 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
January 22nd, 2011
05:41 PM ET
A furry dilemma: Sleep with your pet, risk catching his bugsCuddling with pets puts you at risk of catching some icky bugs, warns a report published in the February issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the public health journal of the Centers for Disease Control. Some pet owners sleep in bed with their animals as a “source of psychological comfort,” but the report warns that “pets can bring a wide range of zoonotic pathogens into our environment.” Zoonotic pathogens are infectious agents that can be transmitted between animal and humans. We'll just call them icky bugs.
The probability of getting sick from sharing your bed with your pet is extremely rare, said lead author, Bruno Chomel, a professor of zoonoses at University of California Davis. But he warned that children and people who have compromised immune system should be aware of the risks. “It can happen,” he said. “It’s rare when it happens and it can be bad. It’s not told to panic people or scare people, but to be aware there are things that can happen.” Chomel and co-author Ben Sun looked through published literature about cases in which people's illnesses correlated with sleeping, kissing or being licked by pets. Some of examples are startling: – A man had a dog sleep under the covers with him. The dog licked his hip replacement wound and the owner got meningitis. – A 9-year-old boy slept in bed with a flea-infested cat and got the bubonic plague in 1974 in New Mexico. – A newborn was sickened with meningitis. The pet cat had stolen the baby’s pacifier and had been toying with it. – A 44-year-old woman developed meningitis and admitted that she was “regularly kissing the dog’s face and feeding it by transferring food mouth to mouth.” In a survey from the American Kennel Club, 21 percent of dog owners said they regularly slept with their dogs. Chomel said he’s not trying to overstate the risks. “It’s a matter of common sense,” he said. “I never said, ‘Don’t have the pet in the bedroom.’ I’m saying, if you put the pet on the bed or in the bed, there are consequences.” He said that cats and dogs catch fleas- that owners don't always catch. “If you have a pet that’s well taken care of and sees a vet on regular basis, is properly dewormed, properly vaccinated and well-taken care of, that lowers the risk quite a lot,” Chomel said. Take precautions like washing your hands especially before meal times and consider whether you want your pet to sleep with your child, he said. The paper mentioned that having pets have been shown to bring psychological support, friendship and health practices like walking and reducing stress. But the report is not balanced, said Patricia McConnell, a certified animal behaviorist and adjunct professor in zoology at the University of Wisconsin. “I think it’s important to read this particular report keeping in mind a balance,” she said. “We’re always balancing the benefits of social interactions - whether it’s four-legged or two-legged.” If you sleep with a flea or tick-infested animal - sure, there are risks. “It’s common sense to all of us that there are dangers associated with the world around us from sleeping with a human to kissing your dog, to tripping on your bedroom slippers which is a common cause of emergency room visits,” McConnell said. Pets have a therapeutic effect on humans. Some research suggests children who grow up with pets can build more robust immune systems. Being around animals, petting and touching them increases levels of oxytocin – a feel-good hormone. It can lower stress-causing hormone like cortisol, she said. “In that sense, there is value in being reminded there are dangers in interacting with our pets,” she said. “I’m troubled by the report, as written. It’s not comprehensive. I don’t want people to panic- when they see this - this would be a disservice.” |
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
 |
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
This debate if that is what i can call it is getting heated!!!!......i just want to point out that even though it is common sense over half the dog lovers do in fact let the dogs lick their face and they don't wash their hands after touching the animal.....It's like people that have been with these pets for so long forget they are animals and also develop this thing to where they can't detect the odor that animals have after being in water,outside or had a accident in the house!!!!!.....Dog lovers noise senses are like gone!!!!!!!........And for the person that said if your not a dog lover then there was something missing from your soul,please!!!!! i care and love people to death and put them before animals don't think that makes me this mean or bad person!!!
You're not a bad person, you're just an idiot and an alarmist.
Okay.. to Josh don't be mad that i don't share your views!!! your most likely one of those guys that sleeps with his pets cuz no other PERSON will. That is the only reson i could see you calling me a idiot for my views when i respected everyones!!!!!!
Anthony, never mind getting hit by animal lovers. people are so sick they will replace with animals...they will remain animals. Try and understand the point the man is making...Plzz
100% agree with Anthony. Sick dog lovers!
Wow guys. The article was VERY tame, it is merely trying to make a point that these things CAN happen, and kept repeating just how rare it is. They even stated that there are psychological benefits to sleeping with animals. Never once was the idea of sleeping with your pets actually condemned.
Has anyone stopped to think that this article could actually be beneficial to the pet community? Maybe reading an article like this will make less doting owners think more upon the hygiene of their pets. Maybe it can serve as an eye opener to groom you pet more often, make more regular visits to a vet, pay attention to warning signs of illness.
At the very least you might be more concious to wash your hands. So please, get off your high horse, and use this spare time to walk your "wonderful dog".
This story is a complete joke and needlessly scares people. There are so many people everywhere that sleep with their pet and I've never read of any coming down with anything. Having a pet sleep with you provides so man good things the list is endless: they cuddle you, they lower our blood pressure, the provide unconditional love, they're always there for us whether we're happy or crying ourselves to sleep, I could go on and on. The love of a pet is priceless.
There is so much misleading and inaccurate information in this article it's amazing. But what do you expect from a writer who uses the phrase "icky bugs" and advises people not to sleep with a tick-infested animal? For Pete's sake, CNN, I have an IQ in the triple digits.
Ridiculous. Absolutely a ridiculous article, and Time picked up on it, too. Alarmism at its worst. Good to see that for once the comments recognize this. What's really disgusting is that for a study like this to be done, somebody had to write a report convincing somebody to fund it, and since it's from the CDC, that means our taxes. You and I paid for this nonsense. The powers-that-be at CDC need to call somebody on the carpet, and CNN and Time editors need to go stand themselves in the corner.
Oh Please! My dogs regularly sleep on my bed. Granted, on top of the covers. Don't even try to take away one of the biggest pleasures in life. I am never cold when it's 8 degrees outside either.
I used to let Fido the Dumbo sleep with me, but then she pooped and puked all over my room. Now she sleeps on the kitchen floor. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time!
And this study IS NOT RIDICULOUS. It's a study, you morons.
THANK YOU!!!!!! the pet lovers just hate that this could be true!!!!!!!!
You're the moron judging from the way you refer to your dog, and kicking him off your bed just because he got sick. As far as him having accidents in the room, sounds like he wasn't properly housetrained. And if he WAS properly trained but suddenly started puking & having accidents, anyone deserving of a pet would have taken the pet to the vet to rule out illness as the cause. Sounds like you don't deserve your pet.
Don't have pets if you don't have the brains to train them properly.
pets can get sick just like people, and you know what- unless seriously ill most pets get sick from something the owners feed them or carelessly leave out. One of my family's dogs who is now gone used to love to eat tube socks and those do not come out nice. When we did have to clean up it was our fault for leaving them out. When we took care of my friend's puppy, if he got into my own dog's food then he got extreme stomach upsets and once again that was our fault and we knew we had to take him outside every hour.
Also, I'm not upset with this article because I am an animal lover. I think it is useless because people just need to use their common sense. Yes I kiss my dog and let her kiss me, but no never on or around either of our mouths.
Another point is that the article does not nearly explain or account for how they know those three cases they presented are related to the pets and/or pets sleeping with them. The man with the hip replacement was in a hospital where it is very likely that a person will contract an illness. Hospital acquired illnesses is a very serious and troublesome problem. Some people think hospitals are clean, but think again. That privacy curtain that you just touched can harbor extreme amounts bacteria and viruses for weeks if not properly sanitized (and guess what- a lot aren't! [this is directly related to the field that I studied in college]) As for the boy in the 70's that slept with a flea infested cat- how do they know the plague was contracted during sleep and not some other time that he had contact with the animal. That is also why this day in age there are flea collars and products such as Advantage and Frontline.
So no, I'm not bashing the article because I am an animal lover (which I proudly am), I'm bashing it because it is a poor excuse of an article with not nearly enough data in it to back it up. Give me some examples (a lot more than 3) of people who exercised basic common sense, still got sick, and that it was scientifically proven their animals caused them to get sick (not just that the animal(s) may have contributed to the illness) and then I will actually take the article seriously.
Is this true? Wow! I don't need to read another line or think for myself. This article is good enough. We must write our lawmakers and get a bill to be approved to immediately ban ALL pets. That is the only way to provide justice to the victims of pets and provide safe-haven for future generations. Ban pets now - including fish tanks! What if - just imagine, someone drank fish tank water by mistake thinking it was Ok and got a stomach ache!? I demand a study on this! While we are at it, we should just mandate humans live in protective bubbles, but only if the bubble is made of safe materials. If not, I say ban the bubbles too! This is outrage! Our safety is at risk due to pets...and I am finding out only now?!
your comment is priceless – thanks for the laugh, I needed it.
The humor is funny but,you sound as if you would drink rain water from the ground without trying to filter it, even though you should know or have been told it is not sanatary????..... I say this because there is nothing wrong with being careful. Yes a lot of people have said they have slept with dogs for years ,that doesn't mean it is sanitary!!!!.......We find new things out everyday that make us change our lives so this could be one of those new things that we have discovered(which people that don't let pets sleep with them already knew)that it's not sainatary!!!!!!...If people want to sleep with their pet that is a right but it doesn't change the fact that it can be very harmfull!!!!!!!!
Well, I've let various dogs in, on, under, around my bed for over sixty years and so far my health has not been compromised. Now if I had another human around to warm up the bed I might be inclined to change my habits, but doubt the current dog would comply.
Don't care my pets worth the risk can't sleep without them
!!!!
Aside from the psychological benefits of sleeping with your dog, you can also share the parasites (worms) your dog carries and carry them he does–everytime he steps outdoors to do his thing he picks up the eggs from the ground, tracks them into the house and right into your bed–on a many times daily basis even if he is wormed per vet. If you wish to sleep with your pet that is fine with me, just be sure to kennel him before coming to visit me. I do not want any dog sitting on my furniture, sleeping in my bed and wiping his anal glands on my white bathroom rugs (this happened to me recently)and the person knew that I did not want pets in my home) Having traveled the world over I regularly do parasite cleanses and you folks sleeping with animals would be wise to do the same! PS The humans I know do not sit on their furniture unclothed and maybe dogs should be diapered-much more hygienic; however how do you prevent a dog licking itself? By the way I do like outdoor pets and always wear shoes in or out doors.
"The humans I know"???? And just what kind of animal are you?
From reading your post hope you have a good psychiatrist, if not get out the yellow pages & make an appt immediately.
This one's for JAKE,. You seem to just want to offer a NEGATIVE silly childlike comment to those submitted by the adults. In doing so you have revealed alot about yourself.
1. You hang out in Toilet's where you see what dogs do there.
2. You do not clean dog feces up in your yard
3. You make assumptions without having facts to support such. For example if people love their Pets according to you they lack a human to live with and or love or both.
4. I Have been married 52 years, four children ,11 Grandchrildren 2 Great Grandchildren.
Given your remarks and the fact you only reply to others and offer no standing position of your own I believe you are most immature and need to grow up, so keep reading however do more of it at the LIBRARY. "NO TALKING"
Fear! Be scared! Dogs are dangerous! Fear! Fear! Meningitis! Disease! Scary! Fear!
While I appreciate the info, I do think they are overstating the risks. I have slept with my dogs...under the covers,,,for 30 years and have never experienced any illness or bugs. I can say that when my kids were little, I caught ALOT from them. I'd choose sleeping with dogs over the kids any day!
okay. you're weird. you'd rather sleep with animal over your kids any day? wow. some of you animal lovers just go too extreme. weirdos.
I'd rather sleep with my dog than some humans I've seen! This article is balderdash!
I am 74 years old and by all accounts in this article I should be sick or dead. I have been sleeping with my pets since I was a young kid.
.?
Animals don't make me feel ill–"studies" like this do.
ha ha–bunch of jack wagons –have slept with a dog(s) since child birth. i currently have 2 labs who sleep with my wife and i as they wish. i'm a pharmacist and laugh at co-workers (unfit poohs) along with you. the issue is not the dog, it is you–be a fit person !
NEWS FLASH: Sleeping next to many humans you'll catch a lot more than from your pet! This article was the dumbest I've ever seen on cnn's main page... I got an idea lets try to put fear in the publics eye anyway we can.... 36 years sleeping everynight with cats and dogs in my bed, never once a single problem
a new scientific study shows using a toilet can post many startling health risks :
A 50 year old male ate some poo after using a toilet and died from bacterial infection
A young girl accidentally fell into a toilet when her brother forgot to put the seat down.
In 1967 a mother of 2 read a chain letter while on a toilet.....thinking it was just junk mail, she flushed the letter down the toilet. 5 days later, she cut her finger in the kitchen while making dinner....oh, and she didn't get the job she applied for...
absolutely startling
Millions People crap, pee, have sx stick fingers in their nose, ears, privates , ect and never wipe or wash their hands then touch all the public door knows, door handles, carts .. Ect. I think people are more nasty than animals..how many animals do you see spread ecoli or the so called stomach flu around?
Dang these CNN automated sensors. I've been trying to post something for the last 20 minutes. Cannot for the life of me figure out why it won't accept it.
Lol I had same problem,, finally took the e out of s....e...x and it posted
Ok. I understand the need for a censor, but wish it would tell you what 'failed' in your post.
In this case, it was the word 'c...o..c..o..o.n' – Oh, now I see it, a potential derogatory, racist term is buried in that word. Who woulda thunk it.
Test. Satin sheets
Watch a dog when it is outside. It licks everything on the ground. There is nothing more contaminated than a dog's mouth. A vet told me that more than 40% of cats have strep in their mouth. Wonder where your child gets a strep throat?
So, kids get strep from mouth kissing cats? Gee! That explains why kids are always sick...most little kids love dogs and cats and they must be kissing them.
BTW, did you know that just about every human has MRSA (methicillin resistant streptococcus aureas) in their nose?
ummm, "sleeps with animals," I think you must mean Staphylococcus aureus. Staph and Strep are two very different groups of organisms. Makes me doubt the rest of your "facts."
No, thats right.
I mean, not the name, but the %.
I've been around and slept with cats in my bed for about 40 yrs now and I've never had strep throat.
NEWS FLASH! S.A.T.I.N. sheets combined with S.A.T.I.N. pajamas can break your neck
One woman, one time in America in the last 200 years slipped out of her bed due to satin on satin "slipperiness" and broke her neck. She is now paralyzed folks! Now don't be alarmed, just be aware of the risks. We're not trying to scare you senselessly, but we are one of many 24 hour news networks desperately trying to find anything new and different to talk about, especially if it can induce any fear. Fear sells folks.
Tomorrow, we'll link to Nancy Grace to scare the daylights out of you with a bunch of statistically insignificant fears for your children.
Our goal is not to turn all of you in quaking masses of fearful goo, but to keep you glued to our TV station and internet site so we can sell advertisements. Don't blame the messenger if your kids end up perfectly socially incapable, immune compromised, and afraid to leave their bubbles.
Please tune in tomorrow for our story on how soft, fluffy teddy bears can endanger your child!
Since the day I was born (literally) cats and dogs have slept with me and I'm quite healthy. I'd rather have my dog (who yes, licks itself) lick my face than to touch the hand of another human. Humans put their hands in nasty places (up their noses, in their crotches, in other peoples crotches, etc) and don't wash their hands often enough. Not to mention those in public coughing, sneezing without covering their mouth/nose and spreading their cold and flu germs. Ugh! I'll take sleeping with an animal any day over that!
OK next time I sleep with my dog I promise not to make out with him or let him lick my non-existent open wound. Glad I read this article.
Old news – this has been kicking around for some time. If you do stupid things, then stupid things will happen. As the commentator and author both stated – a well cared for animal gives you minimal risk. Some of the relationships make me wonder – how was it they determined that the cases of meningitis came from the pet and not from some other source?
They never said they did, the author was just making random associations. Like saying that he got menengits, and he had a dining room table, therefore, he must have gotten menengitis BECAUSE he had a dining room table.
My dog is cleaner than most politicians.
I have a husband, 2 daughters, 2 frogs, some fish, 4 horses, 2 dogs and 6 cats. The husband, daughters, and 4 of the cats have slept with me at some time or another. I have caught all kinds of viral and bacterial infections from my husband and daughters. I have yet to catch anything from the cats or other animals. And the worst culprits – my classroom children. Love them to death but they bring me more cooties than I can shake a stick at. I will keep my family, including the furry ones that are the least likely spreaders of disease in my home.
I just wouldn't sleep in the horse stalls if I were you haha.
I find it so funny how the people who don't have pets bash people who do and assume that they are lonely individuals who can't find a human companion. Get it through your heads people, there are plenty of couples who live together and sleep with their dogs together, too. So knock it off already.
Once, my three dachshunds were behaving exceptionally well. So, I decided to feed them an entire pot roast. Later that night, while I was asleep in my bed with my dogs at my feet, I was brought out of my deep slumber by the smell of something horrific. I rolled to my right, and my foot smooshed into something warm. I instantly knew what it was. It was crap. Crap! There was so much of it that it got between my toes and under my toenails. I was mortified and started yelling at the dogs. They knew they were in trouble, so they shot out of the bedroom and through the doggy door to the safety of outside. I tried to chase them, but I realized after a few feet that I was leaving a crap tail in the shape of my right foot in my carpet. For the next hour, I sanitized the bed, changed the sheets and took a shower. Needless to say, I was tired at work. DON'T EVER LET YOUR DOGS SLEEP IN YOUR BED IF YOU FEED THEM A WHOLE POT ROAST!!!
Thanks for the laugh, I'll keep that in mind. Oh, and well I'm at it, because we humans are all know-it-alls waiting to tell each other how to live their lives, you should not feed your dog people food!
Thanks Fearmonger! I know that NOW! LOL
"Dummy" is exactly right. Fed your good puppies a WHOLE POT ROAST, then yell at them for YOUR stupidity?! DUH? You got exactly what you deserved. Their bodies knew what they had eaten was NOT right for them, so out it came. They do sell plenty of proper doggie treats at the store. When treating them with human food, only allow small portions, DUMMY!
WOW! @ Judy – Saucer of milk, table two! MEOW!!!
We used to put our old dog on our bed when we'd have bad rainstorms because he was scared of thunder and what not. Half the time I think he got sick of our snoring and jumped down in the middle of the night and go back to his own bed. He wasn't allowed under covers, and when he did get up there he laid like an old bag in one spot all night. He was a beautiful dog, well cared for, and clearly very loved. So I had to roll my eyes at this article. What kind of fool does mouth to mouth food transfer with their dog. What kind of dork lets their baby have a pacifier that's been handled by a dog. If anything this article reminds me of the fact that common sense died so very long ago.
Pets are not humans and should not be treated as so, pets do not belong in your bed.
Especially if you feed them pot roast!
For all the previous posters comments, (not scientific, ridiculous, etc) I whole heartedly agree. I don't know why I even bother to check the news any longer. It's either fluffy b.s., or opinion stated as 'fact', in this case stated as 'scientific'. It's sad to see that people are willing to accept the new low our culture has come to with regard to media, and what passes as intelligent discourse. I think we are owed an apology for this article, if not for 99.99% of the rest of the b.s. that's out there.
What is with white people and animals. They are freaking animals, I think some of you people who lack obvious human connections should realize that . Who in their right mind would sleep with freaking animals. What else are you stupid people during with these animals, as a “source of psychological comfort.” IT"S JUST SICK WHITE PEOPLE!
Inquiring minds want to know!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE GIVE ME A FREAKING BREAK. You people act like these creatures are HUMAN! Get A LIFE!
I agree with the fact that you can get SOME sicknesses from sleeping with pets, rarely. But you can get way more by sleeping with another person! But I don't see an article about the dangers of hugging, kissing, cuddling, sleeping with another person!
Those who love their pets and let them sleep on their bed are probably going to continue to do so, just as those of you who love your significant other are (in some cases) going to continue to do the same. We all take risks, if this can be considered one.
You didn't see an article on human to human pathogen or sickness transfer because you didn't look. But I bet if you think for a second you remember reading some articles and hearing some news stories. Every year there are stories about flu and cold, a few years back there were daily stories about avain flu (overblown) and for years there were articles about about Aids, and about sxually transmitted diseases. To put it in perspective thousands or millions of articles have been written about human transfer of disease and as far as I can tell, only one about pets RARELY transfering disease.
The article didn't imply equal risk with getting sick from kids, but it did provide a few points that I hadn't considered before, so I learned something. Will it change my behavior? no, because I have the common sense not to lick the car or dog on the face, or vice-versa, so I will still let the cats sleep on the covers. Am I going to call anybody an idiot for writing the study or publishing the article? No, why would I feed the need to do that?
Well Duh, If your dog is chasing squirells, and running through bushes and stuff of course its going to pick up stuff.
Yeah, well kids are just as gross and germ-ridden and parents allow them to sleep with them.
You know what? You are so right. My friend gets sick WAY more often from her three kids while her three dogs (too many if you have three kids!) have never made her ill.
The diffrence is that a child is a human being,and a pet is not........
Kids typically don't lick their own or other people's privates. C'mon now – you don't know how to discern the difference???
Yeah right. Thats ridiculous. Maybe kids are disgusting and germy to you. Dont breed.
so by the articles own admission it is extremely rare. So why is this news?
Heh, CNN is doing a wonderful job of keeping up with my med school coursework. We just learned about parasites this week, and I was pretty shocked to find out that approximately 30% of people in the US are infected with a parasite called Toxoplasmosis, a parasite that you get from cats. The vast majority of people are asymptomatic, it's only an issue in the immunocompromised (it can cause these nasty brain abscesses) and pregnant women (to the fetus, it can cause spontaneous abortion or, if the child lives, mental retardation).
But still, I agree with the sentiment of the majority of these posts. Other instances of getting infections from pets are pretty slim (and, despite the large prevalence of Toxoplasmosis, as previously stated, it very rarely causes illness), this article shouldn't dissuade anyone from being a pet owner.
CNN must be shut down. I think the example of them hiring Piers Morgan is a perfect example that they have lost touch. CNN has become a trash magazine with most articles being sensational and filled with errors and lies.
BRAVO and thank you! Piers is sooo in love with Himself... gag me! For the weekend re-run they chose the interview with Howard Stern. This says enough to me about the show to know I don't want to watch it. Some time ago the head honcho of Headline News (aka tabloid TV) took over CNN. I was really worried about that decision and now it obvious the guy IS going to take a good news network and model it after HLN trash. Bye-bye CNN. It's really too bad, but gotta have those ratings above quality.
This is like "Wash your hands frequently and never eat off the floor." Really not necessary.
"The probability of getting sick from sharing your bed with your pet is extremely rare..." – GREAT! Another pointless news story that affects almost nobody.
As a retired surgeon, I had a higher incidence of post op infections when people slept with their animals. I would advise them not to while in the process of healing and wearing wound dressings. It's not that I don't love dogs. I do. We've had them for years and they became (a highly valued) part of our family. I don't think there are enormous numbers of disease transers from pets to humans. We have tens of millions of pets here in the U.S. and very few infections. But when they occur they can be disastrous. All I'm asking is for "common sense." sanjosemike
I slept with a real dog once in college. Maybe she felt the same way, though...
LOL
i bet that lady voted for palin or one of teabaggers.....open mouth kissing a dog..really........REALLY?
I just have to say...3 of my dogs sleep with me every night. My Pom sleeps next to me and my 2 Chis sleep under the covers...sometimes I bring my favorite cat in for the night and she sleeps next to the Pom. I have always let my animals sleep with me. And, while I am at work, those three dogs stay in my room and bathroom all day and I am pretty sure they don't do much but lounge around on my bed. I keep them in good health and wash them about once a week. They are way cleaner than most people I know and they are like little heating pads during the winter. They don't run around eating feces and playing in sewage. And no I am not too lonely to enjoy the company of humans. Sometimes one of my kids sleeps with me too. I have a bunch of kids at home and a pretty full life. For those of you that think I am nasty for letting my pets sleep in my bed, I'll just have to say that you are mistaken and I am sorry you don't have the unconditional love that I experience with my dogs.
This is a little off the topic, but does your POM snore like crazy? some times mine snores that lound she wakes me up
Well, I don't know if you would call it snoring, its more like snorfle-ing. He kind of grunts a little bit. And sneezes. He is an older dog and was attacked by a bad bad dog once and nearly killed, so he does not have the use of one of his hind legs...doesn't slow him down much but he did suffer some other injuries which make him a little delicate. But I just love him so much, I don't care that he is a little noisy. He is such a great pet, and he is really attached to me...he waits all day for me to come home and will follow me from room to room unless I tell him to stay. He comes EVERY TIME I call him...such a great dog. He's a little jealous of my little girls (the Chis)! But he loves my favorite cat. They cuddle together.
Anyone who sleeps with animals rightfully belongs in a barn.