Dear doctor;

We have a puppy at home. It likes licking legs and hands whenever it is playing with us. It has been vaccinated, but would there still be risks of some infections from the dog?

HK Jean, Remera.

Dear HK Jean,

Dogs make very good pets, good guards and loyal friend. Puppies are so cute to look at and handle. But keeping them  as pets carry certain health risks as well. Rabies is the biggest risk with a dog about which people  are mostly aware and hence get them vaccinated regularly. But some may be ignorant, some may be careless regarding other health hazards of dogs.

People treat them as babies, holding them in lap, caressing and kissing them. Many even share a bed with them. There is a big list of microbes  that can be brought by pets carrying them on their paws, saliva and body. Skin infections like tics, louse, diarrhoea causing bugs like salmonella, clostridium difficile, boils and pneumonia causing staphylococci all these can be carried by pets. Antibiotic resistant bacterial infections are known to be caused by pets. More serious life threatening infections like toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis, etc can also be caused by pets. Serious septicemia can occur due to a dog licking somewhere on the body where skin is even slightly denuded. Apart from this, one can have allergy to fur of dogs resulting in allergic cough or cold or precipitation and aggravation of asthma attacks.

So, it is wise to keep both the puppy and self in a healthy hygienic way. The puppy needs to be kept washed and clean regularly. Removal of ticks should be done on a regular basis. Kissing the pet or holding it close to mouth should be avoided. However, one may feel affectionate towards the pet but licking by it should be discouraged. It is vital to wash hands well after handling a pet animal. In this way one can avoid health risks associated with a pet.