Eli5 why animals can lick their butts and not worry about disease

Question

Eli5 why animals can lick their butts and not worry about disease

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Answer 1

Animals don’t worry about disease because they don’t have much of a conception of disease.

Animals may very well get diseases from licking their butts. Humans could lick their butts and not get diseases. There’s a risk but it’s not a guarantee every time you lick butt you’ll get a disease.

Dogs in particular are less sensitive to many illnesses because they’re pretty carnivorous and eat carrion. They have stronger stomachs with different bacteria in their guts.

This is the same sort of question as “why can animals eat raw meat but it makes humans sick?” Humans can also eat raw meat, but there’s a risk of disease, and there is for animals too. We’re just aware of these diseases and the risks and so choose to avoid them.