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Expert: - 9/7/2011


Question
I have a dog with a primary hyperlipidemia and his immune system is not the strongest.  I was considering a job in a vet clinic... I was wondering if it would be a bad idea, since there are so many diseases going around.  How likely is it that I could transfer something to my dog?  How often do people who work in these settings get infected with diseases themselves due to contact with patients?

I want to make sure I don't put my dog in danger.

Thanks

Answer
The worst things that you can bring home to a dog like that is parvo or distemper. Older dogs already have immune systems that are compromised. Make sure that your dog is vaccinated for both of those diseases.

Older dogs can still get both of these diseases, so current vaccinations are important.

As far are yourself contracting things, anyone that works with animals has a higher rate of contacting many things, such as:

plague, ringworm, rabies (you have to be bit for that), cat scratch fever, and other viruses from handling rabbits, etc. You cannot pick up primary diseases such as hepatic lipidosis or anything like that. You can Google zoonosis and see what else you could possibly get.

Hyperliidemia is fat in the blood. While there can be organic reasons for this it is mainly diet related.

I hope that this answers your questions.

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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