Living with pets can help lower stress. Pets can even make you feel better when you don’t feel well. If you test HIV+, you may be worried that you have to get rid of your pets.
You can still keep your pets, but you should know that having a pet may raise your risk for some infections. These infections can cause diarrhea or skin problems. Your chances of getting sick from your pet are much less if you follow these steps:
- Wash your hands with soap and water after you play with your pets. Always wash before you eat or touch food
- Your pets can pick up germs and pass them on to you. To keep this from happening, don’t let them drink from the toilet or get into the garbage. Feed them only pet food
- Don’t handle a pet if it has diarrhea for more than 1 or 2 days. Have someone else take the pet to the vet for a checkup
- If your pet gets sick, you may worry about getting sick, too. In that case, have a friend or family member watch the pet until it is well
- If you get a pet from a shelter, have a vet check it out before you bring it home. You don’t want to adopt a sick animal
- Stray animals tend to carry a lot of infections. It is best not to touch stray animals
- Never touch a pet’s pee (urine) or poop (feces)
- If you have a cat, be careful when cleaning the litter box. Wear gloves to do it. Then wash your hands with soap and water right away
- Clip a cat’s claws so that it cannot scratch you. If you get scratched, wash the wound with soap and water
- Keep your pet free of fleas. Fleas can carry disease
- Avoid snakes, lizards, other reptiles, and turtles
Your pets cannot get HIV from you, and you cannot get HIV from them. But they can make you sick. Follow these tips as closely as you can. That way, you and your pets can have a long and healthy relationship.
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