Can my dog catch my cold?

We love to hug and kiss our pets but should we do this if we have a cold?  Can they catch it from us?   No, there’s no chance of passing your germs on, the viruses that cause colds are specific to each species.  We can’t catch kennel cough from dogs either.  Thank goodness, I can hear you saying!

It’s not the same with every virus though, influenza is much more adaptable and can jump from one animal species to another, birds, pigs, horses, dogs and human have all been shown to pass it on.  Other bacterial diseases are even more contagious and tuberculosis which is a very nasty and serious illness can be caught from humans by both cats and dogs.