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Aug
Do Dog Licks Clean Wounds. Additionally when your dog licks their wound they might also cause further harm by irritating it or even picking or compromising any sutures or closures used to knit the wound together. As a kid I let my dog lick scrapes and cuts all the time. If your vet supplies a buster collar or other equipment to prevent your dog from licking their wound always use it and follow their advice on how to clean and care for the wound at home. Whats the explanation behind a dogs urge to lick their wounds.
The bacteria in a dogs mouth are relatively benign and much less likely to cause a skin infection than the staphylococcus or streptococcus from the dogs. Although your dog means well when it tries to lick your wounds canine saliva can cause infections in humans. Their saliva has an enzymatic component that speeds healing. The first few licks help to clean away the debris that might be in the wound and after that licking cleans infectious matter from the outside world. When your dog licks a wound there are healing capacities in their saliva and it can also help cleanse the area. There is a belief that dog saliva can heal wounds.
Additionally the mechanical action of licking helps remove debris from the wound area while cleaning it.
They are natural healers when it comes to grooming and cleaning. As dog bites carry risk of infection so does licking. Dogs tend to harbor fewer diseases that are communicable to humans and the actual risk of infection is fairly low. Its not going to help anything t. You can also try covering the wound with a sleeve. Pro - Bandaging not only ensures your dog cant lick the wound but it also creates a clean wound environment which helps promote faster wound healing.