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September 21, 2009

Keep Your Pets Healthy

It may be hard to believe, but one of the best ways to keep your pets healthy this season is to wash your hands. It's also an important way to keep yourself healthy. This is especially true regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

“There are a number of papers coming out now showing that pets pick up MRSA from us,” Dr. Elizabeth A. Scott said, “and that they shed it back into the environment again.”

Owners need to be more attentive to their pets’ health. Many people don't recognize when their animals are ill. Also, if your pet has a wound, they need to be evaluated. You wouldn't have another member of your family walk around with an unattended wound.

According to a study conducted by Dr. Scott published in The American Journal of Infection Control, owning a cat increases your risk of having MRSA by 8 times. A critical factor is the intimate relationship that people have with their pets.

But there is no need to go overboard and get rid of "Fluffy" or "Fido." J. Scott Weese, a veterinary internist and microbiologist at the University of Guelph in Ontario, believes MRSA infections transmitted between people and animals are relatively rare. “But when you consider how many MRSA infections are occurring in North America at the moment, if they’re a minor component of a major disease, that’s still something we need to be aware of.”

tags: massage massagetherapy wellness massage therapy bodywork health

Posted by linda at September 21, 2009 6:58 PM