# CAT vs DOG **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 27, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488 "2011-07-27T14:56:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![eddiec3434](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cab0a1/32.png) [@eddiec3434](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eddiec3434)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/1 "2011-07-27T14:56:53Z")
Can a cat give a dog a disease? Sorry shoud be in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/2 "2011-07-27T15:09:38Z")
Well, there’s always rabies. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/3 "2011-07-27T16:52:53Z")
As far as I know, dogs and cats can freely exchange rabies, tetanus (rare), and a number of parasites. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/4 "2011-07-27T18:47:10Z")
Diseases that can be transmitted from one species to another are called “zoonotic” diseases. For example, there’s a zoonotic bacterial infection called “leptospirosis” which can be transmitted from cats to dogs and vice versa. It can also be transmitted to and by humans. Link to an article about leptospirosis in cats: [Bacterial Infection (Leptospirosis) in Cats | PetMD](http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_ct_leptospirosis). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/5 "2011-07-27T18:51:30Z")
> [@eddiec3434](#): > > Can a cat give a dog a disease? Sorry shoud be in GQ. So moved, from IMHO to General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/6 "2011-07-27T18:52:21Z")
Worms. I am going to guess that cat \> dog is more common than dog \> cat. Due to the presence of [del]cat poop[/del] chewy yum patties. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/7 "2011-07-27T21:03:41Z")
Are the worms which afflict dogs the same species as those for cats? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/8 "2011-07-27T21:13:37Z")
Uncinaria stenocephala at least. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/9 "2011-07-27T21:33:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Are the worms which afflict dogs the same species as those for cats? Some of them. It really varies widely. You can have generalists like the tapeworm [_Dipylidium caninum_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipylidium_caninum) or semi-specialists like the roundworms [_Toxocara cati_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxocara_cati) and [_Toxocara canis_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxocara_canis). A lot of them prefer one host or another, but can make a jump to another. [Heartworm](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartworm) is a classic example. It is far more common in dogs, but [_can_ be found in cats](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartworm#Feline_heartworm_disease). Meanwhile humans get [pinworms](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinworm), but dogs and cats don’t. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/10 "2011-07-27T21:43:15Z")
Fleas, ticks, and scabies (Sarcoptes scabiei) can also be freely shared between cats and dogs. Same with ringworm, which is actually a fungal infection. In fact, the cat may be asymptomatic and only the dog show clinical signs. This is the reason why, in the “my dog/cat has parasites, what do I do?”-threads, part of the advice is to treat both the animal known to be affected and all the other critters that so far don’t look like they have fleas/ticks/parasites. Also, if a cat attacks a dog, the dog can get an infection with Pasteurella multocida. But I’m guessing that’s not the type of disease transmission you’re referring to. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2011, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-vs-dog/590488/11 "2011-07-28T13:24:48Z")
> [@Toucanna](#): > > Diseases that can be transmitted from one species to another are called “zoonotic” diseases. Actually, no. Zoonotic diseases are those that can be spread from animals to humans. From: [Representative medical dictionary](http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11282): > [@](#): > > Zoonosis: An infectious disease in animals that can be transmitted to people. The natural reservoir for the infectious agent is a animal. > > Examples of zoonoses include rabies (a viral disease that can be transmitted to humans through an infected animal’s bite) and psittacosis (a chlamydial infection resembling influenza that is spread to humans by the droppings of infected birds). > > Anthrax is a zoonosis. It normally affects animals, especially ruminants (such as goats, cattle, sheep, and horses), but can be transmitted to humans by contact with infected animals or their products or by biological warfare.