There's a popular myth which says that canine mouths are cleaner than human mouths. The truth is more complicated than that, but many a dog owner still thinks that there's no harm at all in letting their loving pet lick their face.However, although a sloppy lick is seen as the ultimate symbol of love from canines, you could be exposing yourself to all sorts of harmful bacteria from your affectionate dog.
Source: Today.com
While dog saliva might have some properties which kill some forms of bacteria, this is not true for every type. And, as we all know, dogs are not very picky about where and what they stick their noses into.As dog expert and veterinarian Marty Becker said:
They raid the garbage can. You know, we give each other a peck on the cheek when we say hello, they give each other a peck on the rear end.
Unfortunately for us, this means that a dog licking our faces can make us very, very ill, asone elderly dog lover from the UK discovered last year. Doctors were baffled to discover that she had sepsis from a bacteria (Capnocytophaga Canimorsus) only found in the mouths of dogs and cats.
Source: dogshaming.com
While this is usually passed on from bites, she didn't seem to have been bitten. It was only when she mentioned that her pet greyhound liked to lick her face that they realized she had caught it from her beloved companion.This infection is very rare and usually only seen in people whose immune systems have been weakened, but there are plenty of other nasty things that your dog can pass to you via their tongue.The most common of these is ringworm, which can be spotted in both humans and dogs by dandruff, flaky skin and hair loss, but dogs can also carry the MRSA virus without appearing to be ill.
Source: Getty Images
Young babies especially are at risk of infection as their immune systems aren't mature enough to fight off these types of infection.So while it is very tempting to let your pet give you a kiss, have a think about what they have been sticking their noses into before you do!
H/t: the New York Post
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