Many pet owners believe that, if they get ill, they are unlikely to pass that illness onto their pet and vice versa. However, recent research suggests that this is very much not the case and from gum disease to the flu, there are many different types of germ or infection that could pass from pet to owner or the other way around.
As such, from brushing our own teeth and those of our dogs to actually simply ensuring that both master and pet eat healthily, keeping an eye on the health of both ourselves and our pets is likely to be extremely important for the well-being of the other.
Not only has research shown that a dog can very easily pass on gum disease to the owner if a person lets their pet lick them around the mouth, but it has also shown that humans may well be able to pass on the likes of colds and flu to their pets too.
As such, looking at the health habits of each is very important. Not only will you need to make sure that you keep a close eye on what your pets eat, both in and out of the home where possible, but you will also need to ensure that you take any health precautions a vet might recommend, from brushing their teeth to simply keeping your pet up to date in terms of inoculations.
The more we look after ourselves, the less likely our pet is to get ill and, likewise, by ensuring we feed our animals good quality food and get them regular checkups with the vet, we are far less likely to find that there is cross-contamination from owner to pet or from pet to owner.
So if you still want to kiss your pet, it is worth making sure they are as healthy as possible before you do so.