Will having a dog or cat at home endanger my pregnancy?

Will having a dog or cat at home endanger my pregnancy?

Jay Goldberg (Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center) gives expert video advice on: Can I have artificial sweeteners while I'm pregnant?; Can I get my hair colored or my nails done during my pregnancy?; Can I smoke during my pregnancy? and more...

A dog at home should not endanger your pregnancy. A cat at home should not endanger your pregnancy either, yet you should not change the cat's litterbox. If you have to change the cat's litterbox, then I recommend you use gloves. And if you have no gloves, but have to change the cat's litterbox, then absolutely wash your hands thoroughly with soap immediately afterward. There's a parasite called toxoplasmosis that could endanger your pregnancy, that uniquely lives in two places, uncooked meat and cat faeces. And so an outdoor cat more likely than not will have been exposed to toxoplasmosis that can live in cat faeces. And if you come into contact with that and indirectly ingest this, then it can affect the baby and be quite serious.