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Can you make your pet sick?

Not always pets transfer diseases to humans –there are a few that we also can pass on to them

What are the human diseases that are contagious to dogs?

Mumps is a highly contagious viral disease in people. Initial physical symptoms of the disease include lethargy, muscle pain, headache and fever and are usually followed by a painful swelling of the parotid salivary glands, located on the sides of the face.

Ringworm is an infection of the skin that affects humans as well as animals. Despite its name, ringworm is not caused by any type of parasite or worm but by a fungus. The primary symptom of ringworm in people is an itchy, round rash. In dogs, ringworm typically causes roughly round patches of hair loss that may or may not be itchy. Ringworm can be transmitted through direct contact with an infected individual (human or animal) as well as through contaminated objects (brushes, towels, etc.).

While Salmonella is often associated with food poisoning, it can also be passed to humans through contact with infected animals, and vice versa. In both humans and dogs, Salmonella can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headaches, and abdominal cramps. Dogs are more resistant to Salmonella than are people, so the chances of you making your dog sick are slim.

Has usage of diclofenac been wholly banned in India?

Diclofenac is a Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug used to treat pain associated with conditions like Gout, Migraine, Rheumatoid Arthritis, sprains of muscles and joints and in mild to moderate fever in some cases. It was widely used in India beginning in the 1990s. The drug is responsible for the disappearance of vultures.

Cattle were fed diclofenac as pain killers to make them work longer hours in more stressful conditions. When the animal died and the vulture ate its carcass, the bird's eggshells would thin, so that sitting on them for incubation broke them. The result is that India has lost all the 7 species of vultures. Following the findings on diclofenac, the drug was banned for veterinary use in India on March 11, 2006.

However, this is a useless ban. Diclofenac for human-use is still being diverted into veterinary uses.

Can a dog and cat live peacefully together?

Only if they grow up together. It is not advisable to introduce a cat into a full-grown dog's house.

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