Kids and Dogs: Health issues

Many parents are worried about having a baby/kid and dog under one roof. Mostly, this fear is connected with the assumption that the home must be absolutely clean while bringing the newborn in and that doesn’t go along with having a dog. If not, it can cause health issues. But is it really true? We are going to dig a little bit deeper into this topic.

Kids can get bitten by a dog

One of the main risks for a child’s health is definitely getting bitten by a dog. However, this could be prevented by teaching a kid how to behave with a dog and also by supervising the kid while playing with a dog. You can read more about dogs and kids safety rules in our previous article.

Transmitted diseases: Dog to Kid

The most important thing is the proper vaccination. Every country has its canine vaccination rules that need to be followed and avoiding it can cause legal consequences. Make sure not to avoid them. If the dog is vaccinated, you can be sure that there is no danger of being infected with a disease, such as rabies. There are diseases like fleas and ticks that can be transmitted from dogs to kids but good prevention exists for those. Also, never forget to deworm your dog so that kids don’t contract any roundworm or hookworm.

What about hygiene?

The biggest concern of parents is the hygiene of their dog and their kids. People suffer more and more from allergies and it is challenging to find an effective treatment. Parents consider pets a threat when it comes to allergies. But more and more studies show that the problem is, surprisingly, in the exaggerated cleanliness. Kids are growing up in a very clean environment and their immune system is not prepared for external influences. Good hygiene is important but stay out of overdoing it. Keep in mind that sometimes less is more. A study made by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that children who have a dog at home are much healthier. And contact with an animal during the first year of life possibly leads to better resistance to infectious respiratory illnesses during childhood.

If your child is highly allergic, it is probably not a good idea to have a furry dog but on the other hand, if your child doesn’t have such a problem, growing up with a pet has mostly positive effects. Aside from better immunity, having a dog also has therapeutic effects. It helps reduce stress and lower blood pressure. And last but not least, taking care of a dog keeps the child active and builds a good attitude toward sports.