Can I interest you in a little Salmonella, which can cause infections, diarrhea, fever, and cramps?

No?

You probably won't get this from me, but you might get it from your dogs.

Photo by nrd on Unsplash
Photo by nrd on Unsplash
loading...

Stop kissing your dog on the mouth

Research from Penn State University has found that pets are often overlooked as a spreader of certain types of Salmonella.

Researchers say antibiotic-resistant Salmonella has increased recently meaning drugs aren't able to treat the disease like in the past.  "Household dogs are an overlooked transmission point for zoonotic pathogens such as nontyphoidal Salmonella, which can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, with some infections potentially having life-threatening complications."

Yikes!

Erica Ganda helped lead the research. She says closeness between humans and animals allows any disease to transfer more easily.

Sophia Kenney is a student who worked on the research. She says, "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."

Bottom line: don't kiss your dog's mouth, and don't let them kiss yours. (Hard to do when you love your dog, right?)

Cat Country 107.3 logo
Get our free mobile app
Photo by Kojirou Sasaki on Unsplash
Photo by Kojirou Sasaki on Unsplash
loading...

Wash your hands

Researchers point out that regular handwashing and other simple hygiene practices go a long way in helping to prevent the transfer of disease threats like Salmonella. They point out "even the healthiest pups can carry Salmonella.

Researchers concluded their report by stating that the physical and mental health benefits of owning a dog are certainly important. Just be smart and safe.

SOURCE:: Penn State University

LOOK: The most popular dog breeds in America

Using the American Kennel Club's 2023 rankings, released on April 9, 2024, Stacker compiled a ranking of the 100 most popular dog breeds in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

LOOK: Longest-living dog breeds

To find out the longest-living dog breeds, Stacker examined data from the journal Genetics and American Kennel Club's 2023 breed popularity rankings. 

Gallery Credit: Sophia June

LOOK: The most popular dog names of 2022 in every state

Hey dog lovers, check out this awesome list of the most popular dog names in 2022 for every state, and get ready for some serious cuteness overload.

Gallery Credit: Amber Spencer-Knowles

More From Cat Country 107.3