Question About Dogs Licking Human Infections

[Gimpy]

My mom has a staph infection she is fighting with a wound on her toe. My dog keeps trying to lick her foot. Can he get a staph infection doing this? If he did get one how would we know?

[Brad Buckley, D.V.M.]

It is unlikely that a dog would acquire an infection in this manner. The saliva of the dog has some antibacterial properties. Most staph infections are in the skin and consist of redness, hairloss, pustules, crusts and drainage. I don't think this will harm the dog but probably isn't great for your mom's foot.