What about pets after the transplant?

[mausmish]

The doctors I've spoken with have slightly differing opinions regarding pets after the transplant. We have long-haired cats, 6 of them. Several of them are indoor/outdoor.

All doctors are in agreement that I should not do anything with litter boxes. That is a chore I've happily given up doing since January. We plan to get an apartment near the hospital for the first several months following my transplant, so the cats won't be with us then. However, I'm concerned about going home after that. I've read once source that says you shouldn't have any indoor/outdoor pets. One doctor said it's okay to have the pets but they cannot sleep with you. Two other doctors said the pets were not an issue at all except to stay away from the litter boxes.

What has your experience been with your pets? What sorts of limitations and for how long? Any special handling tips?

Thanks, Karen

[Neil Cuadra]

I think patients hear mixed opinions about this question because nobody wants to tell you to ban all of your pets from the house, even if they present a risk. Most pets spend some time outdoors where they can collect bacteria, some pets may harbor parasites like fleas and ticks, and pets can't be kept sterile. Avoiding the litter box is an obvious precaution. Beyond that we hope it's only a small risk, but it's probably hard to judge.

Why don't all patients play it super-safe and keep all pets away for some number of months post-transplant? They could, but for many families this presents practical problems. Pet boarding is expensive. Friends and relatives may not want to babysit a pet that long. Even more importantly, pets are members of the family. You care about them and their feelings, value their loyalty and affection, enjoy giving them attention, relax by petting them and playing with them. Risk or no risk, they are part of your life, help you feel normal, and are part of your support system.

The way I think of it, it's not really a medical question as much as a personal decision about the value of your pet's companionship, the disadvantages of having them live elsewhere temporarily, and the level of risk you feel comfortable with.

When my wife had her bone marrow transplant we were lucky to have some wonderful neighbors who were more than happy to keep our dog for 100 days (my wife's "home quarantine" period), so we got to play it safe, with no pet in the house. Our kids could visit our dog a few blocks away and our dogsitters took our dog along when they went on hikes so we knew he was getting great exercise and fun. Yes, it felt mean not to let him stay home, but dogs are very forgiving and once he was home again it was just like old times.

[mausmish]

Great response - thanks. We already decided our house isn't ideal for the first 100 days. Besides the cats, we live in the woods in an a-frame (hard to clean the dust out of the peak) and our family room and bedroom in the damp cool basement. Thus our decision to get an apartment for the first few months and letting friends and family take care of our house and pets. But we're still nervous about the long term.

The pets ARE a part of the family. We don't have any young children to carry home germs from school, so that's a plus. ;-) Seriously, though, does anyone have pointers for minimizing the pet risk, especially during that first year? Is there some kind of petsafe antiseptic to wipe them down or brush them with? We keep up with all their vaccinations and flea and tick preventatives. We plan on moving our bedroom upstairs and shutting the cats out of it.

[squirrellypoo]

Hi Karen.

We only have one cat, but he's a long hair and truly provides more entertainment, love, and delight on a daily basis than anything else I can think of. The only guidance I was given was to completely avoid all contact with the litter (and for it to be changed often - when it was, I was in a totally separate room to avoid any airborne dust), and for the first 100 days or so, to wash and disinfect my hands immediately after petting the cat.

I think your decision to stay in a flat for the first month is a wise one, but I don't think you should worry about your house after that. Keep it as clean as you can, but you need to recognise how much better and relaxed you feel at HOME instead of somewhere rented. Sleeping in your own bed, with your own things, and familiar surroundings will be better for you than any slightly elevated risk of infection.

No one lives in a sterile bubble, but we live on a boat that's often damp, mouldy, dusty, full of cat hair, and midway through renovations (and will be for the next ten years). We of course tried to keep it as clean as possible when I was ill, but there's so many other sources of infection out there that I wouldn't write off the comforts of home just because it might not be straight out of Martha Stewart. And at the end of it all, my meningitis, EBV, liver infection, and estrogen depletion weren't caused or even exacerbated by anything lurking on the boat!!

I think hiring a cleaner for a few months would be a better use of your money than staying away from your home and pets for an extended period of time.

[mausmish]

It's so great to hear from you, Melissa! How are you? Thank you very much for your kind reply. It was very reassuring. Your kitty is beautiful - he looks like my Samson.

I'm eager to hear about your wedding. You've been on my mind a lot these past weeks.

[Laura]

Karen, I have an orange cat named Simon who is my BABY! He always slept with me and rubbed all over my face, etc.

My doctors were okay with me keeping him but said NO litter box. I had my husband clean the litter box after I had gone to bed so I would not be around the dust of cleaning it. I did not let Simon in my bedroom or to sleep with me for the first 100 days or so. After I touched him I washed my hands or tried to. I also tried to not let him rub all over my face.

The doctors basically told me to have NO contact with the cat at all. He could stay in the house but keep him away from me at all times. I couldn't do that. He is my baby. So I did the above and I survived okay

Laura

[mausmish]

Thanks, Laura! We have two red (really orange) and white cats named Maya and Tommy. The reds have always been my favorite color. It's nice to hear we're not the only ones so attached to our pets.

[Laura]

Yes, aren't pets the best?

It was very hard for me to not have him sleep with me. I missed it but told myself it would only be for a short time. He of course didn't understand and would sit by the door and meow and scratch at the door. I felt horrible!

I would say just don't clean the litter and don't let them rub all over your face and wash your hands and you will be fine!

Laura

[Mary4Mike]

I must comment on this pets after transplant thread. What we were told was not to go out and add new puppies or kittens to the family, but just use common sense....no face licking, use hand cleaner after petting, have someone else "clean up" after them, etc. We have two Old English Sheepdogs and Mike didn't have a problem.

Also, this whole thing about "house sterilization" was something that was never addressed during all the pretransplant orientation. I just did my regular cleaning - nothing extra. Mike came home on Day 12 . We had hand sanitizers on the tables next to our living room chairs to use after petting the dogs. We also had them on the bedside tables for easy access because we let our pets on the bed with us.

I didn't have to gown up in the hospital when visiting. I even took naps in bed with Mike with my street clothes on. I have to admit that I was a little bit surprised at the "laid back" practices of the hospital. Mike had to use a mask in the hall, but we were allowed to leave the floor and go to an inside garden within the hospital.

I suppose every facility has their protocols about these things. The U of M Hospital is highly accredited and Mike never experienced any problems.

[mausmish]

It's very reassuring to hear that Mike's done so well! I noticed that most of the doctors I've seen in the past year tend to take a more common sense approach than the sterile environment advocated in older publications. One of my doctors said it's because they've discovered that most of the ill effects come from organisms that are already residing in the patient rather than from external sources.

[mausmish]

Melissa, here's our black Persian:

[squirrellypoo]

Heehee! Ooh you're right, they do look alot like each other! Thanks for the photo!

[ann]

My husband has MDS and has not had a transplant. We do not have any pets in our home but we do have grandpets. A cat who comes many miles to see us and loves my husband. He is bathed, brushed and given instructions on what he can and cannot do (he does as he pleases). We also have a grandpuppy (grown but we still call him grandpuppy) a boxer owned by our perfect granddaughter. Unagi loves to come see us. Our granddaughter asks him if he wants to go see grann & poppy and he runs to the bathroom to get in the shower with her. He loves to take showers but knows that he gets one when he comes over. The visits of these pets sure do perk us up.
I agree that hiring a cleaning person and going home would make you feel much better. We did that when my husband became ill because I was under stress as well and just couldn't seem to get everything done. Thank God for the twice a month cleaning that I can't find time to do. God bless all of you and loved seeing the pics of your cats.