Vets shed the spotlight on the grave harms of kissing your dog when The Traitors host, Claudia Winkleman, 52, talked about how she kisses her dog. She revealed that she opens her one-year-old King Spaniel’s mouth, and inserts her tongue.
While dogs are loyal and deserve all the love in the world, vets warn about the serious, and potentially fatal consequences, of locking mouths with your dog.
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Researchers warn that dogs can spread pathogens
A group of Penn State researchers have raised a warning flag that domestic dogs are “overlooked spreaders” for zoonotic pathogens. Unfortunately, these pathogens include antibiotic-resistant Salmonella.
Salmonella can lead to diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and in some extreme cases, death.
Why people don’t associate Salmonella with dogs
Sophia Kenney, an author of the Penn State study, revealed that “Especially with Salmonella, we think about the role of agriculture and transmission – we think about eggs, we think about beef. But the thing is, we don’t let cows sleep in our beds or lick our faces, but we do dogs.”
More about Salmonella
Salmonella is a stubborn bacteria that can lead to food poisoning. People often associate it with eating contaminated food or drinks. However, plenty of people are ignorant of the fact that they can also catch Salmonella from their beloved pets.
The NHS conducts a study
The NHS has conducted a new study aiming to understand the true extent of Salmonella being transmitted to humans via their pet dogs.
The researchers used the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network to identify all Salmonella strains collected from household dogs between May 2017 and March 2023.
What the study concluded
The researchers matched the timing and location of the 87 cases to strains isolated from humans. Their research revealed 77 suspected zoonotic cases. In other words, the bacteria moved from a pet dog to a human, making the total number of strains 164.
They’re not common but they’re there
Kenney is aware that “Salmonella infections in dogs are not common.” However, she also said that there are “foodborne outbreaks related to pet treats or from contact with contaminated pet food and improper food handling” that can make Salmonella infections in dogs possible.
Researchers’ recommendations
Researchers strongly recommend that dog owners should avoid kissing their pets, and ensure that they regularly wash their hands after being in contact with them.
Nkuchia M’ikanatha, a co-author of the study, urged that “We must respect the enduring threat of Salmonella and remain vigilant in preventing its spread within our families.”
Hand washing is pivotal
Co-author M’ikanatha also pointed out the importance of hand washing, saying: “Simple hygiene practices such as hand washing are needed to protect both our furry friends and ourselves – our dogs are family but even the healthiest pup can carry Salmonella.”
How to avoid food poisoning
Firstly, always keep your cooking area and your hands clean, bacteria can survive on all kinds of surfaces. Secondly, Raw foods such as meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread germs to already-cooked foods.
Thus, using separate cutting boards and plates when handling them and keeping them separate in the fridge can go a long way.
Additional tips
Using a food thermometer while cooking can be handy to ensure that the temperature needed to kill the bacteria has been achieved.
Additionally, proper storage of food is critical, it is highly advised that you refrigerate perishable food within two hours of when it was purchased, and the refrigerator’s temperature should be below 40°F.
