As animal lovers, we all understand that dogs love to lick everything – especially wounds! However, is allowing your pup to lick these wounds beneficial or does it do more damage?

Although wound licking has its advantages, the potential risks outweigh these benefits in most instances, particularly for large wounds.

In this article we will investigate why dogs lick their wounds, the risks associated with wound licking and how you can stop your dog from doing this.

Why Do Dogs Lick Their Wounds? Dogs typically lick their wounds in order to promote healing and relieve discomfort. Licking may aid the process in some instances but may also prove detrimental (more on this below).

Wound-licking is an instinctive response in dogs, cats, primates and rodents; other species share this behavior too. Their mouth is their only tool available to them for cleaning up wounds; no medicine cabinet or disinfectant available can provide this help; so instead, their lips become the sole way they know to help themselves heal.

Why lick? Saliva contains various therapeutic substances which can assist with healing. It includes tissue factor (also called platelet tissue factor) which promotes blood clotting. Dog saliva also contains Opiorphin, an endogenous chemical compound which acts as an analgesic and painkiller.

History of Wound Licking
For centuries, people have believed that wound licking could have some curative properties; historically we used dogs to assist in healing some of our own wounds.

Dog saliva has long been believed to aid healing wounds since ancient Egyptian times. Egyptians believed that being licked by a dog on an open wound assisted with recovery and even helped cure certain illnesses.

Ancient Greece saw dogs trained at Aesculapius’ shrine (a hero and god of medicine) being trained to lick patients at his shrine, while in Armenian culture Aralezes were believed to descend from above to lick wounded fallen so they might return from death and rise again.

Modern medicine may have discredited such methods of healing, but our dogs still rely on them. While minor wounds might not present much of a risk for your pet, larger ones could be detrimental.

Dangers Of Letting Your Dog Lick Their Wounds
Although wound licking can provide some benefits, there are also risks involved. Licking can slow the healing process down significantly or worsen conditions by creating infections.

Dogs carry billions of bacteria inside their mouth, many with the potential to cause infections. Even harmless-seeming organisms like Pasteurella could pose serious threats if introduced into an open wound or injury site.

Licking can reopen old wounds by dissecting tissue, which leaves them more susceptible to infection and debris, thus delaying healing and ultimately slowing the recovery process altogether.

Surgery sites can be especially hazardous when it comes to licking, as this can break down sutures and reopen wounds. Licking incisions is often uncomfortable and irritating for dogs; their response could include licking or chewing at them to relieve itching or discomfort. And since surgery wounds tend to be large and deep, infection risk increases significantly if your pet licks this area too often.

How to Prevent Your Dog From Licking Their Wounds
In order to stop your pup from licking his/her wounds, there are various tools you can use such as an E-collar, bandage, T-shirt or distraction techniques in the case of minor wounds.

If your dog has undergone surgery, their veterinarian has likely provided them with an E-collar. Although no one enjoys wearing one of these cones of shame, remember that in the long run it will only serve to improve their healing process and stop any accidental wound licking from occurring. They’re designed to stop them licking the wounds themselves and slowing the recovery time down by keeping licking away from wounds that have just healed!

Bandaging smaller wounds may help prevent your pup from licking it again, but keep in mind some dogs can easily take advantage of their freedom to remove their bandage and resume their habit when left alone.

If your dog has any wounds that concern you, consult with a veterinarian immediately. They’ll be able to assess and provide treatment options if applicable, while providing guidance as to which methods can prevent wound licking.

If E-collars don’t quite make you happy (nobody does! ), ask your veterinarian whether any other options would work better. Depending on the area in which your pup was injured they may recommend something less intrusive such as an alternative E-collar solution.

If your dog has suffered minor wounds, distraction techniques such as brain games or food puzzles may be enough to keep him/her occupied – just be wary if they start licking at their wound again when not actively engaged with something! Just make sure they stay under close observation so they do not return to licking it themselves!

Conclusion Why do dogs lick their wounds? Because it can help promote healing and ease pain. While dog saliva has some healing properties, wound licking has more risks than benefits; in fact, wound licking may actually delay recovery or lead to serious infections in some instances.

If your pup has an ongoing wound that’s becoming an issue, make an appointment with their veterinarian as soon as possible. There are various treatment options available and they’ll find one tailored specifically to them and your pup.