How to Stop Dog Licking Wound Without Collar – 10 Simple Ways
If your dog is injured after going through surgery so there is a high chance that he will lick his wound. Minor licking is not an issue, but excessive licking may cause many problems like infection, healing, and reopening the wound stitches. Therefore, it is imperative to know how to stop dog licking wound without collar? As you know, if your dog is injured and has gone through surgery so you can’t put the collar on the dog’s body.
Once your dog licks the wound excessively, it is difficult for you to apply any gel and cream, and it may kill the tissue of the specific injured area. Thus, before knowing the steps to stop the dog from licking the wound, you get detailed information about why dogs lick their wounds.
Why Do Dogs Lick Their Wounds?
The dog’s saliva has some mild antibacterial effect, reducing and blocking the feeling of pain and sourness. When a dog licks his wound, the nerves used to transmit the rubbing sensation offer pain-blocking effects. It will best reduce the pain and irritation, but the limited licking also proves to be the best clean the wounds.
10 Simple Ways to Keep a Dog from Licking a Wound
As we mentioned above, excessive wound licking causes many problems for your dog, and you cannot put the collar on the injured area. In this condition, the question comes to your mind: how to stop a dog from licking wound without a cone. You don’t need to worry more because here, we come up with the 10 best and simple ways that you can follow to stop your dog from licking a wound.
1. Use Collar Alternatives
When you are using a dog collar, it may irritate your dog and not works well. Keeping in mind your dog needs, many collars are available in the market as an alternative to traditional dog collars. When you are using these collars, it will reduce your dog’s pain and stop your dog from licking its wounds.
- Elizabethan Collar
The Elizabethan collar, also known as the shame of cone, plays a significant role in stopping your dog from licking his wounds. It is a medical plastic cone that will easily be fitted on the dog’s neck, and it is perfect to prevent dog from licking wound during the healing process.
When we talk about the Elizabethan collar, most dog owners wonder how dogs eat, drink, and get around after wearing it. Now you don’t need to worry more because your dog will quickly figure it out. After all, this cone should fit on your dog’s neck. Due to the adjustable length and width of this cone, your dog can still eat and drink without any problem.
- Inflatable Collar
If you don’t want to put an Elizabethan collar on your dog during the wounds healing process, then an inflatable collar proves to be suitable for your dog. It is specially built to provide you comfort and reduce the pain and stop your dog from licking its wounds. The excellent feature of this inflatable collar is that it is made of durable, strong, and soft fabric. It will allow the dog to eat, sleep, and move without awkwardness, even during the healing process.
In terms of an alternative dog collar, we especially recommend you to buy an inflatable collar as it will stop your dog from licking their wounds and offers you full of comfort.
2. Use Bandaging
Bandaging is the best method to keep the dog from licking a wound and will increase the healing process speed and create a hygienic wound environment. You can protect the wounds from licking using bandages, but you don’t need to apply them too tight. Apply the bandages loosely as your dog walk freely, and you can provide a free flow of oxygen for fast healing.
Before applying the bandages, make sure that there are no wrinkles inside the bandages, and you need to apply slight pressure on it. Bandages are best to stop dogs from licking the wound, but the only shortcoming is that some dogs like chewing and lick the thing on their bodies and want it off.
If your dog breed belongs to this category, you need to apply other methods mentioned because bandaging is ineffective for these types of dogs.
3. Use Stripes and Anti-Lick Sprays
The use of stripes and anti-lick sprays is one of the best methods to stop dogs from licking incisions and wounds. It is available for you in different terrible flavors like the bitter apple that proves to be perfect for discouraging your dog from licking the wounds. The excellent feature of these sprays and stripes is that it is made of natural ingredients, but its downside is that it has some side effects and sometimes it will trigger allergic reactions.
Most dogs don’t lick their wounds when you apply stripes, but some continuously lick the wound. It all depends on the dog’s taste, so if this method is not adequate for your dog, you can follow another one and develop a creative solution.
On the other hand, you need to keep in mind some important things before applying the sprays to the wounds. Some anti-lick sprays trigger an infection that may cause serious irritation and allergy, so you cannot stop the dog from licking paw wounds after this.
4. Dogs Exercise
If your dog suffers from the bore condition, it is a high chance that he licks their wounds. Therefore, you need to exercise with your dog and provide a busy situation for your dog. After this, your dog stays active and does not lick a wound and it will also increase the wound’s healing process speed.
5. Distract Your Injured Dog
How to stop dog licking wound without collar? So, the best technique or strategy that we especially recommend is to distract your injured dog. This technique works with all breeds of dogs, and all you have to do is redirect his attention away from the wound. To accomplish this goal, you need to follow the tactics mentioned below.
- First of all, you can use the slow dog feeding bowl that will slow down your dog’s eating process and make him more occupied. If you are using a fast-eating bowl, so your injured dog finishes it quickly and its attention, go back to the wounds.
- To distract the dog’s attention from the wound, you can use the ice cubes of soup or meat. Choosing the ice cubes of soup or meat and your dog will consume it slowly, and it takes a long time to eat it.
- In addition, you can also use some toys to distract the dog from licking his wound. Make sure that you can use your dog’s favorite toys to consume more time with them, and it is the best method to prevent the dog from licking his wound.
Above, you get the three best steps to distract your dog and stop your dog from licking its wounds. In all of them, we recommend using the toys as it plays a significant role in diverting the dogs.
6. Use Dog Boots
Boots play a significant role in covering the wounds on legs and paws, and you can easily pull them on and off. On the other hand, boots only prove to be perfect for the legs and paws wounds and not ideal for wounds on the dog’s tummy and back.
You can use only boots to stop your dog to lick its wounds, but you can also use bandages and wear the boots on them. If you are using both bandages and boots, you need to keep in mind to choose one size bigger boots. It will ensure that the boots are not too tight for your dog, and it will stay on your dog.
Some dogs don’t like collars, and some dogs don’t want to put the boots on, so if your dog belongs to this category, you need to consider another method.
7. Use a Surgical Recovery Suit
If you can use the surgical recovery suit so you can cover the dog’s wound without the dog’s movement restriction. If the wound is located on the dog’s body and you want to stop your dog from licking cuts and wounds so you can use the surgical recovery suit.
The special thing about the recovery suite is that it is made of soft fabric that proves to be best for the healing process, and your dog stop licking its wounds. Some suits come up with customized options, and you can adjust them as per your needs by snapping and folding them.
In the end, it is available for you according to your needs and various colors, and you can choose it that is suitable for your dog.
8. Use T-Shirts and Men’s Boxers
If you don’t want to use a surgical suite or can’t afford it, the t-shirts and men’s boxers play the same role as surgical wounds. All you have to do is to choose an old t-shirt or a new one and cut it according to the dog’s size. You need to pull it on the dog’s tummy and leg gently, and it will work the same as the surgical suit.
It provides you excellent protection, and you can quickly stop your dog to lick its wounds. Before choosing a t-shirt or men’s boxers, you need to keep in mind that it is made of soft fabric materials. The t-shirts manufactured with soft materials provide maximum comfort for your dog and free movement.
9. Buy Itch Relief Products
There is a high chance that your dog licking their wounds because it is itching. You get many products from the market known as itch relief products, and it plays a significant relieve the itching of your dog’s wounds. If the dog belongs to this category, itch relief products prove perfect to keep your dog from wound licking.
10. Play with Dog
Another best way to keep the dog from licking stitches is to distract them by playing with them. You can walk inside the park or play with it using the ball. When you play with the dog, it will distract them from their wounds and keep them healthy and happy. You can use different toys and playing items to protect your dog from licking its wounds.
Final Thoughts
We hope you will now understand how to stop dog licking wounds without a collar by following the above methods. You can follow the strategies mentioned above that are suitable for your dog. On the other hand, after following all the methods, if your dog still does not stop licking their wounds, you need to contact the animal’s specialist.