Better Think Twice Before Greeting Your Dog Under the Mistletoe!

  Posted on December 3, 2013  by Joy of Living  No comments

Bolt, the Yorkie-Poo guest blogger, here to dish about kissing your dog:  Hey! I am so cute and lovable! My humans cannot resist loving on me. I am never at a loss for hugs, belly rubs and the occasional kiss. Heck!  Sometimes I even kiss back! Yep! Right on the lips! For some reason, however, when I do that, my humans tend to gross out and run for the sink, grabbing a bottle of mouthwash along the way.  Are they overreacting?

According to a feature on cesarsway.com, in 2011 a team of Japanese researchers collected dental plaque from over 60 dogs and over 80 humans who visited dog training schools and animal clinics in a Japanese city. After analyzing the bacteria, the research results determined that both humans and dogs have bacteria in their mouths, which can be transferred through “kissing.”

I am not into big words, but the bacteria these researchers discovered is called peridontopathic and was present in the plaque of both the dogs and the humans tested. This can lead to a very severe form of gum disease called periodontis. It initially wreaks havoc on the tissues of the tooth and can eventually lead to heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes. Yeah…I don’t think I am going to go down that road. I will stick to the belly rubs and hugs.

Think about what your dog may acquire on his lips on any given day. I can honestly say there have been times I have been out in the yard “taking care of business” when I come upon yesterday’s “business.” Of course I have to sniff it and get my mouth and nostrils close to it. It’s what I do. I’m a dog. And if there is some food on the sidewalk, I just might eat it. Doesn’t really matter if it has been there a while. It’s sustenance!

However, all of that stuff I am “investigating” at ground level can contain tons of germs and bacteria, which could put the human kind at risk if they continue to kiss us on the mouth!

Yes, I do love all of the affection and attention, but hold the kisses. I want to keep my humans healthy so they can continue to spoil me in countless other ways.  You should, too! Love your pets, but don’t give them “lip service!”

Gotta go! Nap time!