How clean are dog kisses?
Fleta O'Hara
2025-10-01 11:30:04
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Dogs’ mouths are home to a microbiome of unique organisms.
While these yeasts, viruses, and bacteria are normal for your dog, they are unfamiliar to our human immune systems.
There is a possibility that exposure to these novel organisms can make people ill.
Dogs have a reputation for being fairly indiscriminate about the things they sniff, lick, and eat.
For this reason, their mouths can easily become home to bacteria like E. coli, campylobacter, and salmonella.
These microorganisms are zoonotic, which means they can be readily passed from one species to another.
While healthy adults will almost certainly survive being exposed to the viruses or bacteria in their dogs’ mouths, there is a non-zero risk of gastrointestinal illness and oral diseases from puppy kisses.
Certain parasites like giardia, roundworms, and hookworms can also be transmitted through licks.
Dogs’ saliva contains some antibacterial and antimicrobial properties – which explains why they instinctively lick their wounds to promote healing.
On the other hand, it would be inaccurate to claim that dogs’ mouths are categorically cleaner than humans.
Lillian Stokes
2025-10-01 11:14:22
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So, that saying about a dog's mouth being clean is rubbish. There are more than 700 different types of bacteria in a dog's mouth — and that's just normal bacteria. If a pet has medical issues such as periodontal disease or intestinal parasites, there is a risk for cross-infection. A small 2011 study published in PubMed of 66 dogs and 81 people in Japan suggested dogs kissing their owner's mouths might swap disease-causing oral bacteria. If your pooch is a scavenger, then a canine lick on the lips could jeopardize your health. But, on the whole, there isn't enough data to show whether or not specifically dog saliva is healthy for humans or not, said Kimberly Kelly, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. People need to be cautious, We just don’t know enough at this point.
Kristofer Cronin
2025-10-01 11:04:39
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Dogs and humans have comparable amounts of bacteria in their mouths, and the chances of getting sick from your dog’s kisses are low. Still, the CDC warns of the possibility of transferring diseases mouth-to-mouth between pets and their human parents (like Giardia and staph infections). That said, assuming you encourage and help foster a certain baseline of cleanliness for your dog and your household, the danger of getting sick from your dog’s kisses is minimal. There’s a myth out there, Arden said, that a dog’s mouth is unbelievably clean–much cleaner than a human’s. It’s a huge misconception, but an even bigger one is that a dog’s mouth is unbelievably dirty. The fact is that dogs and humans have comparable amounts of bacteria in their mouths.
Savanna McGlynn
2025-10-01 10:22:44
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Dogs’ mouths, like ours, are warm and moist, making them Petri dishes for bacteria.
Also, many dogs put dirt, feces, rodents, or small animals in their mouths, which could lead to the presence of parasites.
Suffice it to say that the old wives’ tale claiming “your dog’s mouth is cleaner than yours” is completely false.
That’s why one expert, Dr. Leni K. Kaplan, of Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, told the Times that pet owners shouldn’t let their dog kiss a person’s mouth, nose, and eyes, through which certain pathogens, including salmonella and E. coli, can be transmitted.
But if you’re healthy, he adds, a smooch on your skin is unlikely to cause a problem.
And if you can’t resist those puppy kisses, it’s safest to keep them away from the face.
Patricia Veum
2025-10-01 09:24:16
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While it was once believed that dogs' mouths were cleaner than those of humans and that dog saliva had healing properties, this myth has been thoroughly debunked. Considering that dogs are prone to nibbling on poo and licking their own unmentionables, it probably comes as no surprise that in reality, a dog's mouth is a pool of germs. However, while dog saliva can carry such dangerous bacteria as Salmonella and E. coli, as well as parasites like Giardia and Cryptosporidium, these illnesses generally aren't carried in quantities large enough to pose a danger to most humans, and there is very little evidence that dog kisses are a means of transmission. When Dog Kisses Aren't Safe Despite the low risk of the average person contracting an illness from dog licking, there are some people for whom the risk is too high to take a chance. You can lower the risk of contracting illnesses from dog kisses by simply being a responsible pet parent. Properly disposing of your dog's deposits and thoroughly washing your hands afterward can also reduce the risk of spreading disease. If you love swapping kisses with your dog, it's probably safe to keep doing so, as long as your immune system is up to par. But if the thought of your dog licking you on the mouth sends you running for the antibacterial soap, there exists enough of a risk to justify your aversion. Ultimately, allowing your dog to lick your face comes down to the state of your health and your level of risk tolerance.
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