Ben Thompson
A lot of dog owners enjoy letting their dogs lick them.
It might not be the most hygienic thing in the world, but most would think it's pretty harmless.
But vets have warned owners not to risk their health, after one woman ended up having her arms and legs amputated.
Advert
Marie Trainer from Stark County, Ohio, had returned home form a vacation in 2019 with a small cut on her hand.
She didn't think much of it when she was welcomed home with 'kisses' from her dog.
But shortly afterwards, she fell ill.
Things went from bad to worse very quickly.
Speaking to FOX News, Marie said: "Four days later, I wasn’t feeling well and just got sicker and sicker."
Believing she had contracted the flu, she was taken to hospital by her husband Matt.
Medics weren't sure what was wrong with her, but it quickly became apparent it wasn't flu when she fell into a coma.
She was diagnosed with a condition called capnocytophaga canimorsus, which is a bacteria found in the saliva of cats and dogs.
If it enters the human body, it can trigger a severe immune response.
In worst case scenarios, it can cause blood clots which can lead to circulation being cut off in the limbs.
When this arises, the limbs need to be amputated to prevent the infection spreading any further.
In the case of Marie, both of her arms and legs had to be cut off.
Vets have warned that dogs are 'overlooked spreaders' for zoonotic pathogens.
Zoonotic means the disease is spread from animal to human.
A team of researchers at Penn State issued a warning about exercising caution around dogs.
Of particular concern to them was antibiotic-resistant salmonella, which can cause diarrhoea and even death in extreme cases.
Sophia Kenney, who authored the study, said: "Especially with salmonella, we think about the role of agriculture and transmission - we think about eggs, we think about beef.
"But the thing is, we don't let cows sleep in our beds or lick our faces, but we do dogs.
"We have this close bond with companion animals in general, and we have a really close interface with dogs."
Falls Village Veterinary Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina, adds: "Dogs have a reputation for being fairly indiscriminate about the things they sniff, lick, and eat. For this reason, their mouths can easily become home to bacteria like E. coli, campylobacter, and salmonella. These microorganisms are zoonotic, which means they can be readily passed from one species to another.
"While healthy adults will almost certainly survive being exposed to the viruses or bacteria in their dogs’ mouths, there is a non-zero risk of gastrointestinal illness and oral diseases from puppy kisses.
"Certain parasites like giardia, roundworms, and hookworms can also be transmitted through licks. These organisms can cause severe abdominal pain and digestive problems in dogs and humans."
Marie has been on the challenging road to recovery after her quadruple amputation, undergoing rehabilitative therapy with prosthetic limbs.
She said: "It’s been challenging. Learning how to walk was the hardest thing, but I’m good, I’m doing good."