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Loading...Should My Pet Sleep in My Bed?
- Nicolas, selected from petMD
- September 2, 2012
- 5:03 pm
- 616 comments
By Dr. Justine Lee, PetMD
Did you know that an estimated 14 to 62 percent of pet owners let their dogs or cats sleep on their beds? In my book It’s a Dog’s Life … but It’s Your Carpet, I explain why this is OK…
Don’t worry — you’re not the only one out there who lets that muddy-pawed monstrosity jump on your bed. Over thirty-one million people in the US do it, too. That’s almost 56% of pet owners! So why do so many otherwise sane and clear-headed adults let their hound-dogs have their way? Well, while Cliffy, Fido, and Fluffy may shed, hog the covers, drool, dream, and snore while in bed, they’ll never leave your bedside or cheat on you! And I’ve got to say, dogs can be awfully snuggly, like a full body pillow with a built-in heater, which helps during long Minnesota winters. And I’m speaking from experience here.
Well, now we’re getting some grief on why we shouldn’t sleep with our pets. Emerging Infectious Diseases, in conjunction with the CDC, released an article called “Zoonoses in the Bedroom.” Zoonoses are diseases that animals can spread to people. In this article, they give a few scary examples: A man developed meningitis, which was possibly due to him allowing his dog to sleep under the covers with him and lick his hip replacement wound. In another case, a young boy got plague after having his flea-infested cat sleep him.
While this article appropriately discussed the risks of sleeping with pets, it’s important to keep in mind that some of these diseases are extremely rare … especially when you think about some of the 30+ million people who do so without any problems.
While I think it’s important to acknowledge these zoonotic risks, your danger lies more with that 2-legged person next to you! Personally, I love sleeping with my pets. They add more warm to the bed, they bond to me while I’m sleeping, and I simply feel closer to them when they are snuggling with me. I’m aware of therare risks of sleeping with my pets. In fact, as we speak, my body is in the process of healing some 10-15 ringworm lesions… (but more about this horrible fungus in a later blog). Point is, if in exchange for pet-lovin’, it means that I have to smear tough-actin’ Tinactin on my ringworm lesions every few decades, I’ll take the risk.
What I do love about the article is this: First, it’s written by veterinarians who are experts in the field, and they admit that “the risk of getting sick from sleeping with, kissing, or being licked by pets is real, but the risk can be reduced by keeping pets healthy. Regular veterinary care is key to having a healthy pet and enjoying the benefits of pet ownership.” Agreed!
Bluntly: don’t exchange bodily fluids with your pets! Letting them lick at your wounds? Let’s use common sense here, folks!
Next page: situations where I don’t recommend sleeping with your pet
Read more: Behavior & Communication, Cats, Dogs, Everyday Pet Care, Pet Health, Pets, Safety
Nicolas, selected from petMD
petMD is a leading online resource focused solely on the health and well-being of pets. The site maintains the world's largest pet health library, written and approved by a network of trusted veterinarians. petMD was founded to inspire pet owners to provide an ever-increasing quality of life for their pets and to connect pet owners with pet experts and other animal lovers. For more information, visit petMD.com.
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people are talking
My name is linda am 27years old i have a baby girl who is 4 an a half. i had a ectopic pregnancy in…
Thank you for the article.
I didn't know about Arg-e Bam - most interesting.
:-))
That wasn't too embarrassing, was it?
616 comments
+ add your ownI have several hounds, so having all of them in my double bed means I get the couch (it has happened). My 13 basset always sleeps with me. We are never apart and as her breed has an average 10 year life expectancy, each moment is a bonus and thus very precious. The fosters rotate and are fine with it. Most of them have a far better life here than they've ever had before, so that helps me sleep better, too.
It helps me sleep ^_^
I snuggle with my 3 dogs and love it!!! A healthy clean pet is welcome in my bed!!
My pets have always slept in the bed with us. Wouldn't have it any other way. My husband wasn't used to it at first, since he didn't grow up with any pets. But it didn't take long. Besides, have you ever tried to tell a Siamese NO?! LOL. Didn't think so.
Clearly there are strong feelings both for and against having your animal companions in your bed.
There seems to be no harm as long as they are healthy and clean.
My cats don't come to bed with us, but i always wake up with one of them on the bed in the morning.
Mine just cannot sleep anywhere else. And I love it!!
mine always sleeps with me
I guess much depends on the question if you let your pet out. If your cats stay at home the risk of getting any infection is much lower than when they go out. Do you wash your pet? Do you regularly go to the vet with it, etc.? I think the risk might be maybe not the same but similar to other human who doesn't keep personal hygiene standards.
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