Is it Possible for Your Dog to Make You Sick?
The answer is a lot, if our social media feeds are any indicator of how much we adore our pets. We welcomed them into our hearts and lives, and many of us even allowed them to sleep in our beds. Given our intimate relationship with our dogs (and the fact that they aren't very concerned with hygiene), it's natural to wonder: Is it Possible for Your Dog to Make You Sick? "While most of the common illnesses we hear about don't pass between dogs and humans, there are some diseases that our dogs can convey to us," says Dr. Wesley Long, director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist Hospital. "The viruses that cause common colds have evolved through time to live in people rather than dogs," adds Dr. Long. "This means you and your dog can't catch a cold from each other."The seasonal flu, which we prepare for every year, is the same way. Dogs, in fact, have their own strain of influenza, known as canine influenza . And because this st...