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Does dog saliva heal wounds? Quick survey

Hello everyone,
For my investigative project at college, I have chosen to research dog saliva and the effect it has on human wounds as many people believe that dog saliva aids in a faster healing process. Part of my project is this survey and finding out what a range of people think and what they do.
so please answer this short survey and get your friends and family to do so too!
thank you !!

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XHJ6PBK
(edited 8 years ago)
It really doesn't. In fact dogs have bacteria in their mouths which cause necrotising fasciitis...which you really don't want.
I love my dog but I don't think she has any medicinal properties lol
Wtf. Thats ****ing revolting. Who the hell even thinks that. Youll probably be infected with 20 different types of diseases
Reply 4
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Gems.ox
OP
I agree, I think it is disgusting but I have spoken to many people who will allow their dog to lick their cuts and actually say that it has healed slightly faster without becoming infected. I have read many articles both for and against cut licking and there is proper scientific research in proving that dog saliva actually contains substances which aid in faster healing. I am carrying out this research and also conducting an experiment to see the various types of bacteria found and the risks dog owners face for letting their dog lick their wounds/cuts.
I am also going to compare dog saliva to both gram positive and gram negative bacteria to see its effects whether it kills any bacteria or not.
Dogs lick their balls and worse. You might be better off with a course of leeches.
Why would anyone let something that eats **** lick their wounds oh my god
I think with the people who said it did heal their cuts faster that it was just in their heads because they were paying more attention on the cuts I guess?
Reply 7
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Gems.ox
OP
I personally wouldn't let either of my dogs lick my cuts/wounds as I believe it is unhygienic but others believe different, that is what I want to find out, why they let them do it and are they aware of the potential risks involved.

Just by typing in google 'does dog saliva heal wounds' you are bombarded with websites full of research. Here is just one:'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.
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.” 'Like I said before, I don't agree in this but this is why I am researching it and I am going to carry out an experiment in the lab to find out my own results.
Reply 8
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Gems.ox
OP
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XHJ6PBK

If you could fill out this quick survey I would really appreciate it.
Original post by Gems.ox
X


The beauty of science is within its uncertainty, we sometimes think we know the right answer but then BANG a new study comes in and changes everything, e.g. the revolution of classical physics.

However that being said, the absurd proposal that allowing a filthy mutt that not only eats his own sh*t but others while also licking its own balls should be allowed to lick your wounds for medical purposes is absolutely ludicrous.

I've looked into your claims from those studies, I found the exact website you quoted from, these are the only possible reasons that one would claim a Dogs salivia is good for you :

1.

Lysozyme — an enzyme that kills certain bacteria and prevents overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth;

2.

Histatins — simple proteins present in human saliva that ward off infections and also help skin cells close over a wound; and

3.

Nerve growth factor — a protein that one study found to cut a wound’s healing time in half. However, another study by biochemist Menno Oudhoff of the University of Amsterdam found that the amount of growth factors in human saliva, at least, wasn’t high enough to actually have a therapeutic effect on scratched skin.

and I would be inclined to believe so if these were the ONLY things in a dogs mouth. For every potentially useful protein or particular bacteria mentioned there are over 100 different strains of harmful disease causing bacteria's.
If you can find me any Doctor in the U.K that thinks its a good idea to let your dog lick your wound, even if its just 1. I will shower myself in a pool of dogs salivia

Spoiler

Original post by Mentally
The beauty of science is within its uncertainty, we sometimes think we know the right answer but then BANG a new study comes in and changes everything, e.g. the revolution of classical physics.

However that being said, the absurd proposal that allowing a filthy mutt that not only eats his own sh*t but others while also licking its own balls should be allowed to lick your wounds for medical purposes is absolutely ludicrous.

I've looked into your claims from those studies, I found the exact website you quoted from, these are the only possible reasons that one would claim a Dogs salivia is good for you :

1.

Lysozyme — an enzyme that kills certain bacteria and prevents overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth;

2.

Histatins — simple proteins present in human saliva that ward off infections and also help skin cells close over a wound; and

3.

Nerve growth factor — a protein that one study found to cut a wound’s healing time in half. However, another study by biochemist Menno Oudhoff of the University of Amsterdam found that the amount of growth factors in human saliva, at least, wasn’t high enough to actually have a therapeutic effect on scratched skin.

and I would be inclined to believe so if these were the ONLY things in a dogs mouth. For every potentially useful protein or particular bacteria mentioned there are over 100 different strains of harmful disease causing bacteria's.
If you can find me any Doctor in the U.K that thinks its a good idea to let your dog lick your wound, even if its just 1. I will shower myself in a pool of dogs salivia

Spoiler



Wasn't really a study that lead to the revolution of classicl physics though was it...?

That was more armchair thinking.
Original post by TorpidPhil
Wasn't really a study that lead to the revolution of classicl physics though was it...?

That was more armchair thinking.


hmm I thought it was when Einstein proved a section of his theory of general relativity (the bending of light) ?
Original post by Gems.ox
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XHJ6PBK

If you could fill out this quick survey I would really appreciate it.


Hi :smile: i have completed your study. I would be interested to look further into research showing positive results from it, although i dont think i would let my dog lick my wounds! Please could you complete my survey too? THanks! https://plymouthbusiness.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3qHblBhB1F4EXVb
Reply 13
Avatar for Gems.ox
Gems.ox
OP
Original post by Mentally
The beauty of science is within its uncertainty, we sometimes think we know the right answer but then BANG a new study comes in and changes everything, e.g. the revolution of classical physics.

However that being said, the absurd proposal that allowing a filthy mutt that not only eats his own sh*t but others while also licking its own balls should be allowed to lick your wounds for medical purposes is absolutely ludicrous.

I've looked into your claims from those studies, I found the exact website you quoted from, these are the only possible reasons that one would claim a Dogs salivia is good for you :

1.

Lysozyme — an enzyme that kills certain bacteria and prevents overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth;

2.

Histatins — simple proteins present in human saliva that ward off infections and also help skin cells close over a wound; and

3.

Nerve growth factor — a protein that one study found to cut a wound’s healing time in half. However, another study by biochemist Menno Oudhoff of the University of Amsterdam found that the amount of growth factors in human saliva, at least, wasn’t high enough to actually have a therapeutic effect on scratched skin.

and I would be inclined to believe so if these were the ONLY things in a dogs mouth. For every potentially useful protein or particular bacteria mentioned there are over 100 different strains of harmful disease causing bacteria's.
If you can find me any Doctor in the U.K that thinks its a good idea to let your dog lick your wound, even if its just 1. I will shower myself in a pool of dogs salivia

Spoiler



I know that obviously there will be lots of different types of bacteria found in the dog saliva but that is my experiment, to also show the risks associated with allowing dogs to lick wounds/cuts. Some people do generally believe that dog saliva has some healing powers and this goes back in the Bible, the Middle Ages and in the past of Egypt and Ancient Greece as there are statements where they allowed dogs to lick wounds/cuts to cure them of plagues etc. There is a lot of research in this and I am just conducting my own experiment to gain my own results.
Reply 14
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Gems.ox
OP
Original post by Charliefoz
Hi :smile: i have completed your study. I would be interested to look further into research showing positive results from it, although i dont think i would let my dog lick my wounds! Please could you complete my survey too? THanks! https://plymouthbusiness.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3qHblBhB1F4EXVb


Thank you for doing mine! I have just completed your survey :smile:

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