Plus, if your dog drinks too much of your blood (we’re talking cupfuls of it here), then they might experience vomiting, nausea, or diarrhea. A dog’s stomach isn’t made to digest blood, so it can make them feel sick.
Salmonella, a bacteria that causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Giardia, a parasite that is ingested via dirty water. Campylobacter, a bacteria that causes severe vomiting and diarrhea.
Plus, the constant licking can agitate the wound, slowing down healing time.
Dogs are intelligent animals, and they can tell when you’re hurting (especially if they see blood). While it’s true that a dog’s saliva can help heal their own wounds, a dog’s saliva is not beneficial to wounds on a human. The healing properties that may help your wound are negated by the potential bacteria and illnesses you could contract from a dog’s mouth. There’s also an old belief that a dog will “get a taste” for human blood after licking a wound, meaning they’ll try to bite humans afterward. This isn’t true—there are no studies showing that dogs are more aggressive after licking human blood.
Always seek medical care for severe wounds that may need stitches.
If your dog really won’t leave it, distract them with a treat or a fun toy instead.
