Salmonella shedding sites in dogs and cats?

• A. Urine and tears
• B. Skin and fur
• C. Blood and lymph
• D. Feces and saliva

Answer: (D)

Salmonella is primarily shed by dogs and cats in their feces because it colonizes the gastrointestinal tract and is excreted with stool, making fecal contamination the main route for environmental and zoonotic spread. Saliva can also carry the bacteria, especially during active infection or when animals lick contaminated surfaces or people, so saliva is another possible shedding route. Urine and tears, skin and fur, or blood and lymph are not typical sites from which Salmonella is shed in healthy dogs and cats, so those routes are unlikely sources of transmission. In practice, this means focusing on proper hand hygiene after handling animals or their waste, cleaning and disinfecting areas where the animals live, and avoiding contact with saliva when possible to reduce transmission risk.