Pets for people with kidney disease

[Mindy73]

I recently went in for a kidney transplant evaluation and the social worker told me that I am only allowed to have 3 cats (and I am no longer allowed to clean their litter box) and that I need to get rid of my birds now or I can't get the transplant but that even if I didn't need a transplant she said she would still tell me the same thing. So, I Googled what pets can a person with kidney disease have and all I can find are things about pets having kidney disease so I wondered if anyone knows where I can find a list of acceptable pets. I know dogs are OK and up to 3 cats but what about pets that are kept in cages? I know some lizards carry salmonella so I would think they would be out but what about turtles or frogs? What about pets like chipmunks or ferrets? My husband likes weird pets. Thanks.

[Hidden]

Hi, I've heard about keeping home dialysis equipment away from pets but nothing about post-transplant. I'm not interested in receiving a transplant but I did manage to find an interesting article from the CDC, Center for Disease Control, in the USA. I hope it helps you understand better what you can do.

cdc.gov/healthypets/specifi...

[Mindy73 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the article, it was very helpful.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

I never thought of this as in reference to kidney transplants but, I understand. They are not just giving you a hard time. There are certain diseases that animals have that can be spread to humans. They are called zoonotic diseases. I volunteer at our local humane shelter and we had to take classes on the diseases. There are some that can be pretty bad and they often come from bites, scratches or secretions/body fluids from the animals. We have to wash our hands every time we handle an animal. Part of the reason is to not spread diseases to other animals. We had a huge outbreak of distemper recently and had to quarantine everybody. That can be spread by a single hair. Kind of scary, but I love working (volunteering) as an adoption counselor.

Try Googling Zoonotic diseases.

cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zo...

[Mindy73 in reply to Bassetmommer]

Thank you, I never realized how many people get sick every year from animals. That was interesting and a wake up call.

[WYOAnne NKF Ambassador]

What you have to remember is that after a transplant you take meds to prevent rejection (immunosuppressants) and you are in a weakened state. Your immune system is compromised and you can not fight off infection and germs like you did prior to transplant. I am now 19 years post transplant. 2 weeks after my transplant I started running a 101+ temp and wound up back in the hospital for 2 weeks on IV antibiotics.

I also had a good friend that lived across the street from me when I was younger. We were pregnant with our first child at the same time. Her child was born with multiple disabilities related back to her cats litter box.

Sorry, I love my pets, but my LIFE is worth so much more!!!!!!!

Please listen to what they tell you. Life after transplant can be fantastic!

[Mindy73]

Thank you, I'm glad your transplant worked out so well for you.

[CatOnACloud]

Hunh. Must be about their habitats, and their waste, ya know? Birds can carry disease in their poop I know and airborne. I think you know much more about it now, but whew glad it’s only cats for me. Steroids and meds yeah when you’re not used to them systemically especially they can really let germs etc. in. Is there such a thing as exotic pets cafes there should be for your hubby right

[Mindy73 in reply to CatOnACloud]

Thanks for the reply. So far my husband hasn't gotten any exotic pets...lol. I still haven't found any info on it but I haven't really looked too hard for any either. Also found out that we are supposed to stay away from farm animals, so no petting zoos. Which is disappointing because we had actually thought about moving out to the country and getting some chickens, goats, and lamas but oh well that's OK. An exotic pet Cafe is a pretty cool idea!

[Hidden in reply to Mindy73]

Go back up in this thread and read the article I cited 9 months ago regarding pets.

[Mindy73 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, I remember reading that now. That's where I found out about the the farm animals and petting zoos. I forgot about the lizards, snakes, and turtles. Thanks again for the reminder!