Letting your pet lick you on the mouth is a bad idea

Question: Is it unsanitary to kiss your dog or cat on the mouth? Does it cause colds, sore throats or other problems?

Answer: It is unlikely that you will catch a cold from your dog or cat. They're not susceptible to these viruses the way humans are.

Kissing your pet is not sanitary, though. Just think how an animal grooms itself.

Some germs could be transmitted from pet to owner. Cats can carry Pasteurella multocida, which can cause sinus infections in humans. Dogs might be infected with Bordetella bronchoseptica (kennel cough), which could pose a problem, especially for immune-compromised patients. Such patients might also be susceptible to strep and staph infections carried by pets.

Children should be taught to wash their hands after playing with the family pet. Hookworm and roundworm are transmissible.

Question: I have suffered with mild depression off and on for years. I have taken a variety of antidepressants including Wellbutrin, Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft and Effexor. With each of them, either I experienced side effects or the drug eventually lost effectiveness.

I recently started taking St. John's wort, and it is working surprisingly well. My doctor said it can be dangerous with other drugs, but he wasn't sure which ones. What can you tell me about side effects or interaction problems?

Answer: Some people find that St. John's wort relieves mild depression without some of the side effects associated with prescription medications. Drugs like Prozac, Zoloft and Lexapro might cause sexual dysfunction as well as insomnia and nausea.

St. John's wort does interact with dozens of other medications, including birth control pills, the blood thinner Coumadin, the heart medicine digoxin (Lanoxin) and cyclosporine (a drug to suppress the immune system for organ-transplant patients). This herb might also make eyes and skin vulnerable to sun damage. In the winter, this danger is reduced.

We are sending you our Guides to Antidepressant Pros and Cons, Psychological Side Effects and St. John's wort for more information on side effects and interactions. Anyone who would like copies, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. MVX-227, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.

Question: I was shocked to read that enteric-coated aspirin may damage the small intestine. Would buffered aspirin products like Ascriptin be safer?