OK, so you’re pregnant. Congratulations! And now your OB/Gyn has issued a list of concerns. Among them you might read a line-item or two on your appropriate interaction with pets. Some human docs may even suggest you adopt drastic measures to reduce your exposure to them, given that they may carry diseases harmful to your fetus.
The wording under one local OB/Gyn’s “Pets and Your Pregnancy” heading on his practice’s handout?
“We love our pets. But we should always be mindful of the risks we take when we include them in our households. The success of your pregnancy is uppermost in our minds when we urge you to minimize contact with your pets and keep your cats out of doors during this critical period of time.”
Never seen anything quite like this. Have you?
Well, maybe you have. And perhaps that’s how you wandered over to this blog.
As veterinarian and a woman who’s endured her nine months successfully with pets at home and at work, here’s a ten-point rejoinder to this physician’s take on the age-old question of pets and pregnancy:
1-Training
Human physicians are trained to handle human issues. Veterinarians are schooled in a variety of species. Ironically, perhaps, the basic training of every veterinarian is much more specific to zoonotic diseases (those which may be transmitted from animals to humans) than any average med school grad’s.
Sure, an OB/Gyn has received extra schooling in the ways in which pet-specific infectious diseases can steer a pregnancy wrong, but almost any veterinarian is far better informed on the incidence, transmission and prevention of these diseases than your OB/Gyn.
2-Responsibility
Yet it’s your OB/Gyn who is responsible for your fetus’s medical care--not your veterinarian. That’s why veterinarians will make recommendations about staying safe around your pets and the possibility of disease transmission...but we will never pretend to assume their role. We’ll always defer to their advice, while treading a fine line in our disagreements by referring you to more official sources of information (the CDC is an excellent resource).
3-Possibilities vs. probabilities
Human docs sometimes make recommendations based on possibilities rather than on probabilities. “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” they’d argue. And I don’t blame them--nor should you. If it’s even remotely possible for you to contract a fetus-threatening disease from your dog or cat, their responsibility is to appropriately inform you of your risks.
4-Liability
Moreover, if you’re not warned--and in writing--they may feel they’re setting themselves up for a lawsuit. OB/Gyn’s are especially sensitive to this issue due to the near certainty that they will be requiring the services of many lawyers during their careers.
5-The plastic bubble
Despite the seemingly infinite supply of humans on Planet Earth, there’s so much that can go wrong with any individual human pregnancy that safer is better. But how far do we take that message? A plastic bubble is not practical...nor medically advisable. And yet, were we to take many OB/Gyn’s advice on ALL their points, such would be our fate.
6-Perspective
Bacteria, viruses and animals DO exist in our world. How far should we go to we steel ourselves against their ubiquity? Given that the most likely source of a catastrophic infection may come from another human, how careful do we really need to be when living with our pets?
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post detailing the last four points--along with your specific risks and official recommendations for living well with your pets during your human pregnancy.
Sneak peek:
7-Cat diseases
8-Dog diseases
9-Pet products and medications
10-Safe baby prep
Add Comment30 Comments
I work at a zoo. When a coworker got pregnant her doctor told her to quit her job!!
She didn't, but did modify some of what she was doing. She also got advice from our vet as to things she should avoid doing, he knew the collection and the risks much more than a human doctor.
I think it is a matter of knowing the possibilities of what can go wrong, and working around them.
teri January 29th, 2009 08:52:36 AM
I had a client tell me her MD advised her to get rid of all her cats because toxoplasmosis was an airbourne disease. We had a long talk about that.
drsteggy January 29th, 2009 09:16:46 AM
Another one: In vet school we had a classmate in the year ahead of us who refused to touch cats during her clinic rotations because she was trying to get pregnant and feared toxoplasmosis. Everyone was getting sick of her BS. Finally one prof had had enough. He picked up a cat and put it in her arms: "In my rotation you WILL handle cats. If you're so worried, just wash your hands and don't put them in your mouth." The clarity of his actions/words made plain to all of us the nonsense that comes with the fear of toxo.
Dr. Patty Khuly January 29th, 2009 09:40:11 AM
I would love to know why so many OB/GYNs don't also tell pregnant women to avoid handling meat and produce, as they are even more likely to have toxo.
KateH January 29th, 2009 09:57:13 AM
What's the scoop on toxoplasmosis risk? Isn't it true that if you have indoor-only cats, and scoop the litter daily, you should not have to worry about it?
Stefani January 29th, 2009 10:00:14 AM
"appropriately inform you of your risks" yes; panic the pregnant woman, NO. 30 years ago, my doc told me to get rid of my cats while I was pregnant. I laughed right in his face. My eldest Siamese adopted my son, slept at his feet in his crib and, when he'd start to stir, would dive bomb me from the crib rails. My son never had to cry in the middle of the night!
My mother was a clean FREAK and there is a theory I think is called "Clean Home Syndrome" where children's immune systems don't develop properly due to lack of exposure to germs. In single parent homes of only children is where it is seen the most. I believe it and suspect it contributed to both my mother's and my health problems.
My mother contracted AIDS in the mid 80's and succombed very quickly because of a very weak immune system. Early on, she tested positive to toxo and we had all our cats tested for it (and loads of other potential diseases). Our cats tested negative but her boyfriend's birds were all positive. HOWEVER, that never did become a problem for her; what did was when my son came home from school with Chicken Pox!
I have autoimmune problems and the docs test repeatedly for toxo because I've had indoor cats most of my life. Test always comes back negative. There are so many other zoonotic diseases that should concern them more but they're oblivious. (PS: I may have issues with Vets but I've found them to be generally FAR better educated than human M.D.s!!! In fact, what frustrates me most about Vets is the tendency to move toward M.D. attitudes when it should be going the other way.)
PJBoosinger January 29th, 2009 10:48:43 AM
As implied by the comments, even doctors should be aware of the effects of emotional distress from removing or being isolated from a pet. I have seen specialists in toxo and other shedding conditions in cats say that retaining a beloved pet is still generally advisable even with immune compromised owners.
emily January 29th, 2009 11:29:25 AM
LOL, PJ, I have autoimmune issues too. They always want to check me for cat allergies, I always test 100% negative. I tell them I have cat DNA by now. One allergist tried to tell me maybe I shouldn't have cats even though I was testing negative. Phooey on them. (oddly, I am ever so slightly allergic to dogs . . . not enuff to bother me tho). I'm convinced my lack of cat allergies are because I've ALWAYS had cats around. Cat hair is a food group.
Stefani January 29th, 2009 12:21:20 PM
Working in rescue over the years, I have always been saddened by the number of women who turn in their animals because they are pregnant or have given birth. I have heard over and over that they don't have the time, space, money, etc. for their pets now. I have always want to ask how they have time for their other children or spouse or job, etc. but not for their pets. It is just maddening!
A good friend is a vet tech and recently had a baby. She continued to work during her pregancy, but she did take precautions. She did have to give up assisting in surgery due to the risk of exposure to anesthesia.
Susan G. January 29th, 2009 02:13:23 PM
There's a great little blog called Dogs & Storks (http://dogsandstorks.blogspot.com/) dedicated to this very issue. They have a DVD and various articles talking about how to interpret your dog's body language towards your child and how to encourage positive interactions.
Pet Connection recently did a post on a DOCTOR who was telling people to 'rid themselves' of their cats when they have a baby because a cat will PURPOSELY try to smother the baby out of jealousy! Even in this day and age people believe this! It boggles the mind.
Pai January 29th, 2009 02:33:44 PM
Stefani- here's the deal with toxo. Only a cat who has recently acquired toxoplasma sheds the oocysts (infectious eggs). The cat sheds the eggs for 2 to 3 weeks following an infection, and then the parasite encysts in the tissues of the cat's body, where it remains inactive (although there are rare reports of immunosupressed cats that have resumed shedding oocysts).
The way that a fetus is affected by toxoplasma DUE TO CAT EXPOSURE is if a) the mother is exposed to a cat that is actively shedding oocysts AND b) the mother has never before been exposed to toxoplasma. If you are a woman who is concerned about toxo, you can go to your doctor and have a toxo titer drawn (because there is no risk to your fetus if you have already been exposed prior to pregnancy). You could also have your cat tested at the vet for a toxo titer, which could give you an idea of if and when your cat was exposed. Detection of one kind of antibody against toxo indicates that the cat has an active infection, while detection of another indicates that the cat had an infection in the past and is unlikely to be actively shedding oocysts.
The primary means of toxoplasma infections in humans are eating undercooked (or uncooked) meats containing toxoplasma cysts, or contact with soil contaminated with oocysts.
Megan January 29th, 2009 03:23:52 PM
Oh, and yes, if you scoop litter daily, the oocysts will not have been in the environment long enough to become infective. :)
Megan January 29th, 2009 03:25:42 PM
great article, dr khuly! I have linked hundreds of women to your article on cats and pregnancy, and informed a lot of panicky pregnant ladies that they DO NOT have to give up their cats.
while a few women will always make snide comments (well my doctor who has been practicing human medicine for 30 years says...), eh... whatever. the majority of women i link here learn quite a bit.
charity January 29th, 2009 03:52:29 PM
I have heard of OB/Gyns in this area telling pregnant women to get rid of their cats, or turn their declawed, indoor cats outside. I don't doubt it's all related to the incredible liability that they face, but a little up-to-date education on toxo and parasites is in order.
We had one pregnant vet assistant who was absolutely terrified of contracting toxo - she refused to handle cats or clean litterboxes (which were cleaned every 12 hours and often only had urine), and anytime she saw a piece of litter lying on the floor or on the trashcan lid she would FREAK OUT and start screaming at someone to BLEACH IT BLEACH IT BLEACH IT while she huddled in the corner. It was the most annoying nine months of my life.
We had one (non-pregnant) client whose cat contracted giardia, and her MD told her she had to get rid of the cat RIGHT NOW. She called us in tears.
beth January 29th, 2009 04:03:40 PM
I'm bookmarking this post to share with future panicky clients! I also had to educate my ob/gyn that I had a higher chance of getting toxo from handling uncooked meat than having an indoor-only cat.
JCB January 29th, 2009 05:42:37 PM
I went to see my dr about my allergies that bothered me winter and summer. He asked if I had cats, I said yes, he said get rid of them.
My response was if you can explain why I don't have allergies 6 months out of the year while my cats live with me for all 12, I MIGHT consider it.
Needless to say he didn't have a good answer, and I found myself a new doctor.
Any client who has a dr who says get rid of a pet should immediately get a second opinion. It is rare that the pet really needs to be rehomed - but it is one of the number one reasons pets end up at shelters.
Connie January 29th, 2009 10:35:35 PM
My OB was always more concerned with listeria etc.. than any zoonosis. It was a pain because I am all about sushi, stinky cheeses, real ceasar salads and rare whatever.
My first pregnancy when my mother insisted on coming with me, so that she could ask about the pets I suspect, his answer was "wash your hands, use common sense and let your husband or mom here do the litter box". Then we spent the next twenty minutes talking dog.
JenniferJ January 29th, 2009 10:41:41 PM
I'd be much more concerned with handling the household cleaning products, any type of flea shampoos, powders, etc. and sprays.
with all the new generation parasite products available, this concern should be alleviated.
any medications, wormers, miticides, can be administered with gloves or by others.
I think I have only received 1 or 2 rescue calls from pregnant/new baby women about relinquishing their dog due to fear of 'germs'. Sad and ignorant.
Barbara A. Albright/"My Photos page"/http://clik.to/scotty
Pocket's Story from NH January 29th, 2009 11:08:30 PM
Stefani, After putting it off because I really didn't want to know if I was allergic to my critters, I finally went through the first of two batteries of skin prick allergy testing. I tested positive to only one item; a common form of household mold! No reaction at all to all the other stuff, including all the pet related ones. I don't know who was more surprised, me or my regular M.D.; however, the allergist wasn't surprised at all. Emily's right - the benefits far outweigh the risks. I'd rather wear gloves and masks, do extra cleaning, etc. than give up my pets. Some days they're the only reason I bother to keep trying. Human M.D.s have little to offer those of us with autoimmune issues but our pets offer so much (including that extra food group :). I have to admit that I've learned more about my own health from Vet research than from human research though.
PJBoosinger January 30th, 2009 09:20:14 AM
"Some days they're the only reason I bother to keep trying. "
That really made me chuckle / smile !! I believe that's true for SO many people, PJ. (myself included!) I couldn't imagine getting 'rid' of any of my critters. Where I go, they go, or we don't go. Simple as that.
Circe January 31st, 2009 12:55:23 PM
I have 3 cats, 3 dogs, 100+/- chickens, ducks and guineas at any one time, a rabbit and 2 horses. I also have 4 kids from the ages of 6 mths to 10 yrs. It never would cross my mind to get rid of my animals because I was pregnant. I was still off loading 50lb feed bags at 8 mths pg - and my last baby was 10lbs! Getting rid of pets because of a pregnancy or new baby is just the dumbest excuse in the world. Now all of a sudden you don't have time for a pet? My oldest dog is 14 and we found her 3 years before we had our first child. She didn't magically take up more time after my daughter was born than she did before. I also do my litter boxes myself. I did wear gloves as my cats are in/out cats (they like to hang out at the barn) but it was never an issue and they certainly could care less about another baby being in the house. They just aren't interested....they would rather be around the older ones who give great back scratches LOL!
Tricia February 2nd, 2009 09:10:55 AM
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