Should we let the dog lick our face?
Some people believe it is beneficial that a dog’s saliva contains enzymes that can help heal wounds.
But it turns out a dog’s saliva contains a multitude of bacteria and viruses some of them potentially lethal.
The British Medical Journal reported earlier this year on a case where a woman died of sepsis caused by her greyhound licking her
So how dangerous is it?
Vincent Ho a clinical academic gastroenterologist at the University of Western Sydney says that depends.
The mouths of dogs have a wide range of bacteria, viruses and yeasts, known as a complex microbiome, and as part of that there are a lot of organisms that are potentially hazardous to humans, he says.
“When a dog’s saliva impacts with intact human skin, especially a healthy person, I have to say it’s very, very unlikely to cause any problems. Because there’s very little absorption of saliva through the skin.”
The problem comes with the eyes, nose and mouth - dog saliva and pathogens can be more easily absorbed in those areas, he says.
While the diseases caused by these pathogens are generally self-limiting, in a compromised person they can be serious.
“Someone who has had chemotherapy as part of cancer treatment, a very young child or an elderly person that’s the sort of person in particular who should avoid really close contact with dogs.”
So it’s unlikely a healthy person will get sick if a dog licks their face as long as the ‘no tongues’ rule is observed.
