Don't bet dog's mouth is cleaner

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By Dr. John Koch

Question: My husband and I have this little dog named Queenie. When you sit down, she likes to jump up on your lap and lick you in the face. For sanitary reasons, I have never felt comfortable with her doing this. However, my husband says a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's mouth.

Answer: I'm sorry, but I have a little trouble with the idea that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's mouth. If you have watched many dogs over a period of time, you surely know that their mouths go places, eat things, and lick anatomical areas that most people find repulsive.

It is probably reasonable to conclude that both canine and human mouths have the potential to harbor large numbers of disease-causing organisms. I remember once telling my dentist that he was lucky not to have to clean some of the horribly infected and neglected teeth and mouths I saw in animals. He was quick to respond that I would be surprised if I only knew what his profession had to regularly deal with in humans.

I suppose it is possible that some canine mouths are cleaner than some human mouths; however, getting too kissy-faced friendly with your pet is still not recommended.

Dr. Koch is a Cape Girardeau area veterinarian.