It's been said that a dog licks his wounds because that is a healing action. However, licking like that also irritates an incision and/or stitches. Irritation and inflamation leads to a worse wound and it definitely can become infected.
Here is a real life example: My boy had a hot spot a couple of weeks ago. Licking it only made it MORE red and irritated which led to the hot spot becoming worse. (In the begininig, peroxide didn't even bubble...days after him licking it constantly when I couldn't stop him - peroxide bubbled like crazy!).
Don't let him lick the incision. It will aggrevate and irritate it.
__________________ Terri, proud mom to Mandie  & Shelby-Dale  |