A microbiologist has conducted tests to reveal the true level of dirtiness inside a dog’s mouth, shedding light on the question of whether it’s safe to let them lick your face. Nick Aicher, a 27-year-old microbiologist, has grown bacteria cultures in a lab for the past three months, exploring the cleanliness of various objects and surfaces. With pet owners often receiving licks from their dogs, Nick finally addressed the popular query. His TikTok video explaining his findings has gained over 1.1 million views.
“People claim that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s, so I decided to investigate,” shared Nick, based in Chicago, USA. “I swabbed the dog’s mouth with a sterile tube and incubated the results on TSA agar for 24 hours. The findings were surprising but expected, considering dogs tend to interact with various substances. Personally, I don’t enjoy dogs licking me due to their unpleasant breath.
In the video, Nick swabs his dog’s nose, mouth, and paws, cultivating cultures to examine the results. The findings showed that the dog’s mouth had more bacteria than its paws, indicating a significant presence of bacteria. While the specific type of bacteria was not identified, Nick strongly advises against letting dogs lick your face.
Nick’s video has received 62,900 likes and numerous comments, with dog owners seeking advice and sharing their experiences. In a separate video, Nick compared the results to a cat, which garnered 196,700 views and 13,000 likes. The findings showed that a cat’s paws and mouth were considerably cleaner than a dog’s, although the cat’s nose still contained bacteria.
The revelations sparked discussions among viewers, with differing opinions on the cleanliness of dogs and cats. Some expressed concerns about the potential health risks associated with dog licks, while others shared their love for their pets’ affectionate gestures.
