Do you kiss your dog and are not afraid of disease? This man’s story should be a warning

For many pet owners, these animals are like family members. And just like them, they are endowed not only with affection, but also with its manifestation in the form of hugs and kisses. Kissing a dog, however, is not a good idea, and such affection can cause serious health problems to us. Here are five parasites and diseases that can threaten you if you kiss your dog.

1. The dog is in frequent contact with animal faeces, waste, food scraps and contaminated soil, making it especially vulnerable to parasite attacks
2. Many of them can also infect humans and cause serious disturbances in the body’s work
3. Pasteurellosis is especially dangerous, as it causes inflammation that can lead to complications in the form of even sepsis
4. An American who became infected with a rare bacterium from his four-legged friend found out how the contact with the dog’s saliva may end. The man lost all limbs as a result of the infection
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Why shouldn’t you kiss a dog?

Giving your dog a kiss is nothing special. A study by “Riley Organics” has even shown that we show love for our pets more often than for our partners. 52 percent Americans surveyed more willingly handed out kisses to their dog than to a loved one. The same number admitted that they prefer to sleep with their pet, and 94 percent. It also stated that the dog is one of their best friends.

From the point of view of an emotional bond, such an intimate relationship with an animal has many advantages. However, when we look at the health aspect, the situation is not so colorful. Even if our four-legged friend is regularly examined and seems healthy, we are not sure if he has not returned home with any “souvenir” after his last walk.that he can share with us through the contact of our mouth with his saliva. Especially since he has quite a lot of opportunities to do so. Dogs look into various urban and rural nooks and crannies, sniffing them and often tasting (licking) them. It can be waste, food scraps, but also feces from other animals or even parts of their bodies (including the anus).

There are quite a lot of dangerous pathogens that a dog comes into contact with and can transfer to its owner and household members. With many people, thanks to the developed immunity, he is able to cope, sometimes the infection is asymptomatic. Some, however, should be avoided because they can lead to serious diseases caused by extremely aggressive microorganisms.

1. See also: Seven diseases that we can catch from a dog

Tapeworms

The two most common dogs that attack are the Echinacea tapeworm and the canine tapeworm. Quadrupeds are their final hosts, but tapeworms are also willing to parasitize humans. The path of infection is very simple: it is enough for the dog to come into contact with the faeces in which the tapeworm is present and the parasite will be on its hair. From there, it can spread anywhere, including to a person kissing or stroking their pet without washing their hands and touching their mouths with them.

In the case of echinococcosis the symptoms do not have to appear right away, and sometimes the infection appears accidentally, for example during abdominal imaging. However, if symptoms appear, they are mainly: abdominal painabdominal distension, sometimes fever. When the tapeworm affects the lungs, a cough occurs, even leading to shortness of breath; blood is often present in the sputum.

When it comes to canine tapeworm, although the parasite can pass on to humans, the disease it causes (dipylidosis) is relatively rare and is usually asymptomatic. However, it may happen that it manifests itself in the form of anal itching, which is provoked by the excreted members of the tapeworm.

1. What will you catch from your dog? Nematodes attack

The rest of the text below the video.

Giardioza (lamblioza)

It is a parasitic disease caused by infection with a protozoan Giardia Lambliawhich affects the small intestine and duodenum. It is easy to get infected with it through contact with an infected animal, but also through contaminated food or water. Children are particularly affected by the disease.

Giardiasis may be asymptomatic and resolve spontaneously, but it may be acute. It leads to cramping abdominal pain, flatulence, nausea and loss of appetite; foul-smelling are characteristic diarrhea. These symptoms disappear after about three weeks, however, if left untreated, the disease may turn into a chronic form – these symptoms will come back periodically. Importantly, antiprotozoal treatment applies not only to patients experiencing giardiasis symptoms, but also to asymptomatic patients.

Pasteurellosis

It is a disease caused by an infection with a bacterium Pasteurella multocidawhich is present in the upper respiratory tract of an animal (not only a dog, but also a cat or a domestic cattle). This is why contact with his saliva (through a kiss, but also by licking, biting or scratching by a dog) may quickly transfer the pathogen to humans.

The inflammation that develops as a result of contact with the bacteria may be local and occur only within the area of ​​the skin (and subcutaneous tissue) where the quadruped’s saliva has been found, but it can also be general in nature. Then the characteristic symptoms of infection appear: fever, enlarged lymph nodes, headaches and paranasal sinuses, sore throat and cough. But the symptoms may also be less common but very serious: facial pain (feeling like pressure), palpitations, shortness of breath, visual, speech and sensation disturbances. All of this can lead to serious complications related to arthritis, fascia and bone inflammation, meningitis and sepsis.

Tęgoryjec dogs

This parasite is one of the most common attackers of quadrupeds. Infections occur through food, most often during walks, when the dog is in contact with the ground – digs holes, licks stones, plays with a stick, touches objects that lie on the surface with its mouth. Hookworm in the form of eggs and larvae passes into their digestive system and there it develops into an adult form. The most common symptoms of infection are diarrhea, blood in the faeces, allergic reactions and even internal bleeding.

Man is not the definitive host for canine hookworm, but there are cases when the parasite infects it. This happens mainly when we come into contact with the saliva of the quadruped – by kissing it or letting it lick us on the face and hands, with which we then touch the lips. Infection manifests itself with various types of skin ailments, from redness, through itching, to rash and extensive inflammation. Hookworm in humans is very difficult to detect, so it usually takes a long time to get rid of it from the body.

Helicobacter pylori

This bacterium is very easy to catch from both humans and dogs, because it lives in the digestive system and is present in saliva. By kissing a dog, we can easily “take over” Helicobacter pylori and facilitate its colonization of our stomach.

Symptoms of infection are mainly digestive ailments: heartburn, gas, belching, stomach pain, diarrhea, bad breath, but very often the course is asymptomatic. This is dangerous because chronic inflammation promotes complications, and these can even lead to peptic ulcer or cancer. Inflammation often affects other systems of the body as well, causing ailments of an unclear etiology.

1. See also: Check what your pet can infect you with

If you feel this does not apply to you …

Very often, the reaction to warnings against kissing a pet is to disregard the problem. This is because many people have not experienced any health problems because of it. This does not mean, however, that they did not occur (the infection could have been asymptomatic) and will not happen.

A good, though frightening, example is the story of an American who often showed love for his dogs by kissing them and letting them lick his face. The 48-year-old was hospitalized with symptoms that he took for the flu. On site, after carrying out the tests, it turned out that Greg Manteufel was infected Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a very rare bacterium found in a dog’s saliva.

Unfortunately, the infection caused by the pathogen progressed very quickly. The man first experienced increased blood pressure, then problems with circulation in the limbs. Ultimately, it was necessary to amputate them. Greg also lost part of his nose and upper lip, which were also infected.

Doctors admitted that such a reaction to infection and disease progression is very rare, especially in a healthy person like Manteufel. Nevertheless, they warn the owners of the four-legged against being too familiar with the animal, because you never know how our body will react to contact with the pathogen.

1. Also check: Eight diseases that can infect your dog or cat

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to emotions. Often times, a particular sight, sound or smell brings to mind a similar situation that we have already experienced. What opportunities does this give us? How does our body react to such an emotion? You will hear about this and many other aspects related to emotions below.

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