The Dog Bible Q&A
Tracie welcomes any and all questions about cats AND dogs on both her live radio shows. Call in to DOG TALK on Saturdays from 11-Noon (EST) to 800-394-8830 or Wednesdays 8-9 PM (EST) to CAT CHAT 866-675-6675. (You don't need to have Sirius to call in!)
Should a Dog Lick Your Wound?
Dog vs Cat mouth cleanliness:
1. Is a dog’s mouth clean or dirty? I have heard people say that a cat’s mouth is cleaner than a dog’s. Is this true or false?
Wound Licking:
2. Is it okay to allow my dog to lick an open wound on a person?
Thank you,
Chris
Hello, Chris --
The answer to your first question is that a dog's mouth cannot be considered "clean," with the nasty things dogs pick up in their mouths and the bacteria residing on their teeth and gums. The mouth of any animal can hardly be called "clean" in any antiseptic sort of way.
Your second question about relative cleanliness of a cat's versus a dog's mouth can be answered simply by saying that a cat's bite is far more dangerous and prone to infection than one from a dog.
As for your third question about wound-licking, there seems to be an old myth that out on the range or in the wilderness, cowboys (or the equivalent!) would let their dogs lick their wounds to supposedly clean or even heal them. This is pure silliness: if dogs had any sort of cleansing or restorative properties in their saliva, you can be darn sure some scientist would have isolated it a long time ago and synthesized it to be used commercially for human medicine.
Should you have any wounds, my suggestion would be to go get some hydrogen peroxide or antiseptic for any cut and cover it with a Band-Aid, keeping it well out of reach of your dog's tongue!
Tracie
Tracie welcomes any and all questions about cats AND dogs on both her live radio shows. Call in to DOG TALK on Saturdays from 11-Noon (EST) to 800-394-8830 or Wednesdays 8-9 PM (EST) to CAT CHAT 866-675-6675. (You don't need to have Sirius to call in!)
DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that the advice I give on the air or in emails – or those you see posted here – are not intended to take the place of a veterinarian's advice or expertise. I say this to protect myself from being misunderstood or from your over-reliance on my advice in situations where your pet may be seriously ill and you would mistakenly delay seeking medical intervention. While I am confident in the research-based facts and common-sense advice I can offer, it is never meant to be used at the exclusion of trained, accredited and board certified professionals. But I also have this disclaimer to protect your dog – because what you learn from me is not intended to take the place of medical care or professional evaluation – on the contrary, my desire is to equip you with information that will allow you to enjoy your pets to the fullest, and also to encourage you to seek professional medical attention whenever there are physical symptoms or an overall change in your pet's attitude.
The information contained in the answers posted on this board comes from THE DOG BIBLE: Everything Your Dog Wants You To Know, and from DOG TALK® The Radio Show, broadcast live, Saturdays, from 11-12 noon EST, on your local NPR affiliate. All emails are answered personally and then posted, sometimes in abbreviated form.
