Is It Ok To Let My Dog Lick My Wound. Licking might offer some protection against certain bacteria but there are serious drawbacks to letting your dog lick wounds. Yes you should let your dog lick his wounds unless he is licking exessively. Excessive licking can lead to irritation paving the way for hot spots infections and potential self-mutilation. I thought an e-collar was a big plastic gaurd around the dogs head to prevent them from being able to reach stitches on their belly etc.
Excessive licking can lead to irritation paving the way for hot spots infections and potential self-mutilation. If a wound is really bothersome and your dog will just not stop licking the area here are some things to try. If your dog has a minor superficial scrape allowing your dog to lick it for a minute is probably fine. Licking and chewing can also slow healing by reopening wounds. It is rare for dog saliva to cause serious injury but it has in more than one case. 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.
Licking might offer some protection against certain bacteria but there are serious drawbacks to letting your dog lick wounds.
Licking and chewing can also slow healing by reopening wounds. However if your dog wont let up with the licking problems can start fast. Yes you should let your dog lick his wounds unless he is licking exessively. 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. Your dog should not be allowed to lick or chew the open wound. 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.