Experts warn human choices are making cats and dogs suffer illnesses once seen only in people
While humans remain concerned about potential illnesses linked to pets and wildlife, the reverse is happening. Researchers have warned about human diseases spreading to animals, making them susceptible to life-threatening health issues, according to a new study published on Monday, November 10, 2025. It’s no surprise that many cats and dogs are struggling with ailments alongside humans, but animals living in wild environments were also not spared from this alarming change. The diseases that were once primarily known to affect humans are now prevalent in a range of animal species, and there’s one species to blame.
Antonia Mataragka, animal scientist at the Agricultural University of Athens, led the study published in the journal Risk Analysis that proposed a conceptual framework for monitoring and managing chronic illnesses in animals. Before diving into the factors that have sparked this strange anomaly of spreading human disease to animals, it is crucial to know the kind of diseases that have emerged in several animal species. Diseases like cancer, obesity, diabetes, and joint degeneration have been detected in dogs, cats, sea turtles, and dairy cows, among others. These diseases fall under non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which spread indirectly through long-term changes caused by the environment, pollution, and habitat loss.
The researcher remains hopeful that her study will encourage other scientists to dig deeper into the world of animal NCDs, otherwise limited, and find a possible solution to the crisis. Mataragka’s model largely analyzes a range of biological and environmental drivers to uncover the primary factors that influence the onset of the diseases. “As environmental changes accelerate disease emergence, the absence of early diagnostic systems further delays the detection of NCDs in animals,” Mataragka wrote in the study, per SciTechDaily. She also mentioned that top-tier health organizations like the World Health Organization only provide data for NCD mortality in humans, while animals are largely neglected.
She found that selective breeding is directly linked to the emergence of such chronic illnesses because of genetic predisposition. Humans have inbred livestock and pet animals for years to achieve the desired traits and productivity. The downside of this is that they suffer from high rates of diabetes and mitral valve disease. Additionally, environmental pressures resulting from ecological disruption, habitat loss, deforestation, pollution, climate change, and poor lifestyles also worsen disease risk. As the sea warms and faces increased pollution, aquatic life such as fish and marine turtles show increased rates of tumors. While on land, mammals, pets, birds, and other wildlife struggle with diabetes, obesity, and immune disorders.
In conclusion, the researcher has emphasized the connection between human, animal, and environmental well-being as a whole. While humans may think that environmental degradation does not directly affect them, it is quite the opposite. All living species interact and depend on the ecological and social balance of the world for survival, and the current dynamics are stacked against their health. Hence, Mataragka hopes her study might spark a light of change and help identify the warning signs to reduce risks of chronic diseases that threaten both humans and animals.