Bringing outdoor dog inside: Can my indoor cats catch diseases?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This will depend on if you are able to get rid of the fleas before then. You are doing the right thing by using the Capstar and bathing him but that does not guarantee that no more fleas will be present. I think it would be best to keep them separate for at least a few days to a week until you get a feel of how well controlled Louie’s flea infestation is. Remember that you can use Capstar daily to effect. Remember to vacuum all the surfaces that have contact with him. Good luck and have a great day!

There are a lot of answers to your questions. Yes, there are many zoonotic diseases that can go between cats and humans. Too many to list here. Yes, even indoor cats can become ill. We can bring home diseases on us, and well as immune mediated diseases and cancers. I don’t really understand your last question. If you would like to have a more detailed conversation about zoonotic diseases a consult might be beneficial to you. In general practicing good hygiene after handling and cleaning up after animals is important. Also- if animals show any signs of being sick have them evaluated by a veterinarian. Thanks for using Pet Coach.

I would keep them separate for now and wash your hands after handling each dog. She needs to rest as stress may make her worse. I’m not sure what type of sickness she has but contact them tomorrow and they should be able to get medication for you to give her at home. She will heal more quickly at your house than in a shelter environment. If your dog is healthy and vaccinated it should be able to fight off any infection the new dog may have. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dogs.

Well it depends what the cat was sick with. I'm going to assume the cat was sick with an upper respiratory infection and there isn't anything I would be particularly worried about here. There aren't many contagious diseases we worry about crossing between dogs and cats. I would recommend watching for general signs of disease (lethargy, poor appetite, nasal discharge, coughing/sneezing, vomiting, and diarrhea) in the next week or two just to be safe, but there isn't anything you need to do at this point and a very low likelihood of anything coming from this encounter.

Unfortunately pets that will play with a cat, such as other cats and dogs, can share disease. You can get another cat and make sure both are vaccinated, up to date with flea treatments, and are dewormed. That will help cut down on the likelihood they will share a disease.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Viruses can be contagious, especially if the healthy cat is unvaccinated. It is always best to keep a new cat separate from your other cat for about 2 weeks (most viruses show up in 7-10 days) and if Sifu is sick I would definitely separate them until Sifu is feeling better. Monitor Sifu, and if he isn't eating/drinking or is having trouble breathing then have him back to the vet. Once he is feeling better then get him vaccinated and then introduce the two. A cage in the same room won't separate the viruses, ideally, they would be in separate rooms where the water from the sneezing won't be inhaled by your healthy cat. Best of luck with them!

I am sorry to hear that your cat passed away so suddenly. However, to answer your question, it depends on the disease/illness your cat had. Please repost with the particular disease that your previous cat had so that we can give you a complete answer to your question. However, generally speaking there are not many diseases that can transfer from cat to dog that are life-threatening.