Why do dogs lick cuts?

Although your dog means well when it tries to lick your wounds, canine saliva can cause infections in humans. As dog bites carry risk of infection, so does licking. It is rare for dog saliva to cause serious injury, but it has in more than one case. read more

It is an instinctive response in dogs, humans, and other animals to attend quickly to wounds, and dogs are just one species who will lick at them to cleanse the area – cats, rodents, and monkeys do the same. read more

Dogs do lick their young to cure their wounds. Dogs can be very caring about their puppies and their senior citizens. The African Wild Dog (a species) licks the wounds of its old, sick or injured pack members. read more