02
Jan
It makes sense for a wild animal to lick its wounds since no other options are available but it does not follow that owners should therefore allow pets to do the same. But when dogs and cats are truly injured allowing them to lick their wounds can do more harm than good.
MRSA infection in humans which produce lesions like the unsightly one above can be caused by as little as one lick from your dog.
Why shouldnt dogs lick wounds. Possible Problems With Dogs Licking Wounds 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.
But when dogs and cats are truly injured allowing them to lick their wounds can do more harm than good. Like most animal activities wound licking has its roots in behavior that would be beneficial under different circumstances. When a wild animal licks its wounds.
MRSA infection in humans which produce lesions like the unsightly one above can be caused by as little as one lick from your dog. Dogs can carry around this bacteria with very little effect on their own health but when an owner comes into contact with it Yeah its a bad time. Unfortunately although dog saliva does have some healing properties the risks carried by allowing dogs to lick wounds are simply too high to warrant licking as a healing tool.
When it comes to dogs licking their own wounds a heavy amount of licking is likely to break down stitches and suture and re-open any closed wounds leaving them vulnerable to infection and the accumulation of dirt and debris. Do not let your dog clean your injuries. 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. It makes sense for a wild animal to lick its wounds since no other options are available but it does not follow that owners should therefore allow pets to do the same.
This is particularly true in the case of surgical incisions. Before during and after surgery doctors go to great lengths to prevent wound contamination and infection including. For wild or feral dogs licking is probably beneficial in cleaning a wound.
But wild animals are busy staying safe and finding food whereas a well fed pampered pet can devote a lot of time to licking a wound making it more extensive and sore in the process. So limiting access to wounds particularly surgical ones with stitches is important. 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.
Thier is a protein called Nerve Growth Factor NGF in saliva. Wounds doused with NGF healed twice as fast as untreated that is unlicked wounds also dogs mouths carry some antibiotic properties to certain bacteria as well as the physical licking will remove dirt and. Contrary to the old wives tale our pets mouths have a lot of germs in them and saliva does not heal woundsinstead it becomes a source of infection.
If your pet licks at the incision more than even once or twiceespecially if you have to tell your pet to stopyou need to do something right away to get this cycle stopped. Unfortunately letting your dog lick his wounds can be detrimental to his health. This is especially true if your dog had surgery or stitches.
The goal of stitches is to keep a wound closed long enough for it to heal properly. Overzealous licking can quickly turn into chewing and biting. Licking wounds is an instinct that many mammals including dogs have.
It is common for animals like cats primates and rodents to lick their injuries. Sometimes they can even lick the scrapes and cuts of other animal species. This instinct reduces the risk of infection as it helps mammals keep their open wounds clean.
Dogs mouths contain a lot of natural bacteria which is part of the reason dog bites are so dangerous. However this bacteria probably wont cause harm unless it gets into an open wound. There are no documented cases of illnesses that started with a.
Not all bacteria in dog saliva are beneficial and sometimes harmful pathogens colonize a wound as a result of licking. This is usually only a concern if there is a surgical wound or another very large wound or if there is a wound that hasnt healed in a normal amount of time.