What Should I Do If My Dog Licked Triple Antibiotic Ointment? Vet-Approved Steps to Follow

If you are trying to treat an injury on your dog, preventing infections is a big deal. Triple antibiotic ointment goes a long way in helping with this, but often, the first thing a dog wants to do is lick it off.

While triple antibiotic ointment is perfectly safe for topical use on a dog, it’s not safe for ingestion. So, what do you do if your dog licks triple antibiotic ointment? Well, typically nothing, depending on how much they have licked.

It all comes down to how much they ingest, and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, including what signs of illness you should keep an eye out for if your dog does ingest some.

What to Do if Your Dog Licks Triple Antibiotic Ointment

Typically, you don’t need to do anything if your dog licks triple antibiotic ointment. This is because if they are simply licking off the small amount you put on them, it’s not enough to create major problems. However, since you’ll want triple antibiotic ointment on the affected area, it’s best to reapply and put a cone on your dog so they can’t lick off the next application.

Why Your Dogs Shouldn’t Lick Triple Antibiotic Ointments

While a single lick of a triple antibiotic ointment shouldn’t have catastrophic consequences for your dog, that doesn’t mean you should let them lick it whenever they want.

The reason for this comes down to the ingredients inside of ointments. Most antibiotic ointments contain neomycin sulfate, polymyxin sulfate, and/or bacitracin. While these ingredients are rarely deadly to dogs, they can cause gastrointestinal distress.

Not only that, but if your dog is licking the triple antibiotic ointment off the affected area, they’re not giving it the chance to work the way it should.

How Much Ointment Is Too Much?

If your dog is simply licking a triple antibiotic ointment off their wound, you really don’t have to worry too much. However, if they found their way to the tube of ointment and ate that, you need to reach out to the pet poison control hotline at (855) 764-7661 right away. While there’s a good chance they’ll simply refer you to the closest vet hospital, they can give you the most accurate and up-to-date information for your dog.

Signs of Triple Antibiotic Ointment Ingestion

If your dog simply licks a triple antibiotic ointment they may not display any signs of illness, but if they eat a larger amount, then it’s certainly possible. Some common signs of excessive triple antibiotic ointment consumption in dogs include:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Excessive drooling
• Seizures
• Tremors
• Skin lesions
• Loss of appetite

Tips for Keeping Your Dog From Licking Triple Antibiotic Ointment

By far the best thing you can do if your dog licks the triple antibiotic ointment off after you put it on them is to put a cone around their head so their snout can’t reach the area. It’s perfectly natural for your dog to want to lick off the ointment, so it’s generally a good idea to put the cone on before applying it for the first time.

Other tricks you can use to help keep your dog from licking the ointment is to feed them before applying it, and then feed them treats to distract them as you put it on. But keep in mind that even if you successfully distract them during the application process, if they discover the area later, they’re still likely to lick it.

Finally, ease them into the cone or collar so they don’t freak out too much when it’s on. After putting it on them, try to distract them with something fun so they don’t think about it too much.

Final Thoughts

If you notice that your dog licked off the triple antibiotic ointment you put on them, you really don’t have to worry too much about it. However, because it’s not good for them, it’s still best for you to do what you can to keep them from licking it up after you put it on them. But unless they ingest a large quantity of the ointment (possibly from the tube), you generally don’t have to be overly concerned!

Featured Image Credit By: rodimov, Shutterstock