Pet owners beware! Allowing your dog to lick your face can be unhealthy and even fatal

Face-drenching licks by dogs feel delightful to dog owners. While some push their pooches away, others positively indulge in their pet's affection.

It's a heartwarming scene but not the healthiest thing for the dog owner. In an article published inThe Conversation, Jacqueline Boyd, a senior lecturer in Animal Science at Nottingham Trent University, describes how a dog's way of showing affection by licking can do more harm than good.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Licking is a crucial action for dogs. When a dog licks its mouth repeatedly, it could be a slight sign of stress or fear. They also use lip-licking as a behavioural response to their owner's emotional state. They lick their lips more frequently when they see angry faces.

Almost all canine owners report being licked on their face by their dog. However, for people who are immunocompromised, have open wounds, or have a dog that has a track record of eating faeces, it's best to avoid face licks.

According to Boyd, a dog's mouth has several microorganisms that are low risk for humans. However, there are rare cases when certain infections can pass from dogs to humans by bites, licks or scratches. For instance, Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a bacteria found in the mouths of up to 75 per cent of otherwise healthy dogs and cats, can cause life-threatening sepsis. Other microbes like Pasteurella multocida can also spread by contact with dog saliva, resulting in meningitis.

Antibiotic resistance has become a concerning global health challenge. Canine saliva can also be a potential source of bacteria carrying antibiotic-resistant genes.

ALSO READ |Scientists develop recyclable ‘water batteries’ that never explode

A German study of 2,800 hospital patients and their companion animals in 2023 proved "that the sharing of multidrug-resistant organisms between companion animals and their owners is possible." However, the study identified only a handful of cases.

Thus, the researchers concluded that "cat or dog ownership isn't a significant risk factor for multidrug-resistant organism colonisation in hospital patients."

In the past, animal saliva has been used for wound healing, with some dogs specially trained to lick open wounds. However, there's no strong evidence which shows that allowing animals, especially dogs, to lick wounds will help them heal.

Having a dog can have healing effects on your mental health. However, allowing animals to lick open wounds can put the owner at an increased risk of infection.

(With inputs from agencies)