Most pet lovers do not mind sleeping with their pets in bed. However, very few are informed on the dangers and diseases that they can succumb to by following through in this habit. The seriousness according to studies has escalated that bedbugs are deemed less dangerous. After learning about the various disadvantages that are there when you sleep with your pet. Embracing them again in your bed will be a nightmare. Generally, pets carry around germs and worms that are a risk for your health with almost 50% of pet owners sleeping or cuddling in their bed with pets. Although pets have benefits, for instance, they are a source of psychological comfort but the limitations overpower their advantages as they have several risks in terms of diseases and infections of why we should sleep with them as mentioned below.
Heightened allergies
Those who suffer from allergies should keep their pets off their beds. Especially environmental allergies, then they are more prone to be affected when pets not only sleep in their bed but also hang around in their room. This is because your pet fur and other pollen like dander that they might have collected outside will be left on your bedding. This will cause you to sneeze, cough and have a stuffy nose persistently because of the continuous presence of allergens in your bedding. Through this, you are unable to have quality sleep that in turn makes you feel worse the next day. Create a sleeping place for your pet and have it trained to use it over time even for naps. Dog owners should buy a dog bed, if you have a Maine Coon cat, get a Maine Coon bed.
Bubonic plague
Isn’t it worrying that you can get infected by the bubonic plague by sleeping with your pets? However, humans get this plague from fleas that were hiding in the cats or dogs fur and by sleeping with them it transfers the fleas to your bed. This is a result of sleeping with pets, cuddling them or because they are sick as many studies have shown from previous cases. Interestingly, cats do show symptoms of the diseases while the dogs do not have any while carrying the plague fleas. Avoid the risk of getting these diseases by having regular pet visits and keeping your pet away from your bed for it can be fatal.
The risk of having meningitis
Pets carry the meningitis infection just like humans do to the point of having an outbreak. Hence, if you love sleeping with your pet entertaining them on your bed you increase the risk of this infection, every time you are closer to them. The infection can break out to other family members especially if this is a family pet. Habits like kissing your dog on the mouth, licking from the dogs are some of the exposures that one should avoid. Meningitis is life threating in pets as it is in humans. Take your pets for consistent checkups and keep them off your bed while asleep to reduce the risk of getting this infection.
Cat scratch disease
A flea-infested cat puts you more at risk when it scratches and at times licks you by transmitting the bacteria that is in the fleas. When you contract these diseases it affects the functionality of the liver, kidney and the spleen. The disease can also be passed by sleeping with your cat. Ensure that your cats’ health is top-notch and has been washed thoroughly before sleeping with it. This is important for you cannot disinfect your beddings or mattress firm but you can control getting the infection by letting them sleep in their specific space.
Parasites infestation
When is the last time you dewormed your pet? Especially dog owners often carry hookworms and roundworms and other forms of parasites. If this is not treated it can affect your dog’s health and make it sick. Do random checkups or schedule some appointments with your vet to get worm medication and boost the health of your dog. The parasites’ eggs are in your pet’s skin and cuddling with it the eggs transfer to your beddings and eventually into your skin. This pauses a danger to you as well showing the importance of having separate sleeping places with your pets.
Staph infections
Pets like dogs carry the bug that causes staph infections in their noses. This multidrug-resistant strain also called MRSA is widespread in humans as well. When you have recurrent occurrences of MRSA infections and you sleep with your dog often it could be coming from the dog that has these germs. These Staph infections are easily passed from the pets to you and vice versa. This is one infection that should encourage you to keep the pets of your bed. Since it is hard to treat for it is resistant to many drugs and dogs carry it in their saliva as well.
Other infections
Dogs and cats are not sterile animals if you do not take time off to look after them and take them to their vet appointments. When your pets lick you and sleep next to you they can pass through bacterial infections. Dogs especially play and eat their poop that they can easily transfer to you and your beddings as well. This kind of exposure is not healthy and if your immune system is weak and you become infected you will become sicker.
As has been noted, as much as dogs are adorable with many benefits there are some limitations when it comes to being cuddlier with them. There are many infections you are prone to by sleeping with your pet and getting them checked regularly and having them vaccinated as well is crucial to both you and the dog. Those with children should take more caution since the children’s immune systems are lower and are at a higher risk. It’s goodbye to your pet from sharing your bed and kissing them by creating a different place for them at your home and training them to sleep and nap there as well.