Sexually transmitted diseases in humans is common knowledge. STDs in cats and dogs is not common knowledge. If you have a cat or dog and have not spayed or neutered your pet, there is a lot more at risk than your cat spraying all of the furniture or your dog aggressively and sexually attacking everything that moves. Here are some of the sexually transmitted diseases your pets can contract if you choose not to spay or neuter them.

FIV, or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (Cat AIDS)

Feline IV and feline AIDS can be transmitted sexually between cats, even if one of the cats is fixed but receptive to the advancing cat. The virus exists in all of an infected cat's mucosa, which includes the anus and vagina. Spaying or neutering your cats and keeping them indoors keeps them from coming into contact with infected cats and prevents them from going on the prowl for sex with potentially infected animals. It can also be passed in saliva, which often infects cats during aggressive mating behavior where biting to subdue the female is common.

Canine Herpes Virus

Dogs can get herpes through dog-to-dog breeding and mating. A pregnant bitch that has contracted canine herpes can actually cause the death of her unborn and newborn pups by transmitting the disease to the pups in utero or through her milk. Once your dog has canine herpes, nothing can be done to rid your dog of the virus. The only way to avoid this canine STD entirely is to spay or neuter your dog.

Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumors

Dogs infected with this disease transmit it most often through doggy oral sex, but mating dogs can give it to each other too. The horrifying aspect is that this STD causes the infected dogs to develop cancerous tumors, which when left unchecked or unnoticed, will kill your dog. The solution is simple--if your dog is not mating or having sex with other dogs and is not interested in doing so, he or she will not contract this potentially lethal disease.

Pet Viruses, Mating Behavior and the Possibility of Sexual Transmission

Although there is no solid evidence that says cats and dogs transmit other diseases sexually, there are a few diseases, like Feline Leukemia Virus, that indicate it may be possible for the disease to cross into the bloodstream of a healthy animal from an infected animal. Since most diseases can be passed from females to their offspring, either in the wombs or in their milk, it is possible that female pets that bleed while in heat can contract other viral infections during a sexual encounter. If you want to let your pets roam or spend a lot of time outside, get them spayed and neutered to protect their genital and overall health.

For professional veterinary care, contact a facility such as Norwin Veterinary Hospital.

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