Can a dog lick a child’s face and infect it?

“Is it a big deal if my dog licks a child’s face? Will the little one catch any diseases?”, we often hear similar questions from our clients at our clinic.

Of course, there is no clear-cut answer and each case has to be evaluated individually by a specialist, as it is not clear what conditions the dog is kept in, where it is taken for walks, etc. Of course, more information is also needed about the child himself. However, in most cases, licking a dog should not pose a health risk to the child. The only disease that humans and dogs can transmit to each other via saliva is bacterial sore throat, which is quite rare and is caused by haemolytic streptococcus.

If a dog has bacterial sore throat and has passed it on to family members, the pet should be taken to a vet for examination. If a child is suspected of having a weakened immune system, he/she should not come into close contact with a healthy dog that has normal numbers of bacteria in its saliva.

Another important consideration is worms, which children can catch when playing in the yard or on the floor of the house, where pets normally roam. This is why the pet needs to be de-helminticised from time to time to keep the worms healthy and safe for children and adults.