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Dog Kisses Infect Woman, Requires Medical Attention

By Heather Tooley
Published on: 11:25 PST, Jul 2, 2016

A pet owner who received some loving dog kisses from her beloved canine got seriously infected, and it left her in the hospital fighting for her life.

Fox News reports that a bacteria known as capnocytophaga canimorsus septicaemia is what the woman contracted from her dog. It’s found in isolated areas of oral cavities in dogs and cats. It’s extremely rare and may cause infection after a dog bite, according to case study from BMJ Case Reports. Since the infection originated from licking, it made the case all the more mysterious.

The case study reviewed what happened to an unidentified 70-year-old woman in the U.K., who was infected with sepsis after getting dog kisses from her Italian greyhound. No evidence of scratch or bite marks were detected, but doctors documented that “close petting including licks was reported.”

When the woman’s relatives went to check on her, she was discovered “slumped in a chair, with decreased consciousness after a relative called paramedics when she became unresponsive during a phone call,” according to the report. The dog owner said she had a headache the night before and felt fatigued.

The woman was left fighting for her life after receiving the dog kisses. She reportedly suffered multiple organ failures that necessitated two weeks of intensive care support and heavy-duty antibiotics in helping her to recover. A whole year after the incident, the woman is said to be “symptom-free.”

Does this mean getting kisses from your dog is dangerous or unhealthy? According to an April, 2015, report by Daily Mail, an article titled “How your beloved dog could give you a killer disease: Superbugs. Parasites. TB. Read on and you may never let your pet lick your face again,” explores that notion.

Veterinarians were warning pet owners not to let dogs kiss their faces because the animals can carry and transmit salmonella, which can result in infecting them with parasites, fungal infections, tapeworm, roundworm, and superbugs.

As it was presented, dogs don’t just use their tongues to clean, but they bury their noses in dead animals and anything else offensive to the nose. Their mouth and internal organs are a breeding ground for salmonella. The disease can be especially harmful to young children and the elderly.

Another infection humans can get from dog kisses is cryptosporidiosis. It’s transmitted from hardy parasites that live in water. These are picked up by a dog whenever its playing or swimming in ponds or rivers. The parasites can live out of water for a long time because they have a shelled protection that makes them, making them virtually immune to everything. If swallowed, the parasites burrow into the intestines, causing diarrhea, cramping, and fever.

Other unpleasant bugs that spread disease are scabies, which are tiny mites. They can get under skin and lay eggs. These mites are different than the ones humans get. Scabies cause skin irritation that may be prolonged if new generations of the bug continues to breed. The best way to avoid this is to give dogs a monthly treatment.

Ringworm and rat infections were also listed as threats to humans. Pet owners can get sick from dog kisses if their animals carry any of these horrendous infections.

It’s also noted in the report that cat licks can be just as bad.

These infections aren’t every day occurrences, but if people get ill from something as simple as a dog lick, it makes some wonder if it’s worth taking the chance. People who love getting dog kisses from their pets aren’t easily deterred from these affectionate moments.

[Photo via Shutterstock]

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