Britain's top veterinary officer has warned the populace that he who lies down with dogs stands a chance of getting up with "new and emerging zootic diseases."
Fred Landeg, who is stepping down as the senior government veterinary officer, said that people should not let dogs sleep in their bed, or even in the bedroom, because of the risk of disease transmission, according to the London Times.
Landeg also said that pet owners should be vigilant about having pets in the kitchen.
Pet
owners are unaware of the diseases risk
The comments come on the heels of research commissioned by the Britain's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs identifying potential health risks from the daily interaction with dogs. There are 6.5 million dogs kept as pets in Britain.
Research by a team at Liverpool University Veterinary School showed that many dog owners appeared unaware of, or unconcerned about, any health risks from their pet. About 42 percent of dogs slept in the kitchen and 79 percent were fed in the kitchen, the research found.
Besides the risk of unknown exotic diseases, dogs also carry common food poisoning bugs, such as campylobacter and salmonella, the study noted.
What are your rules when it comes to sleeping with dogs? Ace usually starts out in bed with me, then takes a spot on the floor, or heads to the futon in the next room. (That's where he is in the photo above.)
I don't think he has given me any diseases. Whether I've given him any of mine, I'm not so sure. Maybe somebody should study that -- whether, in addition to all the toxins we create for our pets to take in, sleeping next to us isn't good for them.
