Infectious hazards from pets and domestic animals

Abstract

Most pet owners consider their pets to be family members. Approximately 63% of US households own at least one pet [1], and statistical analysis done in the United States in 2006 showed that there are more than 72 million pet dogs and nearly 82 million pet cats, with an average veterinary expenditure per household for all pets of around $366/year [2]. According to a survey conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association (2002), 94% of pet owners consider their pet to have human personality traits, 93% say that they would risk their own life for their pet, and half said that they would choose their dog as their sole companion if stranded on a Desert Island [4]. As a consequence, people tend to treat the health of their pets as they would with their own children and spend more money at the veterinary clinic. This also involves purchasing treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.