Why Do Dogs Always Want To Lick Your Wounds. Why do dogs lick their wounds. It can provide bacteria with a constant moist environment where they are most likely to thrive and cause. When a dog licks a wound–or a newborn puppy–it cleans it in much the same way you might clean a counter with a sponge. Dog saliva unfortunately has been shown to carry dangerous bacteria like Pasteurella which can cause infections when introduced to open wounds.
So while your dog sniffing at wounds is acceptable and even welcome behavior you shouldnt encourage your dog to lick your wounds their wounds or anyone elses. Excessive licking can lead to irritation paving the. Be most careful about protection if you will be away from your pet or asleep. Licking a wound delivers protease inhibitors and growth factors which promote wound healing. Sometimes they will lick because they smell leftover food particles in the other dogs mouth. Dogs lick and groom their wounds to keep them clean prevent infection and relieve pain.
Its an interesting question so lets start with why they lick their own wounds first.
For healthy children and adults dog saliva is not a health risk for intact skin. Sometimes they can even lick the scrapes and cuts of other animal species. If youve ever wondered why dogs lick their wounds and whether or not doing so actually helps wounds. Which aid a dog in both cleaning their wounds and to promote healing. However like most evolved behaviours displayed by animals like dogs licking wounds can in some situations help with healing. Lactoferrin and other antibacterial and anti-viral compounds can also be found in saliva.