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Should I let my dog lick his paw wound?
Eli Jenkins
2025-10-27 11:45:44
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It is a common misconception that letting dogs lick at their wounds is beneficial and will help them heal. While there is a little truth to this, dogs in general tend to lick their wounds excessively, which can cause a number of problems. Unfortunately, this means that dog saliva ultimately does not help clean or heal the wounds, so it’s best to prevent dogs from licking their wounds. Although licking the wound can provide a small benefit initially, most dogs lick their wounds excessively. This can actually introduce more bacteria into the wound, leading to an infection. Not only can licking wounds lead to infections, it can also cause irritation and damage to the surrounding tissues and the wound area. Dogs can harm themselves in numerous ways by licking their wounds, so it’s important know how to prevent them from licking.
Laurine Fay
2025-10-15 14:07:51
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It’s best not to let your dog lick his wound – especially not in the long term, as it will provide a warm and wet area for more bacteria to breed.
Like many other animals, including horses, cats, rodents and primates, it’s an instinct for dogs to lick their wounds as a means of cleaning themselves by removing dirt and hair.
Saliva also has enzymes that can kill some harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, but not all.
Flushing the wound through with saline water is more beneficial and it is not always wise to let a dog continue to lick a wound as it can become harmful, break down the skin and slow the healing process as it can introduce more harmful infections.
Licking is also a way for a dog to soothe pain – for example, my eldest English Mastiff, Mavis, suffers with arthritis in her feet and wrist and quite often I know she’s suffering due to the licking.
Veterinary wound management and remedies over the counter are much more helpful when it comes to treating the wound, and some of these also taste disgusting to your dog, which acts as a great deterrent.
Once you’ve cleaned and treated the wound – or it’s been treated by a vet if necessary – and it’s been suitably covered, using a soft cone or collar is the best way to prevent your dog from accessing it.
If a dog has had surgery, as the healing progresses the area can become itchy and the dog may want to lick the wound.
In this case, there are some great body suits, which prevent your dog from accessing the wound, but are also useful for dogs with allergies to grass.
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Yoshiko Ruecker
2025-10-09 15:15:45
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Do not allow your dog to lick or chew the open wound. Many dogs will require a protective collar to prevent them from injuring the site. Your veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics or antibiotic cream to apply to the wound. Gently clean the wound and surrounding area to remove any debris. Your veterinarian will provide you with specific instructions. Do not discontinue antibiotics for any reason, unless you have been instructed to do so by your veterinarian.
Mikayla Streich
2025-09-30 07:20:16
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If your dog has a wound, they may try to lick it, making it worse. It's a common myth that your dog's saliva has highly antibacterial properties so their licking can be good for their wounds. Actually, saliva is only mildly bacterial, and can also be a source of disease-producing bugs. The trauma caused by licking is also likely to make wounds worse. If your dog is trying to lick their wounds, it's important to prevent them from doing this as much as you can. For wild or feral dogs, licking may be beneficial in cleaning a wound. But wild animals are busy staying safe and finding food, whereas a well-fed, pampered pet can devote a lot of time to licking a wound, making it more extensive and sore in the process. So limiting access to wounds, particularly surgical ones, is important.
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