January 5, 2015 – Flapping your gums can turn grimace to grin, but its right back around, when the drool hits the chin.  What’s the first thing that happens after child birth, aside from cutting the cord?   Clean up, of course.   The same is true for puppies and kittens, but not with a nice, soft, sanitary towel… it’s mother’s abrasive tongue washing away film, filth and feces.   Not so squeaky clean, in fact…  loaded with foreboding bacteria.   Mom’s lovable lips, gooey gums, slimy saliva and nosy nose;  are all the reasons your cuddly little pet… comes teeming with foes.  She doesn’t mean to be mean, but with the touch of her tongue, and the scrape of her skin, she shares her wares with the little ones who bear the burden of her belligerent bugs.

Ever notice the sobering smell of your pet’s favorite find?  Be it ball, bone or bedroom slipper; it’s not as nice as it was when new.  Licking, lapping and lugging are all part of the joys of toys, but they’re also the makings of a milieu of malodorous microbes;  ready, and waiting, to move from your pet’s skin to the chew of their choice, and back again.

Germs and worms are not the only things Dear Ole’ mom can give to her baby brood.  Should she manage to get mange, she’ll spread these aggressive little arthropods to her offspring during neonatal nursing.  And there’s nothing more creepy, or crawly, than an eight legged, microscopic, mite;  feeding on your four footed friend, or potentially you.

Lips, teeth, tongues, and gums all play a role in the migration of microscopic freeloaders that hitch a ride and end up inside.  You can bathe away bacteria, fight off the fungus, wipe out the worms and macerate the mites, but moms will always be mom’s when it comes to passing on parasites.  So… fend off the foul odor by keeping clean what you can, and if that doesn’t stifle the stink; then seek out a specialist for a solution to the scenario that leads to lips that linger.

Bottom line:  Kissing and licking are welcomed displays of affection, but when the lips are loathsome and the odor is ominous, it’s better to balk at the behavior… than end up with a gift that keeps on giving.