Immunocompromised People Should Take Precautions With Pets

People with compromised immune systems can enjoy the health benefits of living with pets provided they take precautions.
Immunocompromised People Should Take Precautions With Pets
A healthy adult cat is less likely to carry diseases than kittens. Alena Ozerova/Shutterstock
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Q: I have a compromised immune system, and I want to adopt a cat. What do I need to know about protecting my health?

A: Many people are immunocompromised because of physiologic factors like pregnancy or extremes of age, metabolic conditions such as diabetes, infectious diseases like HIV, or treatment with immunosuppressant drugs for autoimmune diseases, cancer, or organ transplantation.

Lee Pickett
Lee Pickett
Author
Lee Pickett, VMD, practices companion animal medicine in North Carolina. Contact her at AskTheVet.pet. Copyright 2024 Lee Pickett, VMD. Distributed by Creators.com