3 reasons why you shouldn't sleep with your dog in bed

I think it's a big party when Sjaan (my dog) lies in bed with us. She sleeps in a basket next to the bed, but as soon as the first ray of light falls through the curtains, she immediately jumps on my head. Many people find this quite disgusting, and I somewhat understand that. Dogs don't shower and walk through everything. They put all sorts of things in their mouths like pizza slices, napkins, chewed chicken legs, and so on. But when I see that sweet little head of Sjaan, I don't think about it for a second. It's at most not very hygienic, I think. What turns out? It's actually not good for our health. This is claimed by veterinarian and researcher Paul Overgaauw. His research showed that nearly one-fifth of dogs sleep in bed with people. According to him, this is more dangerous than you think.
 

1. Poop ends up in your bed
The researchers studied the bacteria in the fur of the dogs. They found poop bacteria in 68 percent of the dogs. With their tongues, they spread these bacteria all over their bodies after they have thoroughly licked their behinds. Quite a bit gross. There are also bacteria sticking to the paws of dogs. A dog doesn't neatly wipe its feet. It's actually comparable to people lying in bed without taking off their shoes. All sounds quite logical. So why do we do it anyway? Probably because we just find it way too cozy. Well, read on.

2. You can get infections from it
A common skin fungus that you can get from your dog is ringworm. According to Overgaauw, people usually go to the doctor with itching complaints, but they have no idea that they can continuously get re-infected by their pet. General practitioners should actually ask if you have a dog so that the core of the problem can be solved. But it gets worse: one-fifth of all dogs carry a bacterium in their mouths that can cause limbs to die in humans. How grim is this? The bacterium can be transmitted, even if you are not bitten by your dog. Even more horror: a father and daughter from America got the plague from their dog in 2009. The dog had fleas, and they were infected. They slept in bed with the dog. This story made me think for a moment.
3. You get inflammations from animal saliva
Many of the fungi that your dog can transmit mainly cause complaints on the arms and face. Your bed is of course the place to cuddle extensively with your pet. But often you lie in bed with bare legs or an exposed torso. This is where it goes wrong. Another bad idea: letting your dog lick your face. Everyone can imagine that this is quite dirty. That tongue has been everywhere. Overgaauw can list a laundry list of bacteria that have been cultured from bite wounds. These can lead to wound infections, blood poisoning, stomach ulcers, or even meningitis. How nasty?

Does this mean we should get rid of our furry buddy (in the interest of our health)? Of course not. But sleeping with your dog in bed is not the best idea. According to Overgaauw, we are actually more often sick from our pets than we realize. They are usually vague complaints. Dogs also don't feel the need to lie on the bed, naturally. This is something we have taught them. Unlearning is more difficult but certainly not impossible. I will try it in any case.
 

Source: Quest