12
Jul
Is It Ok If My Dog Licks Her Wound. Such was the case with one recent client after her dogs routine neuter at which time she swore up and down that hed never need the lampshade ie an Elizabethan collar. What about pain medications. It is common for animals like cats primates and rodents to lick their injuries. Your dog wont just stop at his own wounds however and is likely to lick any grazes cuts or injuries you may have sustained as well.
Even if you have a strong immune system if a pet licks an open wound wash it with soap and water right away just to be safe and keep an eye out for any symptoms of infection. If it were my dog I would run some water over the paw hydrotherapy for 5-10 minutes a couple of times a day and discourage him from licking excessively. While wound licking is often completely condemned by vets and at the same time almost ritualized by many natural healers there is no simple answer to the question Is wound licking in dogs good or bad Why Dogs Lick Their Wounds. That being said many people will purposely let a dog lick their wounds. But when dogs and cats are truly injured allowing them to lick their wounds can do more harm than good. It is not only do dogs have a natural instinct to immediately lick any wound inflicted on them.
But if hes licking it all the time its going to have a harder time healing and paws have a hard time healing to begin with.
While licking may have some positive aspects to it the harm it may cause outweighs the good. But remember discourage licking after surgery especially if there are stitches involved dogs are likely to bite and pull them out. Dogs instinctively lick a wound but it is not beneficial. Part of this is due to affection and their presumed duty of care towards you. Licking wounds is an instinct that many mammals including dogs have. A good amount of licking can be helpful for small wounds.