Do you sleep with your dog?
Fred Landeg, who is stepping down as the most senior government veterinary officer, says today in the Times that people need to be more aware that new and emerging diseases were just as likely to affect household pets as farm animals.
Dr Landeg, who is often on TV appearances explaining Asian flu, foot-and-mouth, and bluetongue outbreaks, said that pet dogs shouldn't be in the bedroom and that owners also should be vigilant about having pets in the kitchen.
I'm sorry, but was this man ever really a vet? Where does he expect us to keep our dogs - in a sterile room?
Besides the risk of unknown exotic diseases, Fred warns that dogs also carry common food poisoning bugs: campylobacter and salmonella.
The Times reveals that according to a survey of 260 households in a semi-rural town in the South Wirral, where most pets were Labradors or Jack Russells, almost 20 per cent of the animals slept in the bedroom and 14 per cent on a person’s bed.
In the Times Fred said: “When you look at new and emerging diseases many are zootic and passable from animals to man. We can think recently of Sars, which came from animals and another disease, the Hendra virus, from bats,” he said. “As a veterinary surgeon I would never advise people to keep dogs in their bedroom.”
Well what do you think of Fred's views folks? I'm booked to go on a load of BBC radio stations for their drivetime programmes to try to calm all this down a bit.
Will Fred's scaremongering stop you sharing your life with your dog?
I note he makes no mentions of the diseases the poor old dog can catch from us, or indeed all the many and varied diseases you can catch by sharing your bed with another human!
Do send me your anecdotes and tips for what to say so I can do my best this afternoon!
If you want to read the Times article in full click here.
Dr Landeg, who is often on TV appearances explaining Asian flu, foot-and-mouth, and bluetongue outbreaks, said that pet dogs shouldn't be in the bedroom and that owners also should be vigilant about having pets in the kitchen.
I'm sorry, but was this man ever really a vet? Where does he expect us to keep our dogs - in a sterile room?
Besides the risk of unknown exotic diseases, Fred warns that dogs also carry common food poisoning bugs: campylobacter and salmonella.
The Times reveals that according to a survey of 260 households in a semi-rural town in the South Wirral, where most pets were Labradors or Jack Russells, almost 20 per cent of the animals slept in the bedroom and 14 per cent on a person’s bed.
In the Times Fred said: “When you look at new and emerging diseases many are zootic and passable from animals to man. We can think recently of Sars, which came from animals and another disease, the Hendra virus, from bats,” he said. “As a veterinary surgeon I would never advise people to keep dogs in their bedroom.”
Well what do you think of Fred's views folks? I'm booked to go on a load of BBC radio stations for their drivetime programmes to try to calm all this down a bit.
Will Fred's scaremongering stop you sharing your life with your dog?
I note he makes no mentions of the diseases the poor old dog can catch from us, or indeed all the many and varied diseases you can catch by sharing your bed with another human!
Do send me your anecdotes and tips for what to say so I can do my best this afternoon!
If you want to read the Times article in full click here.
Comments
I must have a fantastic immune system which I put down to my dogs, because of them I have a healthy contact with germs ;-) and I get regular exercise in fresh air by walking them because I have to, even if I don't feel like it every day.
I didn't read the article yet but I fail to see the logic in this man's thinking.
Surely dangerous infectious diseases are passed on by air, physical contact or touching open wounds.
Is he genuinely suggesting that if my dog breathes, touches me, licks a scratch on my hand or I have to give first aid to bleeding wounds in the living room it won't matter. But any of those things in the bedroom will kill me?
As you mentioned, there are thousands of different diseases or infections I can catch from humans, serious and non-serious. There are very few can be caught from dogs.
If the day ever comes that dogs give us the same number of illnesses that humans do, I'll think about worrying about it.
Kate
PS I'm sure I've read plenty of studies which show that pet owners are generally much healthier than none-pet owners.
A google search will find it but in the meantime.....
"In a 1990 study done at the University of California, Davis, researchers found dog saliva killed E. coli and Streptococcus canis, another harmful bacteria. The scientists concluded that when mother dogs licked their nipples it helped keep puppies free from disease, and that dogs licking their own wounds accomplished the same goal."
I think not.
If we can love and cuddle our dogs it's not worth owning them, so i'll contuine to run the risk. I hope this new wave of scaremongering dosen't put people off the rewards of dog ownership.
nicky T
p/s I must sort my id thingy out and stop posing as anonymous.
Both our dogs (Lab & Bichon) sleep on their own beds in our bedroom. They also make trips into the bathroom (blessings of a bungalow!) to sample bath water. We have far less stomach bugs than many people I know, but we do have a strict wash your hands before eating policy.
Our dogs are vaccinated, de-wormed and de-flead as well as groomed, and when necessary bathed. Just as importantly their bedding is washed regularly.
Germs are eveywhere - the key is keeping the house safe by regular (not obsessive by any means!) cleaning and washing.
Also (and I hope this doesn't offend anyone) what on earth is the point of having a dog who is only allowed in the flaming utility room? What is he - a status symbol or burglar alarm? It seems to me when people keep their dogs out of the main house they and the dog miss out on so much.
Take reasonable precautions and get on with loving your dogs is what I say.
Good luck on the radio Beverley,
Julie
I reckon he had an Edwina Currie moment.