In The News ... Urinary Tract Infections May Come from Pets --- or is it the other way around?

A recent article from Reuters suggests that we may be picking up bacteria, specifically E. coli, from our pets that may lead to urinary tract infections. The article referenced research, published in Journal of Infectious Diseases, which found the same strains of E. coli among humans and pets living in the same households.

We often hear from clients that their dogs and cats drink from the toilet. So we are not surprised if the same strains of E.coli in human urinary tract infection are found in their pets. Whereas, we find it unlikely that people would clean the litter box or mop up an accident then go eat without washing their hands first.

Unless further studies suggest otherwise, we recommend the usual good oral hygiene, i.e. wash your hands after handling pets’ wastes and routinely disinfect counters and food-prep surfaces if your pets (esp. cats) have free access to them. And in light of this article, if you have a urinary tract infection, keep the toilet seat lid down.

It will be interesting as more studies are done to clarify the direction of the transmission. Until then, it is misleading and presumptuous to conclude that humans may be getting urinary tract infections from pets and not the other way around.

Sites We Like .... Petfit.com

It has been a while since the last installment of our Healthy Weight, Healthy Pet series. After scoring the body condition of our dogs and cats, we now need a plan to shed those pounds. Petfit.com is filled with features to guide and motivate us and our pets to a healthier weight.

Petfit.com is part of the Alliance for Healthier Pets formed by the American Veterinary Medical Association and Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. The program, launched earlier this year, includes videos from fitness trainer Gunnar Peterson. A quick tour of the site looks promising. We will visit the Training Room and review the videos in later installments of our Healthy Weight, Healthy Pet series.

So far, we like the quick review on signs of an overweight pet.
There is even a contest and a challenge pledge for those of us with a competitive streak or just need the extra incentive.

There is a lot going on at Petfit.com. Take a tour and let us know what you think.