Expert: Florence M Rollwagen - 6/16/2008

Question
My elderly mother has 3 dogs and several cats who live in her home.  She allows them to urinate and poop in the house all the time.  The smell is incredible.  She suffers from bronchitis type symptoms on a regular basis.  Babies are also exposed to this house on a regular basis.  What are the actual health risks to living in such a filthy house?

Answer
Hi Nancy, thanks for your question.  Animal waste inside a home is not recommended for several reasons.  Not only can it spread disease, it also poses respiratory problems for the animal owner and visitor.  It is also not good for young children to be exposed to such material because of the risk of infection.  Here is a website from the Centers for Disease Control  (CDC), a government agency, on this subject:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/browse_by_animal.htm

I suspect that the problem is more complicated than you first expressed.  Pet ownership has been shown to be beneficial for many elders.  If your mother is overwhelmed by the number of animals in her home, she may not be able to care for them adequately.  Perhaps you can persuade her to give up a few for adoption.  With fewer animals, she may be able to give the the rest the care that they need.  I am no psychologist, but many elders are depressed or mentally impaired, but these symptoms often go unrecognized.  Perhaps a visit with a health care worker or social worker in her community might be a benefit.  There are also organizations that help elders stay in their homes by providing in home cleaning and pet sitting.  If she has children living in the area, perhaps they can donate some time to help her.

I hope this answer has helped you.  Please write back if you have more questions.

FM Rollwagen, PhD