Air date: March 6, 2011

Host: Barbara Lewis

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I had a dog that died recently. Very sad, of course. But I have lots of great memories of playing with her, going on walks, that sort of thing. One thing I never did, though, was let my dog into my bed at night. Which was probably a wise decision. Because according to veterinarian Bruno Chomel, sleeping with a pet carries risks.

"In certain circumstances which are not very common, those people can be exposed to infectious disease and parasitic disease ,and the pets can transmit those infections to the pet owner.:

Diseases like, for example, pasteurella infection ...

"Staphylococcus infection, cat scratch disease ..."

Now, if you sleep with a pet, don’t panic. Remember that Dr. Chomel said that catching something from a pet is rare. But, it can happen. And sometimes it does.

And if you’re fond of kissing your pet, that’s a good way to catch a disease.

"Or eventually some could be transmitted by ectoparasites such as fleas. And in the publication we reported we found cases of plague transmitted that way and certainly cases of cat scratch disease."

Pets are most likely to transmit disease to people whose immune systems aren’t very strong. So pets shouldn’t sleep with very little kids, or very old adults, or sick people. But even if you’re healthy and strong, if you’re going to sleep with a pet, it’s smart to take precautions.

"Treating the pet, the dog or the cat, regularly against internal parasites or external parasites. Making sure the pet is healthy and as soon as there is sign of illness make sure the pet is not in too close contact."

Be sure to follow Sound Medicine on Facebook and Twitter.

I’m Jeremy Shere.

Additional Resources:

• Read more about the dangers of sleeping with pets.