I kissed a dog...and I liked it....

The old saying, a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's, likely comes from the observation that a canine will ceaselessly lick his wounds until they heal—or until a veterinarian fits him with a plastic lampshade. Reflecting on the adage, I instantly remember a relevant fact: a dog's mouth is filthy. Suppose your dog has been eating fecal material, taste testing a dead animal, licking your shoe or simply chewing on a stick that has been decomposing on the ground - your dog could have a slew of harmful bacteria cultivating within his mouth. While alternating between licking the kitchen floor and his private parts, a dog's idea of a winning lotto ticket is a partially decayed squirrel. If the prize can't be released from the pavement for a victory lap, an old-fashioned wallow and roll will do nicely. Later in the afterglow, his thorough squirrel-juice-removing tongue bath is rewarded by a couple of cat box tootsie rolls. After a day like this, it seems doubtful a dog's mouth could be any cleaner than a human's (with the obvious exception of Colin Farrell).

There is good evidence that most beasties present in the dog's mouth are species-specific, meaning they are relatively incapable of causing human illness. We are not exactly impervious to canine microbes, but short of a massive exposure, people with normal immune systems are reasonably resistant. A notable exception is the canine roundworm, Toxocara. Present in the majority of puppies, the eggs of this intestinal parasite are jettisoned into the pup's feces and can quickly end up on the more attractive end of the animal. If ingested by a human, the eggs hatch into larvae that wander aimlessly through your internal organs, never becoming adult worms—a condition called visceral larval migrans. Unless a huge number are swallowed, however, you are unlikely to have symptoms or even know it happened. Still, you'd be wise to use the same caution with a puppy's lips as you might with Mr. Farrell's.

The safety of whom you choose to kiss depends on your concern—infectiousness or mere pollution. The human probably wins Most Likely to Disease, but the canine scores Overall Disgusting. But, if I had to choose, I'd rather get kissed by my doggies any day...

I'm the happy victim of walk-by-lickings on a daily basis.....

Peace and Pet Love