We all make sure the pork we eat is well cooked to avoid any nasty parasites from entering our system; however, there is a danger much closer to home that most of us ignore.
How many out there haven’t had their pooch give them a doggie show of affection? Most would agree that they let their dogs lick their face. Though this sounds very sweet, unfortunately, this habit spells bad news for you as it might be harming your health.
Apparently, a dog’s mouth is not cleaner than a human’s, and there’s plenty of unfriendly bacteria taking up residence there. If you have ever followed your dog around and observed the contents they put in their mouths, you would surely be more careful.
One might wonder how do these harmful bacteria end up entering a dog’s mouth in the first place?
Dog expert Marty Becker shared, according to The Sun: “They raid the garbage can. You know, we give each other a peck on the cheek when we say hello, they give each other a peck on the rear end.” Dead creatures, excrement, rotting food, bones that are buried and just dug up to savor the stinking mass—are all breeding grounds for bacteria.
There are bacteria that live in a dog’s saliva that is known as Capnocytophaga Canimorsus, which is transmitted to humans “principally by dog bites.” This can cause dangerous infection such as sepsis, which can lead to organ failure and even death.
Meanwhile, John Oxford, an English virologist, and the professor of Queen Mary, University of London, believes that it’s not just the bacteria that is present in the dog’s saliva that is harmful but stated that “dogs spend half their life with their noses in nasty corners or hovering over dog droppings so their muzzles are full of bacteria, viruses, and germs of all sorts.”
There are several types of parasites that dogs carry that can easily be passed on to humans. As per Pet Health Network, dogs can acquire intestinal parasites, which are harmful to them. These parasites are the ones that live in the animal’s gastrointestinal tract. Examples include roundworms, whipworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and protozoa like giardia and coccidia.
These parasites can be transferred to your dog in many ways, such as by ingesting an infected flea, according to Dr. Ruth MacPete. One parasitic roundworm called toxocara lives in the digestive organs of dogs and cats, and its eggs are passed in the stools of the animal, often contaminating areas where kids play.
When the contaminated material is ingested by children, the eggs then hatch in the intestines and the larvae spread to other organs. This parasite may cause damage to the eyes and result in loss of vision in children, according to kids health.org.
Heartworm is another parasite that affects dogs. The larvae from the parasite enter the bloodstream of a dog after a bite from an infected mosquito. The worm then matures and travels to the heart tissue, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels, where it grows, often reaching a foot in length. It will also reproduce many times. A dog can have hundreds of heartworms in its system.
Prevention is easy with medication, as without it, there is no way to determine if your dog is infected until symptoms manifest, and often by then, it is expensive and difficult to cure.
Thus, the best way to keep your dogs’ systems free of these parasites is by giving them a natural parasite cleanse.
Remember that if your dog does harbor parasites, it may be showing signs such as malnutrition, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, or a slight cough—check out treatments to eradicate the parasites. If you are concerned about your own health and want to try a natural cleanse for yourself, there are several methods to try; otherwise, speak to your local doctor for a course of treatment.
Remember that the lick on the face from your dog might not just be a friendly gesture but a real threat to your health.
