There’s no denying the benefits of including dogs and cats in your life, but as is true with all things, there are downsides.
One that is often overlooked is the possibility of catching a disease from your pet. While the chance of this occurring is quite low, it only makes sense for owners to be aware of diseases that can be passed from dogs and cats to people. Here are a few of the more common ones as described by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cat-scratch disease is a bacterial disease that people may get after being bitten or scratched by a cat. About 40% of cats carry the bacteria at some time in their lives, although kittens younger than 1 year of age are more likely to have it. Most cats with this infection show no signs of illness.
People who are bitten or scratched by an affected cat may develop a mild infection 3-14 days later at the site of the wound. The infection may worsen and cause fever, headache, poor appetite, and exhaustion. Later, the person’s lymph nodes closest to the original scratch or bite can become swollen, tender, or painful. Seek medical attention if you believe you have cat-scratch disease.
Giardia is a parasite that causes diarrhea in animals and people. Giardia is transmitted to animals and people through food or water contaminated with stool (poop).
Symptoms for animals and people include diarrhea, greasy stools, and dehydration. People can also have abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms can last 1-2 weeks.
Dog and cat hookworms are tiny worms that can spread through contact with contaminated soil or sand. Pets can also become infected with hookworms through accidentally ingesting the parasite from the environment or through their mother’s milk or colostrum. Hookworm infections in pets can cause anemia, diarrhea, and weight loss. Severe infections can be fatal.
People become infected with hookworms while walking barefoot, kneeling, or sitting on ground contaminated with stool of infected animals. Hookworm larvae enter the top layers of skin and cause an itchy reaction called cutaneous larva migrans. A red squiggly line may appear where the larvae have migrated under the skin. Symptoms usually resolve without medical treatment in 4-6 weeks.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease of people and animals that is transmitted through contaminated water and urine or other body fluids from an infected animal. It is difficult to detect early stages of leptospirosis in animals, but the disease can lead to kidney and liver failure if left untreated.
People who become infected with leptospirosis might not have any signs of the disease. Others will have nonspecific flu-like signs within 2-7 days after exposure. These symptoms usually resolve without medical treatment, but can reappear and lead to more severe disease.
As a pet owner with both cats and dogs, I’ve always wondered if my furry friends could make each other sick. It’s a common concern when you have a multi-pet household – especially when one of your pets falls ill. Can my dog catch something from my cat? The answer might surprise you.
Yes, Dogs Can Get Sick From Cats (But Don’t Panic!)
The short answer is YES – dogs can indeed catch certain diseases from cats. But before you start keeping your pets in separate rooms, you should know that most diseases are actually species-specific meaning they don’t typically jump from cats to dogs. Only a handful of conditions can be transmitted between these two common household pets.
Let’s dive into what you need to know about cross-species illness in your four-legged family members.
Common Diseases Dogs Can Catch From Cats
1. Intestinal Parasites
These unwelcome guests are probably the most common health concern shared between cats and dogs Several types can pass between your pets
- Roundworms
- Tapeworms
- Hookworms
- Whipworms
How does transmission happen? It’s not pleasant, but it’s usually through what I call the “poop pathway.” The larvae and eggs of these parasites are found in feces. If your dog has access to your cat’s litter box (and let’s be honest, many dogs find this box quite tempting for a forbidden snack), they might ingest parasite eggs.
Signs your dog might have worms include:
- Licking at their bottom
- “Scooting” or dragging their butt across the floor
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- A rounded, bloated belly
- Visible worms or rice-like segments in their poop
Tapeworms specifically can be transmitted through fleas. A flea might eat a tapeworm egg, then land on your dog who ingests the flea during grooming – and voilà, tapeworm transmission complete.
2. Ringworm
Despite its name, ringworm isn’t actually a worm at all – it’s a fungus called dermatophytes. This pesky fungal infection is highly contagious and can spread between dogs, cats, and even to humans!
Ringworm signs in dogs typically include:
- Round bald patches of hair (usually on the head, neck, or feet)
- Crusting, scales, or scabs around the edges of the bald patch
- Unlike many skin conditions, ringworm isn’t typically itchy
The fungal spores can live on bedding, carpeting, grooming tools, and even in soil for months under the right conditions. This makes it particularly tricky to eliminate from your home once established.
3. Fleas
These tiny blood-sucking parasites aren’t picky eaters! Unlike many parasites that prefer specific host species, fleas will happily hop from your cat to your dog and back again. Flea infestations tend to peak during spring and summer months.
Watch for these signs:
- Excessive scratching or biting, particularly around the base of the tail
- Hair loss
- Black “dirt” (actually flea droppings) on the skin or in the coat
- Visible fleas when you part the fur
- Reddened skin
4. Cat Bite Infections
Cat mouths harbor some pretty nasty bacteria. If your kitty bites your dog during a disagreement, those bacteria can be injected deep under the skin, bypassing your dog’s natural defenses. This can lead to painful infections or abscesses that usually require veterinary care, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medications.
5. Rabies
This is the most serious disease on our list – and thankfully, also the most preventable. Rabies can affect virtually any mammal and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. It’s typically transmitted through bites from infected animals.
The good news? Rabies vaccines are required by law in most places, so if your pets are up-to-date on their shots, this risk is minimal.
How Serious Are These Shared Diseases?
Most of the conditions that can pass between cats and dogs are treatable and not life-threatening if caught early. The exception is rabies, which is why keeping up with vaccinations is so important.
Here’s the breakdown of treatment options:
Parasites: Veterinary-approved deworming medications can effectively clear most intestinal parasites. Treat all pets in the household simultaneously to prevent reinfection.
Ringworm: Requires antifungal medications, medicated shampoos, and thorough decontamination of your home to prevent recurrence. I’ve been through this, and it’s not fun but definitely manageable!
Fleas: Various effective treatments are available, including topical solutions, oral medications, and collars. Remember to treat all pets on the same day and address your home environment too.
Cat bite infections: Usually require antibiotics prescribed by your vet.
Rabies: Prevention through vaccination is the only option – there is no cure once symptoms develop.
Disease-Specific Differences Between Cats and Dogs
Not all cat diseases can infect dogs. For example:
- Feline leukemia cannot be transmitted to dogs
- Feline panleukopenia (similar to canine parvovirus) is species-specific
- Most types of mange are caused by different species-specific mites (with one exception that can affect both)
- Canine distemper cannot be contracted by cats from dogs
Preventing Disease Transmission Between Your Pets
As someone who loves both my cat and dog equally, I’ve found these strategies effective for keeping everyone healthy:
-
Keep up with preventative care
- Regular vet check-ups
- Stay current on vaccinations
- Monthly parasite preventatives for all pets
-
Practice good hygiene
- Clean litter boxes daily (keeps your cat happy and removes temptation for dogs)
- Wash your hands between handling sick pets
- Regularly clean pet bedding, toys, and food/water dishes
-
Separate sick pets when necessary
- If one pet is diagnosed with a contagious condition, temporarily separate them
- Use different food bowls, bedding, and toys until the illness resolves
-
Control fleas effectively
- Treat ALL pets in the home simultaneously
- Address the environment (vacuum regularly, wash bedding in hot water)
- Consider seasonal preventatives during peak flea seasons
-
Supervise interactions
- Minimize rough play that could lead to scratches or bites
- Monitor dog access to litter boxes
- Keep stress levels low to reduce fighting
Case Study: When My Cat Had Ringworm
Last year, my cat Whiskers developed a small bald patch that turned out to be ringworm. My vet warned me it could spread to my dog Max and even to my family. We immediately:
- Set up a separate recovery room for Whiskers
- Used disposable gloves when handling either pet
- Treated both pets with antifungal medication (even though Max showed no symptoms yet)
- Washed all bedding in hot water with bleach
- Vacuumed daily and disposed of the vacuum bags carefully
It was a lot of work for about three weeks, but we prevented Max from catching it and eliminated the fungus from our home. The experience taught me that being proactive is much easier than dealing with multiple sick pets!
When to Call the Vet
You should contact your veterinarian if:
- Either pet shows signs of illness, especially after the other has been sick
- You notice parasites in either pet’s stool
- Your dog has been bitten by your cat and the area becomes swollen, red, or painful
- Either pet develops unexplained hair loss or skin issues
- You’re unsure about the risk of disease transmission in your specific situation
The Bottom Line
While there are some diseases that can pass between cats and dogs, with proper veterinary care and preventative measures, the risk is relatively small. Most pet-specific diseases stay within their species.
The main concerns for cross-species transmission are:
- Intestinal parasites
- Ringworm
- Fleas
- Bacterial infections from bites
- Rabies (if unvaccinated)
As long as you maintain regular vet visits, keep up with preventative treatments, and practice good hygiene, your cats and dogs can live harmoniously without significant health risks to each other.
Remember, your vet is your best resource for specific concerns about your pets’ health. When in doubt, it’s always better to ask!
FAQs About Disease Transmission Between Cats and Dogs
Q: Can my cat’s cold infect my dog?
A: Yes, in some cases. While many respiratory infections are species-specific, bordetella (kennel cough) can actually spread between cats and dogs, causing similar symptoms in both.
Q: If my cat has fleas, do I need to treat my dog too?
A: Absolutely! Treat all pets in the household simultaneously to prevent the fleas from simply jumping from one host to another.
Q: Can dogs get distemper from cats?
A: No, dogs cannot contract distemper from cats. The strains that affect dogs and cats are different and species-specific.
Q: Is it dangerous for my dog to eat from my cat’s food bowl?
A: While not ideal for nutritional reasons, it’s generally not dangerous from a disease perspective. However, shared food bowls could potentially spread certain parasites or bacteria if one pet is infected.
Q: How long should I keep my pets separated if one is sick?
A: This depends on the specific illness. Follow your veterinarian’s recommendations, but generally until the contagious period has passed – which could be anywhere from a few days to several weeks for something like ringworm.
Living with both cats and dogs can bring so much joy to your home. With a little knowledge and preventative care, you can minimize the health risks and maximize the happiness in your multi-species household!
MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
Staphylococcus aureus is a common type of bacteria that is normally found on the skin of people and animals. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the same bacterium that has become resistant to some antibiotics. Dogs, cats and other animals often can carry MRSA without being sick, but MRSA can cause a variety of infections, including of the skin, respiratory tract, and urinary tract.
MRSA can be transmitted back and forth between people and animals through direct contact. In people, MRSA most often causes skin infections that can range from mild to severe. If left untreated, MRSA can spread to the bloodstream or lungs and cause life-threatening infections.
Ringworm is a condition caused by a fungus that can infect skin, hair, and nails of both people and animals. Ringworm is passed from animals to people through direct contact with an infected animals skin or hair. Cats and dogs infected with ringworm typically have small areas of hair loss and may have scaly or crusty skin; but some pets carrying ringworm have no signs of infection at all. Young animals are most commonly affected.
Ringworm infections in people can appear on almost any area of the body. These infections are usually itchy. Redness, scaling, cracking of the skin, or a ring-shaped rash may occur. If the infection involves the scalp or beard, hair may fall out. Infected nails become discolored or thick and may possibly crumble.
Toxocara roundworms cause a parasitic disease known as toxocariasis. Cats, dogs, and people can become infected by swallowing roundworm eggs from the environment. Pets can also become infected as youngsters through their mother’s milk or while in utero. Infected puppies and kittens usually do not seem very sick. Those that do may have mild diarrhea, dehydration, rough coat, and a pot-bellied appearance.
In people, children are most often affected with roundworm.
There are two forms of the disease in people: ocular larva migrans and visceral larva migrans. Ocular larva migrans happens when the larvae invade the retina (tissue in the eye) and cause inflammation, scarring, and possibly blindness. Visceral larva migrans occurs when the larvae invade parts of the body, such as the liver, lung, or central nervous system.
Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease that can spread to people and animals through contaminated soil, water, or meat, and from contact with stool from an infected cat. Cats are the main source of infection to other animals but rarely appear sick.
Most healthy people who become infected with Toxoplasma show no signs or symptoms. However, pregnant women and people who have weakened immune systems may be at risk for serious health complications.
Some of the information presented here was reworded for the sake of simplicity. Check out the CDC’s Healthy Pets, Healthy People website for more information.
Dr. Jennifer Coates is an accomplished veterinarian, writer, editor, and consultant with years of experience in the fields of veterinary…
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