a warning, please don't let any dog lick you

Agatha Christie must have known about this issue as the killer used a plaster (infected from an animal) over a scratch or open would to kill somebody. Way before antibiotics became popular.
It is terribly sad but how many women don't wash their hands after using the loo ? I was in a supermarket today and there were at least 4 ladies who left without any soap or water passing their hands.

Get a grip! That is an extreme example...I would not let anyone animal lick a wound!!! Other than that that is a ridiculous statement

I got sepsis and was very ill,no dog licks involved.
I agree,the heading is alarmist!

Never understood why anybody would let a dog lick them. Once worked with a very smart, well dressed, very particular woman who let a dog lick all over her face, I was astounded.

dalrymple23

Love it Hopi!! My old gardener, who was previously a pig farmer, always got his black lab to lick any wound. Never had a day's illness in his life. His view that a dog's saliva was the greatest antibiotic!

Similarly, over 50 years, we have been licked to death but never, ever infected (wrong analogy!).

I might be wrong but I think that cats are a different kettle of fish. They scrape in their kitty litter and faeces get onto their claws, so more prone to spreading infection.

I’m with your old gardener! I had an itchy insect bite on my leg which sometimes bled when I scratched it and it never seemed to get better. One day I did this when sitting by my daughter in law’s spaniel, and he proceeded to lick and lick for about 20 minutes. The bite cleared up and never bled again!

LaCrepescule: I was thinking the same thing. The article mentioned that the woman had multiple health conditions and was frail. I don't think a healthy person would die from a dog licking them. I would still not let any pet lick an open wound.

Get a grip!
"a warning, please don't let any dog lick you"
Utterly ridiculous, clickbait header.

Probably best not to let any animal lick or get any other substance in an open would. May do no harm but may.
But to extend this to say don't let a dog lick you is so ridiculous.
Have you any idea how good living with animals is for children, all of us to avoid getting allegies and how to be social?
Perhaps say as well "Never go in a car, never go out of your door.

Irismarle

dalrymple23

Love it Hopi!! My old gardener, who was previously a pig farmer, always got his black lab to lick any wound. Never had a day's illness in his life. His view that a dog's saliva was the greatest antibiotic!

Similarly, over 50 years, we have been licked to death but never, ever infected (wrong analogy!).

I might be wrong but I think that cats are a different kettle of fish. They scrape in their kitty litter and faeces get onto their claws, so more prone to spreading infection.

I’m with your old gardener! I had an itchy insect bite on my leg which sometimes bled when I scratched it and it never seemed to get better. One day I did this when sitting by my daughter in law’s spaniel, and he proceeded to lick and lick for about 20 minutes. The bite cleared up and never bled again!

Yes! Absolutely!

I would never let any animal lick me...hence why I don't visit 2 of my friends. They just sat there and let their dog come round my back jump up on my shoulders n lick my hair yuk! never went round again .Another friend would sit there let her little dog lick my hand I would try and pull away then it would lick my clothes or my shoes. Never have gone to visit again. yuk.

Friends had 2 FlatCoat retrievers, one of which adored dh, and from a puppy would climb on to his lap and give his bald head a very thorough licking.

The dog’s been gone for at least 12 years (RIP Charlie 🐶❤️) and believe it or not, dh never suffered any ill effects.

Witzend

Friends had 2 FlatCoat retrievers, one of which adored dh, and from a puppy would climb on to his lap and give his bald head a very thorough licking.

The dog’s been gone for at least 12 years (RIP Charlie 🐶❤️) and believe it or not, dh never suffered any ill effects.

Our Lab does this with my husband. Not sure what is weirder - the fact that the dog loves to lick his bald head, ears and especially his toes - or the fact that he's quite content to let him do it!

Cannot imagine letting a dog lick me 🤮. It sniffs and licks all manner of disgusting things on the street including licking its own nether regions.

I wouldn’t let anyone, not our dog, not even DH, if he’d offered, lick the scratch that dripped blood down my arm after picking blackberries.
On the other hand, she takes open-toed sandals as an invitation to lick, which is why I prefer crocs.

Anyone who hurts themselves so seriously as to break their skin and have an abrasion, scratch or open wound, should obviously clean it properly!

Secondly, if it is bad enough to require professional attention, or as this woman did, they develop symptoms that lead to needing a doctor, they should mention clearly exactly what had happened, including the fact that a dog licked the abrasion.

Something that no sensible person would allow.

Obviously, animals' saliva can convey germs as can adults unwashed hands or children's sticky fingers.

We have to a very large extent become careless about basic hygiene, trusting to penicillin to save our lives if things go wrong.

However, most of us now know that antibiotics may not work as bacteria have to a great extent become immune to penicillin or sulphonomides and neither work against viral infections.

So back to our grandmothers' insistence on soap, water and a suitable disinfectant, applied by someone with clean hands!

I accept that it is not very hygienic to allow an animal to lick you, and especially not to lick an open wound.

However, I think some of the comments on here are extremely alarmist. Apparently 55% of fatalities happen within the home and I doubt that many of those fatalities arise from being licked by a dog.

I always think UGH when I see people kissing their dogs an d think " What a very stupid person ? Does she not understand that Dogs lick their Bums ? and so will transfer all the germs to a wound ...

It's one of those things. At that age a body could fetch sepsis for whatever reason. Rest in peace and no pets

Exactly it never ceases to amaze me how many parents allow their family pets to lick their babies & toddlers faces. I have voiced my opinion on this abhorrant practice on numerous occasions on You Tube etc but still it’s thought of as cute!! So much so that videos are posted, pets are more valued more than their own children! Dogs lick their own genitals for heavens sake, unbelievable !!!

Junoesque

Exactly it never ceases to amaze me how many parents allow their family pets to lick their babies & toddlers faces. I have voiced my opinion on this abhorrant practice on numerous occasions on You Tube etc but still it’s thought of as cute!! So much so that videos are posted, pets are more valued more than their own children! Dogs lick their own genitals for heavens sake, unbelievable !!!

And kids eat their own bogies...

We viewed a house years ago where the family had a Black Labrador. The house had that wet lab smell.

I swear this is true but shocking. The dog was very lively and was running around with what appeared to be a pair of knickers hanging from his mouth. I pointed this out, the woman grabbed them off him and said “he goes crazy if I leave my knickers on the floor and spends ages licking the crotch”.
🤮🤮🤮🤮
I will just add it was an expensive house and she held a professional position.

Witzend

Friends had 2 FlatCoat retrievers, one of which adored dh, and from a puppy would climb on to his lap and give his bald head a very thorough licking.

The dog’s been gone for at least 12 years (RIP Charlie 🐶❤️) and believe it or not, dh never suffered any ill effects.

would climb on to his lap and give his bald head a very thorough licking.
😂

bikergran You must be very tasty!!

Any kind of animal may (most will) carry bacteria that can harm you. In the vast majority of cases your immune system will have antibodies to destroy them, if you have a weak immune system you may have lost the ability to counter the invading bacteria.

A bite or even a graze or scratch from an animal if neglected turn serious very quickly, the OP spoke of a lick on an already open wound on the leg of an elderly lady. Leg wounds can be very difficult to cure even without extra bacteria present, don’t be complacent about this, anyone that is already immumo compromised is very susceptible to another infection.

If you are elderly you will have less resistance to infections already.

Oh Primrose53 I haven’t laughed so much for ages. Yeeugh!

itsadogslife

LaCrepescule

The thread title is alarmist. Probably not a good idea to let a dog lick a wound but to think that dog licking in general is a possible death sentence is utter twaddle.

hear, hear!
I've had many dogs and yes, they licked me sometimes and no, I have never caught anything from them. Humans yes, dogs, no.

I agree with itsadogslife and LaCrepescule. Alarmist, but fair to say to ensure wounds not licked.

Allira lol