Should I worry?

Question
I share a yard with my tenants. They have an adult dog and 2 adult outdoor cats. The dog has a crusty nose that peels and leaves it's nose pink looking and a periodic eye discharge. The cats at times have a mild cough, one has a white discharge in one eye, the other has a sort of bloody looking discharge in both eyes. None of the animals look seriously ill, but I asked the tenants about it. They told me that all three animals had a tick borne virus that is incurable but is not catching, and that the only treatment they can give them is steroids when the symptoms get severe. They could not recall the name of the virus. I have been contemplating getting a dog of my own, but I am concerned that if I did, it would catch whatever the other animals have, the tenants say don't worry it't not catching. Should I wait to get a dog until these other animals are off the property?

Answer
It is highly unlikely that all three of these animals share the same disease from a tick. The chances are pretty impossible. It sounds like these animals are unvaccinated and untreated medically. Dogs with a nose like that have either pemphigus or lupus, not a tick-borne disease.

Cats with ocular discharges have either chlamydia, herpes virus, rhinotracheitis, or leukemia, all of which are contagious. I would not trust what the tenant is saying simply because of the impossibility of these animals all having the same thing and because they don't seem to know what it is.

I would not get a cat around them. Not that what the dog has is contagious but what the cats have are to other cats.

As long as your dog is vaccinated, kept out of skin contact with the other dog it would probably be safe to get one. This dog is probably not vaccinated against Parvo as well and you don't want your dog getting that. Parvo is airborne and a very hardy disease. Even if this dog doesn't have it it can carry it, as can humans on their clothes.

If these people are not going to be there long I would wait if you can. Then you can bleach out the yard and make it safer for your dog.