Is it okay to let dogs lick their wounds

Search for Pet Medication at VetDepot. Ask you vet before applying a topical antiobiotic Neosporin or other to the woundhe may already have the dog on a systemic antibiotic.

Dogs cats small rodents horses and primates all lick wounds.

Is it okay to let dogs lick their wounds. Licking might offer some protection against certain bacteria but there are serious drawbacks to letting your dog lick wounds. Excessive licking can lead to irritation paving the. Should Dogs Be Allowed to Lick Their Wounds.

If your dog has a minor superficial scrape allowing your dog to lick it for a minute is probably fine. However if your dog wont let up with the licking problems can start fast. If your dog has a significant wound or a surgical site licking.

Animals mouths are cleaner than ours they say citing the pithy adage that suggests wed all rather eat a plate of spaghetti off a dogs tongue than off our Crate Barrel finest. Pets mouths are made for licking wounds they say so to heck with you neurotic vets and your. You can and you should let him lick it but not bite it.

Dogs tend to lick their wounds or your but thats not recommended because theres something in their saliva called pro-biotics. Those can be good or bad but in your dogs mouth the probiotics are good. They speed up the heeling process and disminishes the risk of infection.

For those reasons its a good idea not to let your dog lick his own wounds and the wounds of other dogs and people especially when it comes to children. Even if nature is wise and you believe a dog licking himself is an instinct for him to heal himself then that means you can also say that he does it because its the only tool available for him to alleviate his discomfort or pain. Although there are a lot of risks associated with letting dogs lick wounds canine saliva does contain a few compounds that may help to disinfect and clean wounds.

The practice of allowing dogs to heal wounds with licking dates back as far as the Egyptian age where dogs were allowed to lick the open wounds of humans in the belief that their saliva could heal. Posted by Ellen Britt Explore Tips 0. Dogs will naturally lick any wound on their bodies they can reach with their tongues as its just instinct for them to do so.

Because this is such common behavior many people believe that when a dog licks a wound it will promote healing. It can be harmful for dogs and cats to lick their wounds. Follow these tips for caring for your pets wound at home and know when to visit the vet.

Search for Pet Medication at VetDepot. Is it safe for my dog to be licking his wound after his stitches have been removed. They were taken out March 15th.

• Answered by a verified Dog Veterinarian. Ask you vet before applying a topical antiobiotic Neosporin or other to the woundhe may already have the dog on a systemic antibiotic. If the dog was given penicillin you can get some liquid penicillin to spread directly on the wound if you dont think the dogs licking is working fast enough.

Your veterinarian tells you to avoid letting your pets lick the faces of the family. She lists the numerous parasites and bacteria possibly present in pet saliva that may affect family members. Yet recent research suggests that the ancient practice of dog licking may indeed aid wound healing.

The study mentioned above has a big flaw though. It fails to compare to wound healing in rats who were not allowed to lick their wounds at all. While it is true that saliva can promote wound healing the bacteria that it contains can also cause serious wound infections which in rare cases could even result in death.

Moreover the mechanical abrasion from your dogs rough tongue can cause a lot of damage to the wound edges actually slowing down the healing. Dogs cats small rodents horses and primates all lick wounds. Saliva contains tissue factor which promotes the blood clotting mechanism.

The enzyme lysozyme is found in many tissues and is known to attack the cell walls of many gram-positive bacteria aiding in defense against infection. Yes you should let your dog lick his wounds unless he is licking exessively. Dogs have an enzyme that speeds up the healing process.

I thought an e-collar was a big plastic gaurd around the dogs head to prevent them from being able to reach stitches on their belly etc. It isnt a good idea to let your dog lick your wounds and it really isnt a good idea to let him lick his own. Despite the suggestion that there may be bactericidal benefits the trauma caused by the friction of licking is destructive to the healing process.

Yet it may be important to not let your dog go too crazy with licking away at your wounds. This could cause an infection in your cut and it may not be the healthiest for your dog either. There are also other reasons a dog may lick your wound.

It may be the same reason they lick your feet your hands or even your face. Some dogs never lick their incisions after castration but those that do lick should be stopped immediately. If your dog is fairly large you may be able to put a pair of old clean boxer shorts on him after cutting a hole for his tail.

This method prevents licking without inconveniencing your dog and making it difficult. Should you let your dog lick their wounds or yours. If its just a little wound a little licking wont hurt.

If its getting serious if it gets larger if hair starts to thin or disappear or if the wound is still wet after a day or two please see your vet. Digital VisionPhotodiscGetty Images Although your dog means well when it tries to lick your wounds canine saliva can cause infections in humans. As dog bites carry risk of infection so does licking.

It is rare for dog saliva to cause serious injury but it has in more than one case.