Don’t let your dog lick your face ever again! It is highly dangerous for your health and you should know the reasons why!
When it comes to a puppy licking your face, either you love it or you hate it. For those of us who love them, we let our dogs lick our faces because it is a bonding experience. We want to share the joy we feel with our favorite ball of hair. Playful licks are also an ideal way for your dog to show you how much he loves you when you’re back.
But regardless of how adorable they may be, there is a good reason why you should never let a dog lick your face. No, there is nothing sinister about the dog’s intentions.
Regardless, there are some pretty serious health risks that take place when your puppy fills you with licks.
There is a reason why dogs have a behavioral mechanism regarding licking, and it has a lot to do with canine social norms. In the dogs society, licking can mean:
It is a way for dogs to communicate with each other, when they do not with barking or grunting.
They are the essence of the dog’s love, and the smell or taste of its owner is the favorite thing of the whole world. A dog licking its owner is like when a child licks an ice cream cone. Yum!
Some dogs, like humans, are attention seekers. And licking to catch the eye definitely works!
There are other reasons why dogs lick, but most of all because they want to be affectionate.
Don’t let your dog lick your face!
There is a myth out there that canine mouths are cleaner than human mouths. This falsehood can have its origin in the fact that the wounds seem to heal after a dog licks them. However, this is only because licking stimulates circulation and helps to eliminate dead tissue. In turn, it seems that the wound heals much faster than it normally would.
However, you just need to have experienced the encouragement of a puppy to intuitively know that there are a lot of bad things in that canine mouth.
Dogs tend to lick strange things and dig through litter bins with their tongues. They also feed on dirt and other nasty things.
If you have not had a problem with your puppy’s kisses before, chances are you have a problem with them after you realize what’s hidden inside your dog’s saliva.
Things you get from your dog licking your face
According to veterinarian Marty Becker, puppies’ mouths are definitely not clean. In fact, canine mouths can carry and transmit microbes that cause disease. These may include:
E. coli
We all know what this bacterium is, and that it is right in your dog’s mouth. This pathogen can cause abdominal cramps, fever, vomiting and fatigue. If you do not want to feel that way you will have to say no to puppy kisses.
Do You Have One Of These Symptoms? BEWARE, They Are Signs Of A Disease!
Ringworm
Ringworm is an unpleasant infection. Although it sounds like something strange and terrible, ringworm is caused by a fungus. It can lead to pruritic rashes that form in a concentric ring, hence the name. More familiar names for ringworm include: inguinal ringworm and athlete’s foot. It will not kill you, but it is certainly unpleasant to deal with.
Staphylococcus Aureus
This is also known as staphylococcus, and occasionally you can pass from the dog to a human. Staphylococcus is responsible for causing everything from boils on the skin to food poisoning and even the dangerous toxic shock syndrome.
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
If you thought you had to be bedridden in a hospital to get MRSA, you can thank a dog for putting an end to that urban legend.
Yes, it takes a single kiss to transplant the germs of MRSA to your lips.
MRSA is a staphylococcal bacterium resistant to antibiotics, making it much more difficult to treat. It can cause mild skin infections, such as ulcers and boils. Not a pleasant show, to say the least. Although it is generally not life-threatening, if it gets to the blood and causes sepsis, then you would have a 25% chance of dying.
The skin of most healthy people will not be affected by the dog’s saliva. However, pathogens in the dog’s saliva can penetrate thinner mucous membranes, such as the lips.
The bottom line is this: Do not let your dog’s tongue come in contact with the thin membranes found in the mouth, nose, and eyes. Keep them away from any cuts you have. Also, if a happy puppy licks your hand, wash the affected area immediately with soap and water. In this way, you will not inadvertently transfer any germs afterwards, when you yourself touch your mouth, nose or the eyes.
If you have a compromised immune system or open wounds, you definitely need to train your dog not to lick.
A licking dog is very cute, but it can also be dangerous. After knowing all these facts, would you still let your dog lick your face?