Peritonitis and zoonosis: your best friend sometimes isn't!

Approximately 60% of all households in the United States have a pet, with about 74.8 million owning a dog and 25% having two dogs. There are approximately 88.3 million cat owners in the USA, with 56% of them having more than one cat (1). While the bond with animals for companionship goes back 10 000 – 15000 years, domestic pets are also capable of transmitting diseases and causing injury. Zoonoses are one of the negative aspects to pet ownership and have consequences for individuals, especially those with compromised immunity such as patients with chronic kidney disease. Three cases of peritonitis involving domestic pets occurring in the past 2 years have underlined the need for awareness of these unusual causes of peritonitis, as they are preventable episodes that can be easily addressed in the training and care of patients with pets.