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Can mad cow disease be transmitted through dog saliva?

Restrictions for human and animal food vary a lot, and theoretically brain and spinal cord from an asymptomatic cow with BSE could end up in pet food.

I know some people eat eg. dog food for various reasons, and I guess this would in it self pose a risk of getting this awful prion. Oddly, this doesn't pop up most places on the internet when you search for health risks connected with eating dog food?

My issue is that my boyfriend really doesn't think that much of it, because it's so rare. And he's fine with his dog licking him in the face and around the mouth daily, and sometimes by accident in the mouth. And he doesn't intent to make it stop.
I know there's a whole lot of other reasons someone could get sick from dog saliva, but is BSE one of them? In that case, he's putting us both in risk.

Then again, wouldn't we have seen more cases if this was a real risk?
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207091 tn?1337709493
Okay, people can't get BSE, first. There is a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) that some people got in the UK years ago after eating diseased meat, but the connection apparently hasn't been confirmed. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20371226

There is also no evidence that dogs get BCE - https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/mad-cow-in-dog-food/

Yes, you can get sick from your dog, but it's not common, and you can get most of the same things in many other ways.

I think this is a while lot of worry for nothing. Is anxiety a problem for you in other areas? Do you have a germ phobia? Maybe this is something counseling can help.
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363281 tn?1643235611
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hello~I agree completely with Auntiejessi's post. I don't think you have anything to worry about. If you are really concerned, then perhaps talk to your physician or counselor about this. The anxiety over this is far worse than getting the illness.
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