Survey Shows that Dog and Cat Owners Know Parasites Pose Risks to Pets and People but Do Little to Prevent Them
Bel Air, MD (PRWEB) November 15, 2006 -- A September national survey of more than 1,000 dog and cat owners conducted for the nonprofit Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) revealed that while many people are aware that children are especially at risk of being affected by zoonotic disease caused by the transmission of parasites to humans by pets, they appear indifferent to the risk.
More than a third of the respondents (38 percent) said children play in an area where a pet leaves waste, and 21 percent said they never remove the waste. Only 47 percent said they "always" wash their hands after contact with a pet, leaving a wide margin of opportunity for zoonotic transmission to occur.
"Children are especially vulnerable, given their close contact with pets and pet environments. They should not be allowed to play in the dirt in areas such as playgrounds and sandboxes where animals defecate. That being virtually impossible, it's best to prevent parasites in the first place through year-round control," said Michael Paul, DVM, executive director of CAPC.
Even though 80 percent of pet owners surveyed are aware that parasites that can make their pet sick can also be transmitted to humans, only 23 percent reported being "extremely" or "very" concerned about this happening to them.
Only 54 percent of respondents knew that fleas and ticks can be found in their house all year long, but just 29 percent are concerned about parasites "all year."
"Taking the attitude of 'it won't happen to me' puts pets and people at increased risk of contracting zoonotic disease," said Paul. "With proper hygiene and year-round parasite management measures, pet owners can virtually eliminate the possibility."
Many parasites - including fleas, ticks, tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms and scabies - are zoonotic, meaning animals can transmit them to humans. Find out more at www.petsandparasites.org, a Web site developed by the CAPC that includes easy, effective steps pet owners can take to keep both their animals and families healthy, including hygiene advice and other year-round parasite management tips.
About CAPC
The mission of the CAPC is to foster animal and human health, while preserving the human-animal bond, through recommendations for the diagnosis and year-round management of parasitic infections in dogs and cats. The CAPC is an independent council of veterinarians and other animal health care professionals established to create guidelines for the optimal control of internal and external parasites that threaten the health of pets and people. Its membership represents broad expertise in parasitology, human medicine, public health, veterinary law, private practice and association leadership.
###
This press release has been reprinted from PRWEB per the terms and conditions of the copyright notice.
|
|
 |
 |
TRIPSwithPETS.com and PetSummary.com Team Up to Ensure Well-Being of Traveling Pets
Whether traveling across town or across the country with a pet, ensuring their safety and well-being is of the utmost importance to people with pets. TRIPSwithPETS.com and PetSummary.com have joined forces to help ensure pets' well-being when traveling, while offering their people peace of mind.
Dogs More Spoiled Than Ever: 10,000 Luxury Items for Pampered Pets
Pampered Puppy announced today that its luxury shopping portal for pets has broken the 10,000 product mark, making it the largest specialty pet shopping site of its kind. The breadth of product means that the company can provide a lot of shopping options for dog owners.
Pets: The Wild Kind
Just because we moved out to the country a couple years back does NOT mean we want to run a farm. Tending to animals is just not how we want to spend our time.
Pets Looking for Humans, Humans Looking for Pets
Attention breeders, livestock owners and pet lovers!
*Pets looking for humans, humans looking for pets!*
A website has been formed to show your classified for buying or your just wanting to search for a specific kind of pet. You have plenty of space for writing what is special about your pet or what it is that you are looking for in a pet.
Grieving Our Pets Death
Our pets give us so much. They entertain us, listen to our secrets, and give us unconditional love.
New Blog for Odors from Pets Begone
www.OdorsFromPetsBegone.com has begun a new informational blog for customers, bringing valuable information to improve their quality of life.
Studies Show Sugar Substitutes Dangerous for Pets-Beware Sweet Treats for Fido?
Though many owners can't help but indulge their pets with people treats, new studies show that xylitol, a sugar substitute may be extremely hazardous to the health of dogs. It is advised that owners be careful to keep products such as chewing gum, candy, baked goods, diet items and toothpastes that may contain xylitol away from dogs. Oftentimes, owners use treats to entice their pets to take medications. To avoid any complications with sweet people treats, owners can use the FLAVORx system to flavor their pet's medications to achieve compliance.
Benefits Of Spaying Your Pets
The vast majority of new kitten owners do want their kitten spayed or neutered to prevent the kitten from becoming sexually active. The average age at which we spay or neuter a kitten is six months, when they go through puberty and their sex hormones become active. The spay procedure is a surgical ovario-hysterectomy, performed at 6 months of age. Spaying entails the surgical removal of both ovaries and the body of the uterus. To fully understand this, you must first know what these organs do, and where they are. The ovaries are the female organs. They are suspended from the kidney by a ligament. They manufacture the eggs which are released during breeding. Most kitten queens have their first heat cycle at about 6-7 months of age. Cats in h...
Companies Nationwide are Giving away Free Birthday Treats to Adults, Kids and Pets
Innovative website makes celebrating birthdays more exciting for frugal consumers by providing them free access to companies nationwide offering free birthday treats to adults, kids and pets. Blasé birthdays are now a thing of the past for any age with offers ranging from free dinners to golf and even spa treatments.
Rabbits As Pets
Rabbits are one of the most popular pets, apart from dogs and cats. They look attractive, lovely, gentle, friendly and cute.
This Domain Is For Sale
Make your offer here!
Webmaster Affiliate Program
|
 |
|
