Kisses from your dog may contain deadly bacteria, study says

No question about it, we learn about unconditional love from our dogs. They are happy to see us no matter what and in many cases, they greet us with dog kisses at the door!

Which may be giving us more than slobber, according to a study from the Royal Veterinary College and the University of Lisbon. 

The study has found that dogs, cats and their owners all share bacteria likely from letting our pets kiss us on the mouth or not washing our hands thoroughly enough after picking up their waste or cleaning the litter box. 

That's not new. 

BOSTON, MA. - OCTOBER 6: Colby Dame, of Rockland, gets pinned by his dog Olive on their way to winning the kissing contest at Dogtoberfest at Harpoon on October 6, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Mary Schwalm/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

BOSTON, MA. - OCTOBER 6: Colby Dame, of Rockland, gets pinned by his dog Olive on their way to winning the kissing contest at Dogtoberfest at Harpoon on October 6, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Mary Schwalm/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald) (

However, what is concerning is that researchers are finding that the bacteria being shared is resistant to antibiotics.

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Half of the infected pets they tested had antibiotic-resistant strains of bacterial infections, like E. coli. That does concern Urgent Care Specialists, like Dr. Nathan Newman, of the Medical Director of UrgentMED. 

Dr. Newman said certain types of infections can be deadly to humans. 

"I get that it’s hard not to accept those love licks," he said. "But think about that tongue licking, where the dog goes to the bathroom before it kisses you". 

We checked in with the humans and dogs at the Redondo Beach Dog park. Check out our story to see what the word was, and feel free to share with us your (and your canines') opinion on this.

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