Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparky10
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Rosie is healing well. Had her staples out Monday. She did not get to them to lick like last year, so her incision has healed nicely. She's still wearing the Elizabethan collar at night, or if we catch her licking the leg during the day.
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That's a
bad thing now? The (pardon the expression) 'old wives tale' seems to be true (or at least have some merit)...
Quote:
Researchers at the University of Florida at Gainesville have discovered a protein called Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in saliva. Wounds that were treated with NGF actually healed twice as fast as untreated wounds, indicating that if a dog does lick a humans wound, it could in fact lead to a faster recovery. In addition, Dr. Nigel Benjamin, a clinical pharmacologist with St. Bartholomew’s Hospital and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, has conducted research indicating that when saliva comes into contact with skin, a natural component of saliva called nitrite, breaks down into nitric oxide, a chemical compound that is very effective in protecting cuts and scratches from bacterial infections.
The scientific research that has been conducted has mainly focused on the helpful compounds and antibiotics that are found in dogs saliva. Menno Oudhoff of the University of Amsterdam has found simple proteins called histatins in saliva, which are well known for their ability to ward off infections. In fact, some histatins also prompt cells from the skin’s surface to close over a wound more quickly. Oudhoff further noted, “The first thing that needs to happen for wound healing is to activate the migration of epithelial cells.”
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Of course I quote this with tongue firmly implanted in cheek. The problem with dogs (like some people I know) is that too much of a good thing can be harmful, and they don't know enough/when to stop—hence pet lampshades...
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Here's a better article from a veterinary source explaining both sides.
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Doc