Question – Must I Avoid My Pets?
(photo from Facebook)
A question came across my news feed, “do I need to avoid my dog when I get home from the hospital after my heart surgery?” A legitimate question, but one I would never think of asking myself. In fact, quite the opposite, I am a firm believer in pet therapy. I wrote about it twice in my book “Paul’s Heart – Life As A Dad And A 35-Year Cancer Survivor.”
My cat played a pivotal role as I went through my cancer treatments. And then 18 years later, my 105-pound golden retriever played a major role following my open heart surgery. Though unlike my cat, with him, I did have a legitimate concern. His whole life, I had rough-housed with him, and allowed him to greet me at the door by standing up on his hind legs, jumping on me. With a surgically repaired sternum (breast bone), this was going to be a major concern. My dog had not seen me in over a week, and clearly he would be more than excited to see me, and I desperately feared him jumping on me or worse, knocking me over.
(photos of my cat and my golden retreiver)
But when I walked through the front door, I was surprised to see him walk up to me calmly, as if sensing something was off. He circled around me, and then just stood by my side, and I gave him a good head rub for being a “good boy.” During the rest of my recovery, it felt unusual that he did not bother me to play or do other things that we normally did. He was content just to stay by my side.
(my late father with a therapy dog during his chemo treatment)
That is why I am such a firm believer in “therapy” pets. I believe they can make such a difference in helping a patient to heal. I first saw a therapy pet in action with my father, and then experienced it myself.
So, the easy answer to the question, “do I need to avoid my pets?”, whether it be during treatments, or recovery from heart surgery, is no. But there are risks and precautions that should be taken, and honestly, care should be taken regardless even if you are a normally healthy person.
The last thing a person going through treatment or recovering from heart surgery needs, is an infection.
(photo from USA Today)
Even if harmless play, a scratch or a “nip” from a cat’s teeth, can quickly turn lethal with someone dealing with a compromised immune system. A cat’s mouth (and dog’s) is filled with bacteria that if breaking the skin, will send that bacteria directly into the bloodstream. And of course there is this… both cats and dogs guilty of butt-licking.
(photo courtesy of Shutterstock)
(photo courtesy of Gray Animal Hospital)
And then there is this toxic waste dump, the litter box. Just as pregnant women need to be careful cleaning the litter box, so do cancer patients and cardiac patients. Dust, bacteria, germs, and other issues (like amonia) can be inhaled while cleaning. Wearing a mask while cleaning the litter box is always recommended.
As I have said, I have had both cats and dogs. So now I am going to move on to my canine friends and the risks they present. I am a large dog guy, and so from a heart surgery standpoint, the risk of him jumping on my chest was a legit concern. But regardless of size, because even the little dogs can pull hard, leash pulling is harmful to those with a repaired sternum, or not needing the cardiac stress from the pull, or if going through cancer treatments, weakness. And again, regardless of size, falling or tripping over a dog who just so happened to pick the perfect spot for them to lay in, or even their toys that may be laying around. If recovering from heart surgery, you likely have a weight restriction, so that means no lifting bags of pet food (dog or cat).
If you deal with pet allergies, this could be a concern, and could cause issues with your recovery. You should consult your doctor for any precautions that are recommended, but the last thing you want is to make your issues worse from pet dander.
While normally pets are more known for the reduction of stress they provide, some, even though unintentionally can create more if they require strenuous care, or constantly wake up in the middle of the night interrupting deep sleep, or if they trigger anxiety due to behavioral issues.
But no, under normal circumstances you do not need to avoid your pets as you go through cancer treatments or recover from heart surgery. Simple and practical precautions that should be followed anyway even if a healthy person; washing hands after handling pets, do not let pets lick surgical wounds, keep claws trimmed and dull, have someone else handle litter boxes and picking up poop, be careful of “pulling” when walking, and most importantly if a heart surgery patient, protect that chest from anyone jumping on it.
The most important thing is to watch for any sign of infection developing, especially from a scratch or bite. It takes no time for an infection to go septic, and if you read “Paul’s Heart,” you know that is not good.
Paul's Heart 