Dog Licks: Gross But Not Dangerous
Information on the many dog tongues in Mac5 World.... Still not sure why dogs can lick their wounds to help them heal and we can't...
ask.yahoo.com/Katie-and-Clyde's-Tongues
Dear Yahoo!:
Are dogs' mouths really cleaner than humans'?
Jenna
Glendale, California
Dear Jenna:
All dogs lick themselves. Some eat their own feces. Humans (most of 'em, anyway) do not. So how in the world can the mouth of a canine be cleaner than that of a person? Simple -- it can't.
According to ABC News, this is basically an urban legend. However, unlike the one about the psycho killer with the hook, this story has a grain of truth. Although the mouth of a typical dog is full of bacteria, it's "species specific." So, if a dog were to lick a person, most of the germs wouldn't transfer. "Bottom line -- you're more likely to get a serious illness from kissing a person than kissing a dog."
The myth may have stemmed from the way pups lick their wounds. A dog's tongue gets rid of dead tissue so wounds heal faster. Perhaps folks concluded that dog saliva is "healthy." Hardly the case, but you shouldn't be afraid of licks. They might be gross, but they're not dangerous.
I don't think people should lick dog wounds as you are suggesting; the dog might bite you.
I got bitten by a cat once and, when I eventually went to urgent care because my hand was infected and swelling, the doctor said that cat saliva was particularly nasty.