Letting sleeping dogs lie in your bed can make you sick, research suggests.
Pet owners may increase the chances of contracting everything from worms to the bubonic plague.
Of the 250 known diseases transmitted from animals to humans, more than 100 of them come from domestic animals, researchers say.


Good night's sleep? But
scientists have found that domestic pets can cause their owners to
become ill if they sleep in the same bed

‘In many countries,
pets have become substitutes for childbearing and child care, sometimes
leading to excessive pet care,’ said Bruno Chomel, a professor at the
University of California school of veterinary medicine.‘There are private places in the household, and pets should not go beyond next to the bed. ‘Having a stuffed animal in your bed is fine, not a real one.’Among
the more serious medical problems animal lovers risk by snuggling up to
their pets are chagas disease, which can cause life- threatening heart
and digestive system disorders.
Cat-scratch disease is another problem. It can come from being
licked by infected felines, and can cause lethal damage to the liver,
kidney or spleen.
A nine-year-old boy from Arizona even caught the
plague because he slept with his flea-infested cat, according to the
report. And a 48-year-old man and his wife repeatedly contracted
antibiotic-resistant MRSA from their dog because it ‘routinely slept in
their bed and frequently licked their faces’, the researchers said.Prof
Chomel and co-author Ben Sun, chief veterinarian for California’s
health department, cited surveys from Britain, the U.S., France and
Holland.Their study, published in the U.S. Centre for Disease
Control and Prevention journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, also found
several cases of infections transmitted through planting a kiss on a
pet.

Snuggle: Being licked or cuddling up to infected
animals increases the risk of deadly diseases


Among
dog owners, 53 per cent considered their pet to be a member of the
family, while 56 per cent of them admitted they sleep with their dog
next to them.Up to 62 per cent of cat owners said their pets sleep either on or in their beds.And some 25 per cent of women admit to sleeping regularly with a pet, while just 16 per cent of men say they do. The
study also showed that most of the dogs allowed to sleep in beds were
small, but 41 per cent were medium. One in three was large.Professor Chomel added that although the cases were rare, he wanted to raise awareness.Larry
Kornegay, president of the American Veterinary Association, stressed
that pet owners should use common sense to reduce risks.Washing hands after playing with pets and keeping regular vet visits will help.But
he added: ‘The benefits of having a pet, whether or not you sleep with
it, far outweigh the negatives, which are quite uncommon.’ Past
medical studies have shown dogs and cats may lower blood pressure,
reduce cholesterol levels and even decrease feelings of loneliness for
their owners, for instance.They can also increase opportunities for exercise and socialising.Mr Kornegay said his email inbox is already full of people taking the study to task.‘They tell me they’ve slept with their pets for years and they never got sick,’ he added
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1350168/Dont-sleep-pet-catch-possibly-bubonic-plague.html#ixzz1C6Z4q3EX

ffs

youve got more chance of picking summat up from a blole than a dog

and that is why i would choose sharing my bed with my pooches rather than a man

lmao - bings has shared my bed for 8 years - n now the other 2 occasionally join too - its a squeeze lol - the worst thing ive gotten is a leg ache lol

they are more likely to catch summat off of me I spend and get them sorted as soon as I feel they need it never do anything for myself

ive always had a dog in me bed

and theres nowt wrong with me