Pregnancy is a crucial time for women, and they must take extra precautions to ensure their safety and that of their unborn child. However, it’s tough to know every aspect to consider when pregnant.

One question pregnant women often ask is whether it’s safe to have dogs around them. While there are mixed opinions on this issue, the good news is that you can safely have dogs around you if you take some precautions.

Understanding the Risks

Before delving into whether dogs are safe around pregnant women, you need to understand their potential risks. Although rare, some dog diseases pose a risk to human health, especially during pregnancy.

The most common diseases associated with dogs include:.

Toxoplasmosis

While cats are the primary carriers of toxoplasmosis, dogs can also contract the disease, posing a risk to pregnant women.

Toxoplasmosis can cause birth defects or miscarriage in pregnant women, infecting the baby through the placenta if the mother contracts the disease.

Roundworms

Dogs can also carry roundworm, which can be transferred to people through contact with infected soil or feces. In pregnant women, roundworm infection can lead to blindness or cognitive disabilities in the baby.

Capnocytophaga canimorsus

Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a bacteria that dogs carry in their mouth and saliva.

While it’s a rare occurrence, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at risk of developing severe infections that can lead to sepsis or limb amputation if bitten by a dog carrying Capnocytophaga canimorsus.

Rabies

Rabies is a viral disease carried by dogs and other animals that can be fatal if not rapidly treated. Pregnant mothers are at a higher risk of developing severe complications from rabies infections and may be more vulnerable to developing the disease.

Precautions to Take When Having Dogs Around Pregnant Women

While dogs can be a significant danger to pregnant women, you don’t have to give up your furry friend. There are multiple precautions you can take to ensure that having dogs around pregnant women is safe for you and your unborn child.

Here are some of the steps you can take:.

Related Article The Risks of Keeping Cats During Pregnancy

Keep Your Dog Healthy

The best way to avoid dog diseases during pregnancy is by ensuring that your dog is clean and healthy. Take your dog for regular check-ups and keep up to date with their vaccinations.

You also need to maintain good hygiene when handling your dogs, especially when cleaning up after them.

Wash Your Hands

It would help if you washed your hands regularly when pregnant, and particularly after handling your dog. Dogs carry germs, so it’s essential to wash your hands before handling food, or touching your mouth or nose.

Hand sanitizers are also a useful tool to keep on hand when you’re out walking your dog together.

Keep Your Dog Clean

You need to keep your dogs clean all the time, especially if you frequently come into contact with them.

Regular bathing and grooming can significantly reduce the amount of germs found on your dog, and this will also make them more pleasant to be around in a home setting.

Avoid Tick-and Flea-Carrying Dogs

Tick and flea infestation is common in dogs, and you need to avoid having dogs with fleas and ticks around pregnant women. Ticks and fleas can cause other illnesses that increase during pregnancy, such as Lyme disease.

Supervise Dog Interactions

It’s vital that you supervise any interactions between your dog and pregnant women. While pregnant women are unlikely to get hurt by dogs, it’s still crucial to monitor interactions to ensure that there’s no harm occurring.

This is especially true if you have large breeds of dogs with playful tendencies in the home.

Conclusion

In conclusion, having dogs around pregnant women is generally safe. However, it requires extra precautions to keep you and your unborn child from any potential risks.

Understanding the potential dangers of having a dog around can help you take the necessary precautions to mitigate any problems.