Is It Safe To Let Your Dog Lick Your Face?

Kohei Hara via Getty Images “A dog’s mouth is actually cleaner than a human’s mouth” is an oft-repeated adage by dog owners who happily accept their pet’s slobbery affections. “A dog’s mouth is not any cleaner than a person’s mouth, as both are full of hundreds of different types of bacteria,” LeCuyer said. While LeCuyer says that, generally, your dog’s love of “other chocolate snacks” won’t lead to disease, she does note that there are some parasites and bacteria that dogs can pick up from eating feces. “Most of the potentially harmful bacteria in a dog’s mouth can only cause disease in a person when there is a break in the skin that allows the bacteria to infect deeper tissues,” LeCuyer said. “One of the biggest concerns is xylitol, which can be toxic to dogs even in relatively small amounts and is in many skin care and toothpaste products.” While many dog owners are well aware of xylitol’s presence in gum and other sugar-free products, they might not realize that this sweetener is also used as a moisturizing agent in some skin care products.