This article is written by a pediatrician. It gives some "overall" ok advice but I'd like to expound on a few things Doc didn't say and I think he should've said them because frankly, he should know them.
One: While pets do carry "germs" it's been shown that kids exposed to MORE have better immune systems, then those raised in a fear induced bubble of germophobia. Yes, appropriate precautionary sanitation measures are indicated. But many children and adults a like have gotten licked, scratched and rubbed on with NO ill effects.
NOTE: Immunocompromised people are a different group and I am NOT referring to them.
Two: He never mentions keeping the pet on a monthly deworming protocol which IS key because there are some nasty zoonotic infections that often hit children - i.e., roundworms which can migrate to the eyes and other organs in children - called Ocular and Visceral Larval Migrans. Yeah, I learned that in vet school too. Not sure how much of this stuff gets covered in med school. I always emphasize this fact to families especially - it's good medicine anyhow but most people want to protect their kids above themselves.
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