hallenhe
Avid Member
When our animals (chameleon, dog, cat, horse, etc.) get sick, this is generally a Bad Thing, we take them to the vet, and there's usually some intervention needed. But (I was thinking about this yesterday, as I laid on the couch with a head cold), we get sick all the time with minor ailments that, while not very much fun, are self-limiting and tend to go away in a day or two.
Is this not the case with domestic (or wild animals)? Is there no chameleon equivalent to a head cold (not necessarily a rhinovirus, just a self-limiting disease that makes the animal feel crummy for a day or two, then is overcome by the immune system)? Or do the mild diseases exist, but we don't see them in captivity (if I were the only human kept in a city of reptiles, I might never get a cold due to lack of exposure to other humans that could pass along the disease)? Are humans more prone to minor illnesses due to city living and other artifacts of civilization?
Just some things I've wondered about on and off.
Is this not the case with domestic (or wild animals)? Is there no chameleon equivalent to a head cold (not necessarily a rhinovirus, just a self-limiting disease that makes the animal feel crummy for a day or two, then is overcome by the immune system)? Or do the mild diseases exist, but we don't see them in captivity (if I were the only human kept in a city of reptiles, I might never get a cold due to lack of exposure to other humans that could pass along the disease)? Are humans more prone to minor illnesses due to city living and other artifacts of civilization?
Just some things I've wondered about on and off.
