Are you an animal lover like me? If so, then very likely a friendly dog has licked your face or your hands.
However, according to Lane Graham, a parasitologist at the University of Manitoba, the possibility exists that you could pick up larval parasites or roundworms. “It’s best not to let your dog’s mouth get too close to your own,” reports the Winnipeg Free Press.
Dogs use their tongues to clean themselves; and since their tongues are like a washboard, they pick up a lot of things, including fecal contamination. Puppies are “notorious for being germ-laden bundles of fur,” the paper noted.
Although chances of getting sick are small, the advice is to “wash your hands and face, and those of young children, after any prolonged dog licking episodes, just to be on the safe side.”
Have You Learned Anything?
