We do not know how many times we have heard that dogs’ mouths are much cleaner than a human’s and that their saliva acts as a bactericide in wounds. Do you really believe that?
We are going to explain how this works of bacteria in the mouth of dogs to end this absurd myth once and for all. Don’t be surprised if you read something you don’t like, because we will only tell the truth.
Index of contents
- 1 Is a dog’s mouth clean?
- 2 Does the saliva of dogs act as an Antiseptic?
- 3 So … is it bad for a dog to lick me?
- 4 How to keep a dog’s mouth clean?
Is a dog’s mouth clean?
Dogs’ mouths contain an immense amount of bacteria, a bacterial flora lodged in their mouth that is not, however, harmful to the dog.
Humans also have a bacterial flora in the mouth, although much less because we brush our teeth and rinse our mouths.
However, the bacteria that live in a dog’s mouth have nothing to do with the bacteria that humans have in their mouths. Each animal species has its own bacterial flora, different from that of other living beings.
So the answer is a clear and resounding NO, a dog’s mouth is not cleaner than a human’s, not even close. In addition, the bacteria that a dog has in the mouth are harmful to humans, and can cause infections.
Does the saliva of dogs act as an Antiseptic?
Another of the great myths is the one that indicates that the saliva of dogs serves to heal wounds, acting as an antiseptic and thus avoiding infections.
Nothing is further from reality, if a dog licks any of our wounds, it will cause a significant infection, since its bacteria are very harmful to humans and other animals.
When a dog cuts a wound and licks it, it is not to heal itself, but to clean the wound and prevent infection. Their saliva has no healing power even in themselves, it is just an urban legend.
So … is it bad for a dog to lick me?
Yes and no, things are not black or white, they can also be gray. If a dog licks us on the hands or face, it surely does so because it cares for us (or because we smell food).
That is nothing detrimental to us humans. However, if we have an open wound or our dog licks us in the mouth, we are at great risk of acquiring an infection.
Stay away from those false rumors that indicate that if a dog kisses you on the mouth nothing happens, because maybe you are lucky and nothing happens to you, but perhaps if it happens and you develop a great infection.
How to keep a dog’s mouth clean?
In reality this is something totally impossible, they will always have a large number of bacteria in their mouth, bacteria harmful to other animal species such as humans.
However, although we cannot eliminate them, we can reduce them, thus maintaining good oral hygiene in our dog. To do this, we simply must follow these tips:
- Keep your dog’s mouth clean of tartar, tartar produces infections even in your own mouth.
- Clean your dog’s teeth with a brush and a special toothpaste for dogs (human toothpaste is very poisonous to them).
- Prevents you from eating feces from other dead animals or bugs.
- Carry out the recommended veterinary check-ups, even if just to verify that everything is going well.
Following these steps we will keep your mouth cleaner than usual, but in no case can we think or affirm that it will be cleaner than that of a human.