Protozoa,bacteria..contagious?

[Abbygirl]

I took my pup to vet...she had a little blood in stool. they said she had bacteria and protozoa...to clear up they gave medicine to dose for 3 weeks. I was concerned for the kids and they said I should not let kids handle her or clean up after her--are they just being over the top cautious...I can't quarentine the dog. As long as they wash their hands and are careful..can kids pick up parasites?

 

[ledoc]

Yes,in essence anyone can pick up protozoa/bacteria/viruses etc BUT it depends on a lot of factors such as route of intake, infectious load, immune status, species susceptibilityetc.

Washing your hands thoroughly immediately after cleaning up will drastically minimise any chance of infection.So while it is virtually impossible to stop the kids handling the puppy, a bit of common sense and basic hygiene will go a very long way to preventing any transmission from pup to human

 

[Abbygirl]

Thank you--what about the kids playing in the yard where the dogs go...I mean--can you get anything that way--we try to pick it up but should we hose down with something and how long before medicine kills them all?

 

[ledoc]

I have always been of the opinion - and this is backed up by medical opinion- that alittle bit of dirt and exposure is good for kids - it exposes and activates their immune systems which means that their body is primed to take on infections. A sterile environment does not prepare the immune system for the inevitable challenges it will face during a lifetime. Having said that, there is obviously a fine line between that and unnecesarily exposing them to dangerous levels of infection.

So my advice is everything in moderation. Clean up in the yard as you can, make them wash their hands before meals and deworm them on a regular basis. That would account for 99% of the dangers they face from your pup.

If you want to read a simple explanation of how the immune system works then click then you can find one at pet health for humans.com (see below)