Monday, July 10, 2017

Pets and Parasites and Pediatricians

I think my cat got ringworm from my child! Do I call my veterinarian or my pediatrician?

The answer is both! 

We get a lot of phone calls from concerned parents regarding their pets and their kids, particularly in regard to zoonotic diseases.  The zoo has an infection? Oh wait, “zoonotic” diseases refers to diseases which can spread from kids to animals, or from animals to kids!  Common diseases in this category include ringworm, certain mites, hookworms, roundworms, and leptospirosis (among others!).  If either your child or your animal is infected with a zoonotic disease, it’s important to talk to your family doctor and your family veterinarian to make sure everyone is treated and kept safe!

Veterinarians are pretty great, but they can’t treat your kid! And pediatricians are also pretty cool, but they can’t treat your pet!  So sometimes we have to call them both!

Thank you for reading!
-Dr. Chuck

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