Forwarded message - for info, please visit
http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/sleepingwithfidoisharmlessstud-1155

Sleeping with Fido is Harmless, Study Finds

Pet Pulse Staff Reports
January 30, 2009

NEW YORK -- Chances are, if people let their pups cuddle up
with them in bed each night, they aren't overly concerned
about contracting fleas or any other canine-carried disease.

But just in case, pet owners can now rest assured -- people
who let their dogs sleep with them at night and lick their faces
are no more likely to contract E. Coli than any other more
reserved owner, according to Kansas State University's College
of Veterinary Medicine.

More than half of dog owners bond with their pets by sharing
their beds and food, says Kate Stenske, DVM at KSU. The majority
also allow their dogs to lick their faces.

While considering close relationships between owners and dogs,
Stenske also reasoned that about 75 percent of diseases are
zoonotic, or transferable between humans and other animals.
That knowledge led her to examine the dichotomy between
consistent physical contact with one's animals and the transfer
of disease.

She focused on E. Coli -- 10 percent of human-dog pairs
shared the same strand of the bacteria, she found through
analyzing fecal samples. Yet dog owners had more multiple-
drug resistant strains than their pets.

"This makes us think that dogs are not likely to spread multiple
drug-resistant E. Coli to their owners but perhaps owners may
spread them to their dogs," Stenske said in a university news
release.

However, her study did find an association between anti-biotic
resistant E. coli and owners who didn't wash their hands after
petting their dogs, or before cooking meals.

"We should use common sense and practice good hygiene,"
Stenske advised.

The study also demonstrated the effectiveness of antibiotics, as
well as the importance of completely fulfilling a prescription.

Future studies might look at the relationship between cat owners
and E. Coli, since cats tend to interact with their owners differently
from how dogs do.

According to Stenske, it's a good thing that pet owners don't
have to worry about catching a disease from their cuddly pets.

"If you look at one study, 84 percent of people say that their dog
is like a child to them," she said.

And no one could turn their child away from a warm, inviting bed,
especially on a cold winter eve.

The entirety of the study is slated to appear in the American
Journal of Veterinary Research.

Tell us what you think about “Sleeping with Fido is Harmless,
Study Finds” below. Share your favorite videos by clicking on the
ZootooTV tab. Send us your story ideas by e-mailing us at
news@zootoo.com or by calling us at 877-777-4204.

NewsMedical.net and Health Day News contributed to this article.

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group - Feb. 1, 2009