Why you shouldn't kiss your dog
It’s well known that having a dog is good for your health. You’ll most likely get out for more exercise, have reduced stress levels, and enjoy having a companion to battle loneliness or depression. For kids it can even increase their immunity.
But if you are letting your pooch know just how much you love them by kissing them, or letting them lick your face, you could be setting yourself up for serious illness.
When you think about it, much of a dog’s life is spent with their face near their own (or another dog’s) backside, smelling faeces or other strong-smelling things (they love rolling around in dead animals for instance). This makes a dog’s face and mouth a hot zone for bacteria and germs.
There is risk of all manner of illness coming from dogs, such as gastro, E-coli, parasites and viruses.
Experts advise that we are best to avoid letting a dog have the freedom to kiss and lick our faces.
The potential list of illness is long, and includes:
- Salmonella and E coli which can mean diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration and gastroenteritis.
- Toxocariasis is a parasite that can lead to blindness as it can cause cysts to develop in the brain and eyes.
- Parasites like round worm, and fungal skin infections such as ringworm.
It seems that people who have a compromised immunity (such as young children, those undergoing chemotherapy or people with HIV) are most at risk of developing illness from their dog. Perhaps try showing how much you care with a tummy tickle instead.
Do you kiss your dog? Do you think this article will encourage you to change your ways?
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