Why do dogs and other animals lick their wounds?

The saying "to lick one's wounds" is a metaphor for retreating and recovering from an injury, and the behavior is observed in some pets and other animals. Dogs, mice, and even ants do it. All sorts of animals apply saliva to their wounds. Why do these animals lick their wounds?

The healing properties of spit and self-soothing actions of licking are the answers. According to Dr. Benjamin Hart, a retired vet and professor at the University of California, Davis, wound licking is an instinctual response that may soothe irritation and pain. When there are better wound treatments available, the instinct can become counter productive.

For animals without thumbs or medication, licking is the best they have, according to Dr. Flynn. Flynn said that licking can remove debris from a wound and help alleviate sore muscles. It is similar to how a person would rub their foot after stubbing a toe.

Cats and dogs rub their butt on the floor.

Dogs lick wounds because they have an instinct to do so, Hart told Live Science.

According to a 1990 study co-written by Hart, dog saliva is effective at killing Streptococcus canis, a form of strep that primarily affects animals. A study comparing canine and human saliva found multiple immune and cell growth proteins specific to dog saliva. A 1979 study in the journal Nature and a 1991 study in the journal Experimental Gerontology show that rodents have compounds that promote skin growth and wound closure. A study published in the Archives of Oral Biology shows that growth factors are found in small quantities in human saliva.

Cats and dogs often come home from the vet with a plastic collar because wound licking can cause more harm than good in the age of modern medicine. Flynn said that Licking a surgical wound site can damage or pull out sutures and make a small patch into a big mess. Flynn said that dogs are prone to excessive licking, which can prevent injuries from healing.

Flynn said that wounds that have been licked can increase the risk of infections. saliva is not a universal germ killer. Hart's 1990 research showed that dog spit didn't kill Staphylococcus, a group ofbacteria that cause staph infections and are found in wounds.

If wound licking is not beneficial, why did it evolve over time?

Hart said that things that aren't 100% correct have to be useful 75% of the time or 50% of the time.

Modern science and medicine tend to advance faster than evolution. It's a good solution for wild animals. It is better for owners of pets to listen to a vet.

It was originally published on Live Science.