Pets During Chemotherapy
Pets are part of everyday life for a family. However, this routine changes when a family member receives chemotherapy. Side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, fatigue, and a lowered immune system. Your child can get sick more easily when their immune system is low. Taking extra safety measures with your pets helps to keep your child healthy. These precautions help prevent infections. Some of these precautions involve relying on other family members or friends to help with pet care.
Dogs, Cats, and Birds at Home
Fighting off infections is more difficult for your child when their immune system is low. Your child can still interact with their dogs and cats. However, consider limiting your child’s activities with their pets during chemotherapy. These limitations help keep your child safe:
Direct contact
Petting dogs and cats is ok, but make sure your child washes their hands afterward. Dogs and cats can carry dirt and germs in their fur. Keep in mind that cats clean their fur with their own tongue. One important step for your child is to avoid contact with the body fluids of dogs and cats. This includes saliva, urine, feces, and vomit. These fluids contain bacteria that cause infection. Children receiving chemotherapy should not empty litter boxes, pick up dog waste, or clean bird cages. Let another sibling or adult handle these responsibilities.
Indirect contact
Small children are used to being on the floor. They might be crawling, rolling, or climbing. They have easy access to objects on the floor and in baskets. Keep dog and cat toys away from children, since these toys may contain saliva and other bacteria from pets. Consider using a baby gate to block off your child’s room or the living room. This reduces the amount of time the dog spends on that floor. Children might touch surfaces that have been exposed to fluids from pets. Ensure that your child washes their hands before taking medications or eating food. While children are undergoing chemotherapy, do not allow pets to sleep in the bed with children. This prolonged contact can increase the spread of bacteria from animal to child.
Keeping your pets healthy
Keeping your pets free of infection helps keep your child free of infection. Make sure that your pets are up to date on their vaccinations. Do not allow your dog to drink out of the toilet. Consider installing a toilet lid lock. If possible, limit your dog’s outdoor time to walks and bathroom breaks while your child’s immune system is low. Keep cats indoors. This helps reduce the amount of bacteria and parasites they might bring into the home. Check the expiration date of pet food to ensure it has not spoiled. If your pet gets sick, it could pass something on to your child.
Monitoring the activities of children and your pets takes up extra time. This affects your already busy routine. Sassy Carmen offers their Buddy System program to help take some items off your plate. They assist with errands, chores, and offer emotional support.
Reptiles and Rodents
Reptiles and rodents are more likely to transmit disease compared to other pets. Reptile-associated salmonellosis (RAS) is a bacteria. It is found in the feces and on the skin of reptiles. Approximately 6% of RAS cases in humans are linked to direct contact with reptiles. Symptoms in humans include diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. RAS is most commonly found in snakes, lizards, and tortoises. A lower incidence is seen in turtles.
Rodents can also carry disease. Rodents can spread salmonella, ringworm, “rat bite fever,” and other diseases. Even if your child does not hold the animal directly, they can still pick up bacteria from other surfaces.
Consider asking a family member or friend to care for these pets in their own homes while your child receives chemotherapy. Bacteria from reptiles and small mammals can cause infection. Symptoms of infection can be more severe in children with a low immune system. It can be difficult for children to be separated from their scaly or whiskered companions. If a family member or friend is watching these pets, ask them to send photos and videos of your child’s pet. Sharing these images with your child helps them to continue to feel connected to their beloved pet.
Interaction with Animals Outside of the Home
Taking cautionary measures with pets in your home reduces the risk of infection. However, your child might still interact with animals outside of the house. While your child is receiving chemotherapy, limit your child’s direct contact with animals.
Avoid petting zoos during this time. Before visiting the homes of other people with pets, kindly ask them to keep their pets in a room or in the backyard while your child visits. Notify your child’s schoolteacher about your child’s animal limitations. This allows your teacher to form a plan when there is a class pet or a show-and-tell involving animals.
Do not take in stray animals or adopt animals during this time. New animals might be sick and need to be treated. They might need to be vaccinated. Foster animals are also a risk. It is best to wait until after your child completes chemotherapy. Ask your child’s oncologist when it will be safe for your child to have close contact with their pets again.
Benefits of Pet Companionship
Limiting interactions with animals is a way to keep your child safe during chemotherapy. However, pets are important to children. Pets are a source of companionship. They are often seen as family members. Some studies have shown that children with dogs have lower levels of anxiety. Keep in mind that this is a temporary phase. This short-term distancing from pets is only while your child’s immune system is low.
Staying Safe yet Connected
Families are used to close contact with pets. However, children receiving chemotherapy have a lower immune system. Changes are made to help protect your child’s health. Limiting activities with pets will help to reduce the chance of your child getting sick. Sometimes pets need to be in a different home for a short time. Children can still stay connected through photos and videos. Pets continue to provide mental, emotional, and even physical health benefits to children.
Avoiding contact with animals because your child’s immune system is low can be challenging. Planning and creating immune-boosting meals can be difficult to do on your own. Sassy Carmen offers the Sassy Kids Nutrition Program to make this process easier. This program offers to work with your assigned certified dietitian from the hospital to create personalized meals to match your child’s nutritional goals.
References
Caring for Pets During Your Cancer Treatment. (2024, February 13). American Cancer Society. Retrieved on August 5, 2025. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/survivorship/coping/caring-for-pets-during-cancer-treatment.html
Gadomski, A.M., Scribani, M.B., Krupa, N., Jenkins, P., Nagykaldi, Z., Olson, A.L. (2015) Pet Dogs and Children’s Health: Opportunities for Chronic Disease Prevention? Preventing Chronic Disease, 12. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd12.150204.
Jones, V. (2023, April 11). 8 do’s and don’ts for pet owners during cancer treatment. MD Anderson Cancer Center. https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/8-do-s-and-don-ts-for-pet-owners-during-cancer-treatment.h00-159617856.html
Pees, M., Brockmann, M., Steiner, N., Marschang, R.E. (2023). Salmonella in reptiles: a review of occurrence, interactions, shedding and risk factors for human infections. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 11. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2023.1251036
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, January 30). Small Mammals. https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/about/small-mammals.html
Varela, K., Brown, J. A., Lipton, B., Dunn, J., Stanek, D., Behravesh, C. B., Chapman, H., Conger, T. H., Vanover, T., Edling, T., Holzbauer, S., Lennox, A. M., Lindquist, S., Loerzel, S., Mehlenbacher, S., Mitchell, M., Murphy, M., Olsen, C. W., & Yager, C. M. (2022). A review of zoonotic disease threats to pet owners: A compendium of measures to prevent zoonotic diseases associated with non-traditional pets: Rodents and other small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, backyard poultry, and other selected animals. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 22(6), 303–360. https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2022.0022
Anne, RN, BSN, is a registered nurse and freelance writer with over 15 years of nursing experience, including oncology, kidney transplant, and case management. She enjoys beach activities, Jazzercise, and improving the quality of life for others through health education.
