having a dog while pregnant

[heatherlynn22]

i have a rather curious question.....i know having cats is ok but there's something in the litter that makes it dangerous....what about dogs? can you have dogs while pregnant? i have 2 now and i'd die if i had to give them up!!!

[ginger899]

You said you have questions about your sugarbaby....and left an email address. I was going to email you but thought you might like to have the opportunity to post your questions and concerns on the forum instead? It is a very good idea to do this, as many people who contribute here will see your post, and give you well thought out answers. Also, other dog owners may be able to relate to your problems. They might have the same themselves, and the answers you receive on the open forum might well help them if they are worried.
And there are some people here who are pretty near dog-experts! (not necessarily me, either!) Ginger.

[ginger899]

Everything should be fine, as long as you are hygienic with your dogs, and make sure they are wormed. Be careful of flea treatments (don't inhale the stuff)

But it isn't only about the dogs being around while you are pregnant. What will happen when the baby is born? (Don't get me wrong. We grew up with dogs around) But you are going to have to do some careful research and maybe some work here. Some dogs can get upset about this. There's a newcomer in the 'pack'. How will they get along? Will they be ok with the baby? There is so much to think about. You need advice.
I have no experience of this situation, but think there will be others here who can help you to prepare for this.

[ammaw]

hey tc i have questions on my surgurbaby email me please if u see this , email me at ***@****

[heatherlynn22]

well both boys are due for their checkups and the pup is due for more shots...but other then that they're both healthy minus a slight cold for the pup last week. i don't have a cat anymore (he died last summer) but i had been wanting to get another. but as long as i'm good with the boys for now i'm happy. especially with the puppy...it's like i'm his surrogate mother now. lol.

[April2]

You can have cats and dogs when you're pregnant. The only thing with cats is they can carry toxoplasmosis which can be passed through their feces which is why they say a pregnant woman shouldn't change the cat box. Usually this is just an outdoor cat and not all of them carry this.
I had cats all my life and the three times I was pregnant I just had my husband change the cat box even though I knew the cats were ok. I also had a dog. As far as I know dogs don't carry anything dangerous to pregnant women or any humans.
Just make sure you keep your pets updated on all their vaccinations to keep them healthy. And congratulations on your pregnancy! Best wishes.

[utahmomma]

Cats can carry a protozoan that leads to toxoplasmosis - the eggs of this protozoan are excreted in their feces.  That's why pregnant women aren't supposed to scoop feline poop.

Here is an excerpt from the following website:  http://www.2ndchance.info/toxoplasmosis.htm

"A problem arises when woman becomes infected during pregnancy. In these cases one half to one third of the infants produced by these pregnancies become infected while still within the womb. Other sources give the figure at 40%. We call this congenital infection. It is particularly severe if it occurs during the first third of the pregnancy (the first trimester). Although transplacental infections occur in these fetuses, few of these women show signs of disease – they simply sero-convert and trap the organisms within their muscles. Children born in these circumstances may be sick at birth or disease symptoms may occur weeks to years later. Signs of the disease in these children include mental retardation, eye and nervous system disease, deafness, lung disease, fever, jaundice and rash. Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy can also result in miscarriage."

Dogs don't transmit the toxoplasmosis as cats do.  However, you need to make sure that your dogs are wormed and are on preventatives after that.

I really believe that the happiest children are raised with the love of dogs!!!