Baby and Bow-wow: Can they co-exist?

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Tuesday, 20 January 2009 07:56

Baby and Bow-wow: Can they co-exist? You love your pets and you love your baby. But there are certain facts that you need to know before you put the two of them together...
Quite understandably, your baby brings out your most protective side. What's sauce for the goose and the gander, may

not necessarily be sauce for the gosling! While you may have relished having Fluffy the dog cuddling with you in your bed or Fifi the cat rolling gleefully over your freshly laundered clothes, the advent of Junior may make these actions set the alarm bells ringing. The primary fears that new parents – even the most ardent animal-loving ones – have are that their pets will compromise the baby's health and safety. Hygiene, allergens, behaviour, are all called into question. And there will be many relatives and friends advising you against keeping pets while you have young kids in the home.
Well, first things first... if you already have a pet in the home, it's imperative that you think all this through BEFORE you decide to have a baby too. Because having a pet is like having a baby and you wouldn't think of giving away your baby to make room for another one, would you? Your pet loves you and is dependent on you for love, care, shelter and food, just as your child will be. Abandoning or getting rid of your existing pet is a crime, so please allow your maternal instinct to take that into consideration. Assess whether you have the space, time, energy and financial resources to have both, a pet as well as a baby.
Once all these factors are considered, you can start to understand how, with a bit of extra caution and adjustment, your baby can get the most out of sharing a home with your pet. According to Dr Veena S Kumar, from the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, Goa, “Pets make excellent companions for children, especially those who don't have a sibling. But pets should be fully vaccinated in order to avoid harmful diseases. Pet care is essential too, with regular cleaning and brushing, etc.” However, she advises that the baby be kept away from the animal till he is about six-seven months old. “But slowly, you should try and introduce him to the pet from a distance. When you first bring the baby home, show him to the pet. At times, the pet expresses jealousy by not eating. So, it's important that you don't ignore the pet and be affectionate towards him as well,” she says.
Noted veterinarian and animal activist Dr Deepa Katyal from Mumbai, believes there is no problem in having a pet around a newborn baby, especially once you've seen that the child is not allergic to the animal. She says, “Even if one of the parents has asthma, it doesn't mean that the child will develop any allergies. But yes, hygiene is a factor you just have to consider. You must ensure that your pet is clean. Use anti-fungal and anti-septic shampoo occasionally to prevent any secondary infections. If you have adopted a street dog and are worried about hygiene, you can get the dog professionally groomed before you introduce him to your child.”
Dr Shakuntala Lavasa, paediatrician and allergy specialist from Chandigarh, too, believes that as long as your family doesn't show a history of allergies, it's fine to allow your child to interact with your pet (under supervision, of course). “Having a pet at home definitely helps psychologically, as it provides companionship and has a stress-busting effect on the children, especially in cases where parents are working and the child is alone at home.”

Making the introductions
Dr Lavasa cautions, “Although there is no ideal age to introduce your baby to the pet, it's important that parents keep a newborn baby away from the pet. Animal behaviour is unpredictable and even a tiny scratch can result in infection. Also, if you already have a pet at home, don't let the pet sleep in the same bedroom to ensure that the baby's exposure to allergens is not prolonged.”
According to Dr Katyal, “What's essential is the right form of introduction of the pet and the baby. Generally female dogs are more accepting of babies than male dogs because they share the same maternal hormones as women. It is not unheard of for a female dog to become emotional or go under pseudo-pregnancy and start being protective of the child. Even in case of male dogs, the right amount of attention makes a lot of difference. First try to socialise the pet with other children, it can be your neighbour's child or your relative's. The entire process has to be closely monitored. A lot depends on the age, breed and temperament of the animal. If you have an aggressive dog at home, then there can be a problem. For example, a German Shepherd is a single owner dog. So if the lady of the family is attached to the dog and is going to have a child, then it can become difficult for the dog to adjust to the new child.”

MumSpeak
Thirty-year-old Sugandhi Shridharan has two dogs – Daisy, a Pomeranian and Diana, a mixed breed. “I have an adopted daughter Pavitra, who is now one-and-a-half years old. Daisy was uncomfortable when we brought Pavitra home. She kept sniffing the child and moved about uneasily. But after a day, she was okay.” Sugandhi admits that initially she was a bit hygiene conscious. “When Pavitra was younger, she would try to grab food from Daisy and Diana's bowls; she would also go to kiss them and I would scold her.” But now they play together and my pets are equally affectionate towards Pavitra.” She recalls an instance when her daughter had done something to upset her and Sugandhi raised her hand, it was Daisy, who stood in front of the child. Diana, in turn started licking Sugandhi to distract her. “I take good care of my pets so have no reason to worry about them causing any harm to my child. Daisy and Diana are so protective towards Pavitra that they try to prevent outsiders from carrying her. They even sleep in the same room,” she says.

Make sure
- You spend time with your pet
- Your pet has his immunisations and is dewormed
- There should be no fleas or ticks on the animal
- The animal doesn't lick the young baby
- Your hands are washed before you prepare food

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