Licking Wounds: Dog Saliva as Antibiotic?
Dog Saliva Really Does Have Antibiotic Properties!
People often ask about dogs licking their wounds, and whether that promotes healing or gets in the way of proper healing. There’s nothing quite so pitiful as an injured dog wearing one of those big conical collars to prevent them from doing what they most want to do by nature – lick their wounds.
And while it’s certainly good to keep your pet from licking freshly stitched cuts (he might pull out stitches and end up with a bigger, uglier scar), once the stitches have been in place for a few days and begin to dissolve or are very soon to be removed, letting the dog go ahead and lick may even promote healing.
There are a couple of reasons for this. First, it’s true that dog saliva has antibiotic properties. Specifically, dog saliva contains lysozyme, an enzyme that lyses and destroys harmful bacteria. This means the enzyme attaches to the bacterial cell wall – particularly gram-positive bacteria – and weakens it, leading to rupture.
The second reason is direct stimulation of the tissues and small blood vessels surrounding the wound site. This helps to increase blood flow and promote the growth of new capillaries, while the blood brings white cells, platelets, growth factors and other of the body’s natural healing agents to the wound site.
So if your dog has an injury or undergoes an operation, ask your vet when it will be safe to allow the dog to lick the wound. Generally the vet will have administered antibiotic drugs, so infection of the wound site usually isn’t a big concern.
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August 23rd, 2008 at 9:41 am
I was so happy when I came across your site. My 6year old Shih-Tzu was hit by a van.Thank goodness there wasn’t any broken bones, but his right leg got pretty messed up,with quite a few cuts but no stitches.The second day he was allowed to come home from the hospital.So I let him lick his sore leg,I felt with him licking the leg he was also massaging the muscle.
The following day he had to go to the vet for check on his progress. The doctor was really impressed on how good the leg looked in just one day,the he told me not to let him lick his leg,cause it wasn’t sanitary,and to wear one of those collars. Now today I fell my dog’s leg is not doing as well,he is favoring it too much.
After I read your artical I feel much better with allowing him to lick. Thanks
February 16th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
the truth is that i used this experiment in my school’s science fair i didn’t know if it was real but when i proved it shows that dog saliva kill bacteria!!! my friends where buthering me because they tell me that i foun a new antibiotic
jajaja
February 24th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
THanks for the info I’m am doing this same experiment. I will publish the results later THanks
April 15th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Not that I’m impressed a lot, but this is more than I expected when I stumpled upon a link on Furl telling that the info is quite decent. Thanks.
May 11th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
This article is a great help so far. Pippi was attacked by a German shepherd, which resulted in several puncture wounds and lacertations. She had surgery and stayed in the hospital that night.
She’s been truly miserable since this happened. Her stitches are to be removed in a couple of days. Because she seemed so withdrawn and depressed that we decided to take the damned collar off. We were hesitant, but did it.
Then we came upon this article…luckily. Feels like we have a little “permission slip” to try this. So far, and it’s only been a few hours, she’s been licking the one wound that was left unstitched. A scab had formed, and once Pippi began to lick the area, the scab is gone. There isn’t any bleeding.
My prayer is that the saliva truly has anibiotic properties (she had been on amoxycillan for about 8 days). I guess we’ll know soon enough.
Thanks for the article.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Dog’s mouths are cleaner than a human’s.
September 1st, 2009 at 2:46 pm
the fact that the dog is dog their saliva is good only for dogs and not for me or to human being. i don’t believe if dogs’ saliva is applicable to human being as far as the hygiene is concerned!!!
October 7th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Dog’s mouths STILL contain bacteria and can cause infection – specifically genus Pasteurella, do not do this. Thank you.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
My dog was retrieving her ball in the woods, ran into a branch and ripped a huge section of her underside skin off. She has drainage tubes that are supposed to be cleaned and the skin is supposed to be kept clean too with a wet cotton ball. I’ve fought her for a day to keep the cone on and put her in a t-shirt as the vet suggested to keep the skin/bed/house from the drainage. Miserable. Today I decided to watch her closely that she didn’t pull the tubes out and let her lick. It seems only logical that it would stimulate the draining, and do my cleaning job too! I am a little concerned about the strain on the stitches cause she has a ton, but she has shown no sign of wanting to pull the tubes and it’s much cleaner than I was keeping it.
December 15th, 2009 at 11:45 am
i dont know if dogs mouths are cleaner then ours but i want to do a experiment on it, it sounds so cool and i would really liek to know
February 1st, 2010 at 8:40 pm
that is so cooooooool. I am doing a science fair project to see if dog saliva kills germ or heel wound
February 13th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
im doing a science fair experiment on it also! so far its working
February 17th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
this is a good tool for my science fair.
March 16th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Idid this as a science fair project before and proved dog saliva does kill bacteria!!
April 27th, 2010 at 8:40 am
how did you prove it ???
May 24th, 2010 at 11:32 am
I have to say I agree with dog saliva on humans. We had fleas in our home (from our cute dog) and they bit me more than anyone else in the house. I had many bites on my feet and shins! My dog began to lick these flea bites and within a couple days they were healed. Been a believer ever since!! Yes, we had to have an exterminator come, we had to get him dipped but since he started the mess, he helped fix it too!
July 29th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
cut my lip last night deep cut . my wenner dog went crazy just wanted to lick my face.got up this am the cut was closed .
August 4th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
@Dave: I had a paper cut on my lip my Lab licked it and it was better in a day. My daughter fell off her bike and scraped her knee after 3 days of peroxide and band aids we decided to leave it open. The dog started licking it and her cut had a scab by the next morn. In my opinion the dogs definatley have something that heals.
August 14th, 2010 at 9:39 am
@janeen…Peroxide delays healing, thats why it didn’t scab. Had nothing to do with the dog.
August 30th, 2010 at 11:11 am
[...] worse. I let him lick and it healed soon after. I believe dog saliva may help in some cases: Licking Wounds: Dog Saliva as Antibiotic? | Dog Reflections __________________ There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben [...]