Strep throat can affect both humans and pets alike. Some days when humans feel lonely, we just want to cuddle up with our pets, but what do we do when we are reminded about the fear of getting strep throat from our pets?
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Strep throat is an infection that is signified by having swollen tonsils and finding it difficult to swallow. It is a type of infection that is highly contagious between humans, and pets are not left out of being possibly infected too.
Streptococcus is a group of bacteria that is capable of infecting both animals and humans. In dogs, streptococcus canis is the most common one, often present in a healthy dog's throat, skin, reproductive tract, and gastrointestinal tract.
Sometimes, streptococcus has the ability to breach the defense of a healthy dog, invading the tissues and leading to different disease manifestations.
This can produce pneumonia, skin and ear infection, arthritis, urinary tract infection, and pharyngitis. Severe cases can even produce life-threatening conditions like streptococcal toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis.
Dr. Jerry Klir, who is a chief veterinary officer for AKC, says particularly about dogs that strep throat happens when the throat of the dog is infected with streptococcus bacteria, similarly to how it happens in humans.
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There is, however, a difference in the strain of the bacteria causing the infection; the strep throat that affects dogs is caused by the Streptococcus bacterium group G, while the one affecting humans is caused by Streptococcus pyogenes group A.
The doctor went further to explain that, since humans and pets are affected by different strains of bacteria, then it is most likely that it is a zoonotic condition, which means pets cannot pass it down to their owners and vice versa.
According to the doctor, there is a rare possibility that pets are able to pass the infection down to their owners, but he advises that strict adherence be made towards basic hygiene, especially when either the pet or its owner is sick.
Your pet may get infected by another animal, so watch out for the possible symptoms they could display if that happens to be the case. Fever, low energy levels, lack of appetite since swallowing hurts and throat is possibly swollen, and coughing due to the pain from the throat.
Older studies from the past tried to implicate pets as the major transmitters of strep throat to humans, but there were weaknesses in the method of research used, and the researchers ended up identifying streptococcus Group A as the bacterial strain causing strep throat in pets.
As it stands, there is no concrete evidence to back up the possible claims of pets transferring strep throat to humans, but this is not enough reason to be careless with hygiene, as the claim cannot be totally dismissed.
A dog would most likely have strep throat based on some factors.
Age is one of them, puppies are more susceptible as their immune system is not fully developed, and older dogs are based on the weakening of their immune system.
The presence of an injury is another factor, S.canis is always present on the skin and can infect an open wound.
Dogs with allergic reactions have an increased risk of skin infection. Dogs who also have weak immune systems due to treatments or other factors can easily come down with the infection.
Possible treatments for a pet are antibiotics, tissue removal, fluid therapy, bandaging in case of an injury, and ear wash.
The transmission of strep throat from an animal to a human is most likely impossible, but humans can exchange the bacterial infection amongst each other, and pets can get it amongst themselves too.