Dog had rat, then licked my lips. Am I at risk for diseases?

Question

Long story short my dog had a rat in her mouth last week Wednesday, there was no blood witch seemed to indicate that it died from other means.she was waking with it in her mouth, not chewing. I think the cat choked it or somthing. But while I was trying to the her up she was giving me trouble so I spanked her. Then I came out and said sorry and tried again. Then the next thing I know she licked my lips. Potential risk? I sprayed poroxided on my lips and swiged it.She's drunken lots of waterseinc. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | 5 months and 17 days old | 62 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

There are a couple of diseases that a rat can give a person, but it's very unlikely it could be spread this way. Bacterial and parasitic diseases usually require a certain amount be ingested before they cause disease. It would take more than a lick to the outside of the mouth to give a substantial amount. There are some scary diseases like hantavirus that can be spread quite easily though. However, it is relatively rare. The best thing you can do to rule-out disease is by taking the rat to a state laboratory for testing. The government has disease monitoring laboratories that will examine and test the body for diseases of concern in your area. You can call your local vet, or Texas A&M veterinary diagnostic laboratory (https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/) for more information. Otherwise, I would not worry too much. It appears that you have done a good job washing away any potential contaminants and it would be rare for you to have contracted anything. If you happen to feel ill in the next week, then please contact your doctor and mention the rat incident. I hope that helps and all is well.

Dog had rat, then licked my lips. Am I at risk for diseases?

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