Remember the old saying about letting sleeping dogs lie? Well apparently you shouldn’t if they happen to be on your bed.
According to a study for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), veterinary scientists have learned that sleeping with your pets can increase your risk of contracting scads of nasty infections and illnesses–everything from “parasites to the plague,” according to AOL. Evidently pets are basically walking disease dispensers.
(More on TIME.com: See a Real-Life Hotel For Dogs)
Why are our pets such disease carriers? The researchers of the study say that the fleas on your pup are usually the likely cause, though it could also be the animal feces your pet eats (um, yuck!).
(More on TIME.com: See How Dogs Can Help Veterans’ Health)
But don’t despair completely. Owning a pet does have a lot of health benefits, such as lowering stress and blood pressure. But maybe it’s best to get Rex his own bed now. (via AOL)