Toxoplasmosis Scare!

[yoyo93]

Hey there!
I don’t know if I’ve had a bit of a scare but I am scared right now to be honest.
Anyways I have a puppy and he’s the best but today I was in the garden with him, a couple of hour ago now just before it got dark and I saw him rolling in something and eating something and I went over and I’m 99.9% sure that it was cat poo, he came back in after I told him to stop and he was smelling! We have a cat that comes in the garden that I’ve seen him go to toilet in our garden loads of times, but I didn’t think anything of it and I picked up my pup to bath him, so I was holding him for a little while, while I grabbed the towel and dog shampoo and now I’m scared I’ve contracted toxoplasmosis some how, I am so gutted for being so stupid picking him up and carrying him around and him trying to lick my face and stuff, what should I do? I’m not sure what to do

Any advice please??

Did you wash your hands after? If so, I really wouldn't worry, the risk is tiny.

Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women have pet cats and have no problems. Only 1 in 10,000 babies in the UK are born with toxoplasmosis and the chances of you having it are minuscule

Nothing you can do.
There's only a chance. It doesnt mean every time you come in contact it will happen.

I'm sure you'll be fine.

As long as you didn't get cat poo on your hands and then put your hands in your mouth without washing them then I wouldn't worry

As long as you washed your hands properly after it will be fine. I have 3 cats, cleaned their litter trays throughout my pregnancy and was totally fine!

@ShalomToYouJackie yeah as soon as I washed him and like realised I jumped in the shower myself and put new pjs on and so on, I’m pretty sure I didn’t put my hands near my face but I honestly can’t remember now if I did or not to be honest! Just freaked out more than anything! I was brought up with cats my whole life so I’m wondering maybe I’ve had it before and now I’m immune, I’m hoping anyways 🤞

I forgot to say I’m 12 weeks pregnant as well I am

It can not be absorbed through your skin. So long as you washed your hands throughly you will be fine.

Our dog ate cat poo today, she was banished to her bed for it. Apparently it smells really appealing to dogs, gross!! If you drink filter coffee, try saving it and sprinkling it around your garden. Cats aren't keen on the smell so it can put them off toileting there, I do it on out front lawn and it works if I put it down often enough.

I asked my midwife to add toxoplasmosis to all the blood tests they do early on because I have cats and had been gardening before I found out I was pregnant, she just ticked an extra box and then gave me the results with the rest when they came back (negative, btw). If you're really concerned maybe ask if you can have a test for it? I think mine was at my booking in appointment so you might have already had that, but could ask anyway?

Thanks both! Just concerned as when I moved out of my parents I stopped living with cats then so nearly 3 years now and I just have my pup and the cat that lives somewhere around here that loves to come into my garden! I’ll definitely be doing that coffee trick!!
Yeah I’ll ask for that to be added on, I have my dating scan this Friday now so I’m hoping all is good!

It might well be that you already had toxoplasmosis and are immune.
I was brought up with cats and moved out of my parents 7 years ago , not living with pets since and my blood test last summer revealed i had already had it (big relief).

[quote yoyo93]@ShalomToYouJackie yeah as soon as I washed him and like realised I jumped in the shower myself and put new pjs on and so on, I’m pretty sure I didn’t put my hands near my face but I honestly can’t remember now if I did or not to be honest! Just freaked out more than anything! I was brought up with cats my whole life so I’m wondering maybe I’ve had it before and now I’m immune, I’m hoping anyways 🤞[/quote]
If you had cats for years you've probably had it without realising.

Thank you guys! My mind is at rest! I’m definitely going to phone the midwife today and ask for the test anyways and just explain to her too!
I’m just really trying to remember if I washed my hands before I jumped in the shower to have a wash and touched my body! My memory is shocking I’m really hoping I did otherwise I’ve infected myself somehow at this point! (Sorry just ranting now haha)

Just to add I think it takes about 2 weeks for toxoplasmosis to show up in a blood test, so maybe wait a couple of weeks for the test or it could potentially be a false negative and you wouldn't know! Although like others have said, the risk is really low.