Pets: main doubts of parents
Pets are an incentive to crawl and walk, help children feel more secure and increase their self-esteem. These are some of the benefits that pets bring. However, the smaller our son, the more we have to take hygiene and cleanliness precautions of our mascots, since dogs, cats and other species can infect them or cause diseases.
The main doubts of parents before acquiring a pet
Before making the important decision to acquire a pet, parents raise the following issues when having an animal at home.
1. At what age can you start? A small child can live with a pet, as long as we take all the necessary care. We must also find out if our son has any kind of rejection of the animal, such as phobia, or some type of allergy. Logically, it is important that the pet is healthy.
2. What animal to choose? It is very important to choose the most appropriate one. The dog is more patient and sociable than the cat. There are dog breeds very friendly and tolerant with children.
3. What are the risks to health? Is it possible that a close coexistence exposes the child to the contagion of parasites or animal diseases? As long as the animal is healthy, vaccinated and dewormed, this usually does not happen. That is why it is very convenient to take it with the appropriate regularity to the veterinarian.
Most common diseases that transmit pets
Gastrointestinal parasites, tapeworms, ticks or fungi that animals have can be transmitted to humans and especially to children, so it is essential to follow a correct deworming program (periodic and preventive). The real danger of animals is in the feces. It is there where those responsible for communicable diseases such as toxoplasmosis are found. Thus, we must teach our children that animal droppings never touch.
One of the most common problems are allergies that cause children, certain animals. Allergies to the hair or dandruff of dogs or cats are frequent. Other pets (hamsters, birds, ...) can also cause allergies. The real cause of allergy to animals are proteins secreted by the sebaceous glands of the skin. Also, carpets and upholstered furniture retain relevant amounts of allergen up to 4 or 6 weeks after contact with the animal.
Another disease is the so-called cat scratch disease. Its claws can trigger an infection on the skin. The disorder is not serious and usually disappears spontaneously after a week. Another risk that produces the secretions and excrements of the cat is toxoplasmosis, although it can also be acquired either by ingesting contaminated soil or raw or undercooked meat, or by maternal-fetal via the placenta (congenital toxoplasmosis, very serious for the fetus). Acquired toxoplasmosis is a mild and often unnoticed disease.
The best pets for the family
Some of the best animals for your child's development are the following:
1. Dog It represents for its masters an inexhaustible source of understanding. He always has a show of affection and possesses such sensitivity that he is able to guess that something is going wrong. The dog is the pet par excellence but also, the one that requires the most care. When children are small, it is better to acquire small dogs because with large ones, although they tend to be more docile and peaceful, we must be more careful when they move or play, at least until the child reaches 6 to 7 years. Statistics show that most of the serious accidents in which children are involved occur because of large dogs that, even involuntarily, can cause harm. The dog loves to follow the movements of the little one since he starts to crawl around the house, as well as chase him and follow his games without getting bored.
2. Fishes. They are pets that do not disturb but also require care, cleaning and feeding.
3. Hamster or bird. They are very cheap and easy to take care of, even in children from five years old.
4. Big cats and birds (parrots). It also becomes one of the family and requires more care. They can cost more money. The cat is an agile friend who will soon want to meet the little ones in the house: he will climb on the cribs and sofas, he will smell the baby's clothes or he will investigate in the children's room to discover his games. The little ones are attracted and very impressed by this animal. The baby, surrounded by a special smell of milk and porridge, sleeps almost always guarded by the cat of the house. However, it is convenient to stay out of your room.Hence, both hygiene and the early age of the newborn, we should leave the rooms closed so that the cat does not enter until the child is a little older. The cat must also be taught to control its nails.
Pets at home: what do you have to take into account?
- Friends to take care of. Our son has to see in his pet a friend to take care of and protect. But if we have a child something "trasto" that mistreats the animal, we must prohibit those tricks. The ears, tail and snout are the three parts of the body that suffer the most damage from children. Do not forget that some of these jokes can be interpreted for the dog as a challenge, and become somewhat violent.
- Animals to educate. Animals also need to be corrected without screaming, just like our children. The dog, for example, has a very sensitive ear, and if he gets used to screaming, then a more severe tone of voice will not work when it is necessary to correct him.
- If you have to do without the pet, avoid leaving it. If you observe in your child reactions of phobia towards the animal or some type of allergy, even if it costs you, it is preferable to get rid of the pet. There are adequate places to leave it, without need to abandon it.
- To avoid risk of disease transmission from animals to children or family members, you should always collect and dispose of your waste in the trash and, above all, wash your hands frequently, especially before eating.
- It is also necessary to avoid that animals suck the face of children, but if this happens, it will be enough to wash your face.
- Better to acquire than to collect. A pet can be purchased in a dog protection society, in veterinary clinics, from private owners, in specialized stores, or in specific breeding sites. It's better than picking up some vagabond, we do not know what kind of diseases you may have.
Jaime Márquez
