A long time ago, 2 years to be exact, Charley accidentally scratched my right eye with her nails. It was totally innocent but I knew something was seriously wrong when I couldn’t open either eye and I felt a bit off inside.

About 40 minutes passed when I was able to open both eyes and led myself to the emergency room.

After they did all their tests and x-ray my eye they said she scratched the eye pretty good and deep (ugh) but missed the cornea. They showed me a picture of the x-ray where you could see 2 large lines across my eyeball. 

Mind you that I am horribly squeamish when it comes to eyes so I was mortified. Writing about it is giving me the willies. 

The aftermath…

They said they couldn’t give me pain-killer drops for my eye because it may not heal correctly and I might not realize it needed to rest. Every 45 minutes I would start to get sick inside and my head would throb so I had to lie down and close my eyes.

Everything got back to normal in about a week and a half but I noticed Charley seemed to focus on that particular eye and started to obsessively gently lick it, eyelid close. I don’t know if she realized what had happened but maybe she saw I had been having problems with it and was sympathizing. She still does it to this day.

“Why does my dog lick my eye?”

I had to Google “why does my dog lick my eyes?” The answer was simple; AFFECTION. It went on to say that “It’s an instinctive behavior that’s linked to the comfort they felt when their mother licked them as a puppy. Licking plays an important part of how they bond with others, causing them to release dopamine and endorphins that help make them feel relaxed, calm and happy.”

Another reason is because our tears are salty and taste good to them.

Awww. How sweet is that? Both reasons.

The dangers…

However, after reading an article by Trisha Pasricha, M.D. in the Washington Post says that a dog licking your face can spread disease, especially if your dog licks open wounds or pimples and cold sores, and not to mention what your dog happens to put in their mouth during the day. 

Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a deadly pathogen that comes from dogs that can cause serious bacterial infections, mostly common after a bite. Thankfully humans have skin that provide a natural barrier to bacteria entering in which can in turn lead to infection and sepsis.

This pathogen is extremely rare though, according to Sonya Krisnan, an infectious disease specialist at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, with cases of 0.5 – 0.7 per 1 million people per year. About the same odds as winning the lottery.

I am not too worried about catching that Capnocytophaga pathogen from her occasional licks on my right eye, nor on the kisses she lavishes on my face from time to time. I’ll just take precaution in case I happen to have an open wound or get bit by another dog. 

What to do if you think you’ve been bit

If bit by a dog or a dog you don’t know licks you on a wound then it is imperative to wash the wound area for 10-15 minutes, and if the bite breaks the skin you need to go to the doctor within 24 hours and possibly get a tetanus shot, another disease that one can get from a dog or a human bite.

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