How to protect the dog from lice

Dogs can suffer from several kinds of parasite infestation. Fleas, ticks and mites are not the only parasites dogs can have as they can also have lice! Lice infestation can happen even to clean and healthy dogs thus a dog owner that takes great pains to ensure the cleanliness and the health of the pet must not be surprised if the pet harbors lice on its body.

Lice infestation that occurs in humans can also happen to dogs. Both dogs and humans can be infested with lice but a dog owner need not worry that the parasite that infests the dog can be transmitted to the human family or vice versa because the kind of lice that live on humans is different from the ones that live on dogs.

The kind that infest dogs are wingless parasites that can be tan, beige or gray in color and has the size of about 1/12 of an inch. Lice unlike fleas that jumps, are slow moving parasites thus they can be easily removed by hand. There are two kinds of lice that can infest the dog, one bites the skin and the other sucks blood. One kind of lice would bite the dog\’s skin to feed on skin flakes while the other would attach the mouth parts into the skin to feed on the dog\’s blood. Both kinds of lice infestation has to be resolved as the biting kind will be an annoyance because the itching will make the dog scratch incessantly while the blood sucking kind can cause anemia especially if the infestation is severe.

A lice infested dog can transmit the parasite to another dog through direct contact. Lice can also be transmitted by using grooming tools used on infested dogs. A few lice that managed to get into your dog\’s fur can result in heavy infestation if eradication measures are not administered as one female lice can lay up to a 100 eggs.

Scratching is the most common sign of infestation. If the dog\’s hair is examined, the parasites can be seen on the dog\’s skin especially on the anus, ears, as well as on the shoulders and neck. The eggs called nits will be glued on hair follicles and would appear like particles of dusts.

Insecticides are commonly used to get rid of the dog\’s lice. An insecticide shampoo or spray can easily kill adult lice. The nits though are resistant to insecticides thus it would be necessary to repeat the treatment weekly to kill newly hatched lice. For total eradication of the lice infestation, the beddings and the toys of the dog must be washed in hot water.

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How to protect the dog from lice