Should you let your dog lick your face as vet warns of hidden health dangers
Dogs are called man's best friend for a reason, because for many people across the world, they are their owner's closest companion. Pooches share in the joy of special moments and provide comfort in the difficult ones.
To repay them for their love and loyalty, many owners may be partial to a smooch with their dog, or letting their cute canines lick their face when they greet them at the door or get excited after snack time.
However, letting your dog lick your face could come with a host of hidden dangers. Last week, it was revealed that a 26-year-old pregnant woman had developed a hydatid cyst caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus.
This was most likely transmitted through contact with dog faeces, according to the Daily Mail.
This has raised concerns about the common habit of allowing our furry friends to give us 'kisses'.
To set the record straight, Dr Aimee Warner, resident veterinarian at UK-based pet insurance company Waggel, has stepped in to explain why this intimate greeting might deserve a second thought.
"Whilst we all love to show affection with our pets, it's important to understand what might be transferred during those face licks," says Dr Warner.
"Dogs' mouths harbour numerous bacteria, including Capnocytophaga canimorsus, which can cause serious infections in humans in rare cases."
There were 15 reported cases of Capnocytophaga infections in England during the first quarter of 2023, making a total of 70 cases for the year. These figures are consistent with previous years, as per the UK Health Security Agency.
As a result, Dr Warner has highlighted three key facts pet owners should know.
Not everyone faces the same risk
People with weakened immune systems, the elderly, those without a spleen, and individuals with liver disease or who consume alcohol excessively face substantially higher risks from dog saliva exposure.
Infections can be life-threatening if untreated
When Capnocytophaga enters the bloodstream, it can cause sepsis, gangrene requiring amputation, kidney failure, and a heart attack. In severe cases, the mortality rate can reach 30 per cent, particularly in vulnerable populations.
Symptoms progress rapidly and require immediate attention
Initial signs appear within one to eight days and include blistering around wound sites, fever, vomiting, headache, and muscle pain.
Without prompt antibiotic treatment, the infection can quickly escalate to septic shock with dangerously low blood pressure, confusion, and organ failure.
Dr Warner offers these practical recommendations:
Redirect face licks to less sensitive areas like hands, which can be washed afterwards
Wash your face and hands thoroughly after close contact with pets
Keep pet vaccinations current and maintain regular dental check-ups for your dog
Consider scheduling biannual vet visits to monitor your pet's oral health
Seek immediate medical attention if you develop unusual symptoms after a dog lick
The last one is especially important if you have open wounds or are immunocompromised.
"The bond we share with our dogs is built on love, loyalty, and daily connection," Dr Warner added.
"We don't need to shy away from that closeness, but we do need to understand the health implications that come with it.
"With some awareness and simple hygiene, we can continue enjoying our pets' affection safely and confidently."
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
Tesco urges customers to return facial wipes posing ‘serious' risk
Tesco is recalling its popular own-brand cleansing wipes over a 'microbiological risk' that could pose serious harm to its customers. During testing, a bacteria called Pluralibacter gergoviae was detected in its Kind & Pure Facial Cleansing Wipes, which could be unsafe for users, particularly those with vulnerable or compromised skin. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has deemed there to be a 'serious' risk involved in using the product, the most severe risk rating it can give. The supermarket chain said: 'If you have purchased an affected product, please do not use it.' Pluralibacter gergoviae presents a low risk to healthy people however, it can cause infection in people with chronic illness or weak immune systems. It has been linked to respiratory diseases, urinary tract infections, eye infections, and sepsis, according to UK testing laboratory Melbec Microbiology. OPSS said: 'The product does not meet the requirements of Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 or the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013.' It is recalling its Tesco Kind & Pure 25 Facial Cleansing Wipes 163g and its Tesco Kind & Pure Radiant Facial Cleansing Wipes Vitamin C 25 Pack 159g. Customers have been asked to return the product in-store, where a full refund will be given with no receipt required. Last month, Tesco was forced to recall three of its prepared pasta salads due to possible salmonella contamination. It also recalled four of its Meals Made Easy products from its Northern Ireland stores over the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause meningitis. In July, an adult died after contracting the bacterial infection listeriosis in the Republic of Ireland, caused by Listeria monocytogenes. It led to the recall of several ready meals, including products from Tesco Finest, The Happy Pear, SuperValu Signature Taste, and Centra Freshly Prepared. The Pluralibacter gergoviae detected in the wipes is an issue for cosmetic producers due to its resistance to preservatives that are present in cosmetic products. In Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls, OPPS said: 'The affected batches of these products present a microbiological risk as testing has detected the presence of Pluralibacter gergoviae. 'This makes the products potentially unsafe to use, particularly for vulnerable users or users with a compromised skin barrier.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
I lost 12st with fat jabs and reversed high blood pressure and joint pain – ex-boyfriends are crawling back
A WOMAN who lost 12 stone on Mounjaro jabs has overhauled her health and says her biological clock hsa reduced by 16 years. Susan Forgie's transformation has brought about an unexpected side effect - as the 75-year-old says her exes have come crawling back. 7 7 Susan had been yo-yo dieting since her teenage years. Doctors became concerned when she reached 23 stone, as she grappled with a number of health issues including 'sky-high' blood pressure. She was referred to an obesity clinic, which recommended she try weight loss medication to help slim down. The 75-year-old hasn't looked back since – overhauling her health and reducing her metabolic age to that of a 59-year-old. 'A couple of men I dated prior to losing weight have commented that they should never have let me go and shouldn't we try again,' Susan, from Oswestry, Shropshire, said. 'Someone at the gym asked me to go for a drink with him, and someone else I have known for years says he can't stop thinking about me. 'I get looks I never used to have.' Despite the attention, Susan is happily with her partner Tim, 74, whom she met after she shed six stone. Having seen her success, he started taking Mounjaro himself and lost over two stone. Susan added: 'My friends and family have been stunned by my transformation, too. 'I've never been the average pensioner, but, because of my size, I've never been able to follow fashion. Weight Loss Jabs - Pros vs Cons 'I'm no longer restricted by wearing only what clothes are in my size – I wear a lot more colour now. 'I've replaced all the clothes in my wardrobe, having gone from a size 22/24 to a 12/14. 'I was never able to wear fashionable clothes like over-the-knee long leather boots – but I can now.' 7 7 The decision to start taking Mounjaro - which private clinics will start charging more for come September - came following a series of health concerns linked to her weight. Susan said: 'Two years ago, my blood pressure went through the roof and I was threatened with hospitalisation. 'I was reasonably healthy, but my mobility had been decreasing, and I had very little energy and extensive joint pain.' Doctors recommended she lose weight – and fast – and so the retired sales director started on Wegovy, before switching to a programme with Juniper to receive Mounjaro. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR WEIGHT LOSS JABS ON THE NHS? NHS eligibility for weight loss injections has expanded but still lags behind the number who could potentially benefit from taking them. Wegovy, medical name semaglutide, is only available for weight loss through specialist weight management clinics. Patients are typically expected to have tried other weight loss methods before getting a prescription. They may be eligible if their body mass index (BMI) is higher than 30, or higher than 27 if they have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. Mounjaro, known as tirzepatide, is also available from GP practices but currently only to patients with a BMI of 40 or higher (or 37.5 if from a minority ethnic background) plus four weight-related health conditions. The medicines are currently being rationed to the patients most in need. NHS watchdog NICE estimates that more than three million Brits will ultimately be eligible. The GLP-1 injections are prescribed separately by GPs for people with type 2 diabetes, and patients should discuss this with their doctor. Now, Susan is no longer on blood pressure medication, she has no more joint pain, and her thyroid medication dose has been reduced by 25 per cent. The effects of the jabs were noticeable just two weeks into taking them, back in August 2023. Sue said: 'Within a couple of weeks of starting my weight loss journey, my joint pain completely disappeared. 'Cravings for sweet things and large amounts of food also went, and after a month, my blood pressure medication was halved. 'It stopped altogether a few weeks later. 'I had an underactive thyroid and was taking 125mg of Thyroxine, which was then reduced to 100mg. It has been like handing back 16 years of my life Susan Forgie 'I could walk long distances and uphill without getting out of breath, and exercise without tiring. 'I also wanted to eat different foods. 'It's as if my body chemistry has changed and I want lean meat, vegetables and fruit. 'My consumption of alcohol, fatty foods, cream and cheese has dramatically reduced – I simply don't want them.' 7 Susan also recently had a fitness assessment at her local gym, and was stunned to discover her metabolic age puts her at just 59 – 16 years younger than her true age. The 75-year-old says she is 'thrilled' with how her health has improved, having spent decades trying to diet and shift the excess pounds. Susan has spent an estimated £4,600 on the medication over the past 23 months – which she says 'pays for itself' through her reduced food and takeaway spend. She added: 'If somebody had come to me at the beginning and said, 'Pay this money and I will hand back 16 years of your life and improve your health immensely,' I think it would have been a no-brainer. 'My health is the best it has been in many years.' She's been able to stay at 12st 4lbs since August 2024. Susan added: 'I had never been able to do that before! 'I am greatly enjoying the health benefits that have come from losing weight, improved nutrition and increased activity. 'I just celebrated my 75th birthday, but the recent fitness assessment from my gym has calculated a metabolic age of 59 – so I'm thrilled with that. 'It has been like handing back 16 years of my life. 'I'm proof that it's never too late to strive for a healthy weight.'
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Vet nurse shares worries as 90% of dog owners don't know vital skill
Vet nurse shares worries as 90% of dog owners don't know vital skill The vet urged pet owners to take action as she demonstrated how to use the life-saving skill Pet owners could help save a dog by learning the skill (Image: Getty) A veterinary nurse has warned that most dog owners haven't learned a skill that could save their pet's life. The alert was shared by Jade The Vet Nurse (@ who shares educational videos with her 96,000 TikTok followers. In a recent post, she highlighted a life-saving skill animal lovers should learn, reports the Mirror. She claimed: "90% of dog owners don't know how to give CPR," as per results from a survey by PDSA. Keen to help, she then shared a video demonstrating what to do if you ever need to give a dog CPR. Jade said: "Your dog has collapsed and they're not breathing. Would you know what to do? Around 75 to 90% of pet owners do not know how to give effective CPR to their pets. I'm on a mission as a UK-registered vet nurse to educate pet owners on how to give effective CPR as a method of first aid should the worst happen." The vet nurse explained: "Firstly, we need to establish if CPR is definitely necessary. We need to do an initial triage and remember A, B and C. A is for airway, open up the dog's mouth, pull their tongue right forward get a good look at the back of their throat. Is it clear? Is there anything obstructing their airway? "You need to make sure the airway is clear to give effective CPR. If the airway is blocked or your dog is choking, I have got a separate video on what to do if your dog is choking. Once you know the airway is clear, we move on to B, and B is for breathing. Content cannot be displayed without consent Article continues below "For this, we need to get down to chest height of the dog and watch. Can you see if their chest is rising and falling? If you can't see the chest rising and falling, place their nose to your cheek, can you feel any breath on the side of your cheek? Can you hear that they're breathing?" She added: "If not, check the colour of their gums. Are they turning a shade of blue or purple? If yes, there's already oxygen deprivation, in which case we move on to C, which is for circulation. Can you feel a pulse? Place your hand behind your dog's elbow on their ribs, and can you feel a heartbeat? This can sometimes be a little bit challenging in dogs that are overweight. You can also try and place two fingers on the inside of their upper thigh and try and feel a femoral pulse. If there's no pulse, there's no heartbeat, they're not breathing, they're going a shade of blue or purple, then we need to start CPR." Jade advised: "First things first, if you haven't already, you need to call your vet and alert them of the situation. They will also be able to give you further advice on the phone. You need to make sure that your dog is laying on a flat hard surface, ideally on their right-hand side. If you have got a very large dog who is laying on the left hand side and you are unable to flip them over do not worry, just continue with CPR with them laying on the left, because any CPR is better than none." The expert said the next step includes different advice for different dog breeds. "Now this bit is really important, so pay attention. Where you place your hands for CPR depends on the type of breed and shape your dog is. So for dogs that are round-chested, examples of this are labradors, golden retrievers, spaniels, they have a bit of a dome here on the side, you want to place your hands on the widest part of the rib cage. The vet nurse shared a step-by-step guide (stock photo) (Image: Getty) "If you have got a deep-chested dog like a doberman, an alsatian or a greyhound, who have got particularly deep-keeled chests, then you want to place your hands directly above their heart, which is just behind their elbow, so going behind the elbow. "If you have got a wide-chested dog, such as a French bulldog or an English bulldog, who are pretty much as wide as they are tall, then you want to place these on their backs and you give the compressions directly on top in the middle of their sternum. So for this example, I'm gonna continue as if this is a labrador and if I'm gonna go for the widest part of the rib cage. What we need to do is interlock our fingers. "We're gonna be using the heel of the palm of the hand, so elbows locked straight, shoulders directly above the dog where you're about to give the compressions, and you need to compress the chest to about 1/3 to 1/2 of the depth of their entire chest depth. So we need to do 120 compressions a minute, which works out as two compressions a second, and you can do this to the beat of 'staying alive'. You need to do this 30 times and then stop to give two breaths." Content cannot be displayed without consent Article continues below Explaining how to 'give breaths', Jade went on: "To give the breaths you need to keep the dog's tongue inside their mouth and clamp your fingers around the mouth creating an airlock, place their nose into your mouth and give two breaths after each breath make sure you check the rib cage is rising sufficiently to make sure they are getting the oxygen. Don't stop after you've given the breaths, straight back into compressions. You need to keep cycling between 30 compressions and giving two breaths." Her caption added: "Note if you have a small dog (under 7kg) or a cat, you can use this same technique but just use one hand for compressions instead of two." Jade said she'd hope your vet will be giving you instructions, but that you can continue CPR for up to about 20 minutes, stopping every two minutes to see if there are any signs of life. "If at any point your dog starts showing signs of life and they're trying to recover, stop CPR, get them to the vet as soon as possible," she concluded. "If your dog isn't showing any signs of life yet, continue CPR or keep going as instructed by your veterinarian."
