02
Aug
Do Dog Licks Heal Human Wounds. Yet recent research suggests that the ancient practice of dog licking may indeed aid wound healing. Greg Manteufel suffered a blood infection after a dog lick. The following compounds are present in canine saliva and are thought to have antimicrobial and healing properties. When your dog licks a wound there are healing capacities in their saliva and it can also help cleanse the area.
Evidence Against the Health Claim Despite the antibacterial agents found in saliva many scientists caution against wound licking arguing that such practice is neither safe nor health-promoting. My blog from two week ago looked at new research suggesting that dog intestinal bacteria may have a protective role against asthma in children. There is a common folk belief that animal saliva especially that of dogs has healing properties for human wounds. Dogs instinctively lick wounds. When your dog licks a wound there are healing capacities in their saliva and it can also help cleanse the area. Something hurts so they lick it.
Dogs cats rodents and primates all lick wounds.
The saliva will form a film of coolness on top of the wound numbing the area and reducing the pain. It is an instinct. The dog will instinctively lick his wounds attempting to relive the pain. Evidence for this comes from a number of historical traditions. Evidence Against the Health Claim Despite the antibacterial agents found in saliva many scientists caution against wound licking arguing that such practice is neither safe nor health-promoting. There are also biological reasons as to why dogs lick wounds.