well as warm water after dealing with feline food.
Litter box maintenance
Litter boxes ought to be scooped daily. If whatsoever possible, have somebody else carry out this task. If that’s not an option, wear disposable gloves as well as laundry your hands with soap as well as warm water afterwards. Bernadette DeLamar, an ovarian cancer survivor, shares her house with two cats. “I online alone,” states Bernadette, “so I had to establish techniques to offer with the everyday necessities of feline care while I was going with chemotherapy.” Bernadette had a great buddy stop by when a week to clean the litter boxes. “In between visits, I donned a mask as well as rubber gloves as well as scooped the boxes myself,” she says.
Bites as well as scratches
Cat bites present the biggest danger for infection even in healthy individuals. many pet cats will only bite under extreme circumstances. Immunocompromised clients ought to never try to break up a feline fight, or deal with an injured or frightened cat.
Cat claws ought to be kept trimmed to prevent getting scratched. Do not declaw your cat. Cats who no longer have their claws will turn to biting instead if they feel a requirement to protect themselves, as well as bites present a far much more major human health and wellness danger than scratches. ”Human health and wellness authorities like the CDC as well as us Public health and wellness services don’t even mention declawing in their extensive file of living with buddy animals after having an organ transplant,” states Jennifer Conrad, a California veterinarian as well as creator of The Paw Project, whose objective is to inform the public about the unpleasant as well as crippling impacts of declawing as well as abolish the method of declaw surgery.
Kate Benjamin, the creator as well as publisher of Hauspanther as well as a breast cancer survivor, shares her house with eleven cats. “As a breast cancer survivor now suffering from lymphedema in my best arm as well as hand, I discover myself being hyper-vigilant about any type of feline scratches in the impacted area,” she says. since Kate’s immune system is compromised as a result of the lymphedema, any type of puncture wounds present a much more major risk of infection. “I’m cautious to keep the cats’ nails trimmed,” adds Kate, “and if I do get scratched, I make sure to thoroughly clean the wound as well as seek medical care if there is any type of indication of infection.”
Work in partnership with your veterinarian
Regular veterinary exams will guarantee that your feline is in great health. Elizabeth Colleran, DVM, a feline veterinarian as well as owner of two feline hospitals, suggests that immunocompromised clients make sure that cats are routinely inspected for intestinal parasites as well as treated if necessary, as well as to avoid outside parasites with a dependable preventive product.
Dr. Colleran, a cancer survivor herself, feels that the most essential message to communicate to feline guardians is that being immunocompromised does not imply providing up their cherished cats. “I didn’t and, when I was undergoingnull