Licking Your Wounds

You may have heard that dogs have healing properties in their saliva that can help heal your wounds...

If you let your dog lick that scraped knee to speed up the healing – cut it out! Your dog may mean well – but that mouth, canine teeth and gums are filled with bacteria and can even cause infection for a human.

If you’ve heard that dog saliva has healing or protective properties – it’s not untrue all together. Scientists at the Veterinary School of Medicine at the University of California studied the properties of dog saliva to determine whether it killed E. Coli and S. Canis bacteria – and it turns out it did. By licking her puppies, a mother dog is actually protecting them against disease.

Most dogs will instinctually lick their own wounds and even try to lick yours. It’s best to give them a “thanks, but no thanks,” and opt for hydrogen peroxide and a BandAid.