4 DISEASES YOUR DOG MIGHT BE CARRYING

Your dog's mouth, coat and paws may not be as clean as you think.

In fact, your dog could easily be carrying infectious bacteria that can make you and your family sick.

Dogs love to roll around in the dirt and grass but when they do, they can pick up some infectious diseases that can be passed along to you. These are called zoonotic diseases.

Here are just 4 examples:

1. Parasite eggs - Your dog can ingest parasite eggs or pick them up on his paws and coat whenever he comes in contact with infected garden soil or sand. When you touch your dog, that infection can be transmitted to you.

2. Bird droppings - Inhaling the dust from dried bird droppings can cause a bacterial disease called psittacosis. If your dog sniffs dried bird droppings, he will inhale the dust. If he walks through the dried bird droppings or rolls around in them, the dust gets on his paws and in his coat. When you pet him or hug him, you can inhale the dust and become infected.

3. Dog urine - Coming into contact with infected dog urine causes a bacterial infection called leptospirosis. Infected urine can easily get on your dog's paws or coat. If you touch him (or anything that has come into contact with the infected dog urine), you can also become infected.

4. Ringworm - This disease has nothing to do with worms. It is a contagious fungal infection that be passed from your dog to you through contact.

So what can you do to protect your dog, your family and yourself?

Good hygiene is the key ... for both of you.

Your dog may LOOK clean, but considering the nasty things he can come into contact with on a daily basis, it's best to make sure that he really IS clean. So, good grooming is essential.

Some dogs need to be bathed every month or two, while others must be groomed every week. If your dog spends a lot of time outdoors or if he has a long thick coat, he needs to be bathed more often. And any time you notice doggy odor, it means it's also time for a bath.