Questions and Answers About Dog Lice
No. Dog lice do not live on humans.
No. This would be highly unlikely. Although a dog louse can get on a human, it cannot live on us. It dies.
No. As Guilie Castillo Oriard writes in her book It’s About the Dog, “It’s actually rather rare for a family dog to get lice; many dog owners don’t even know that do lice exist. That’s because they thrive in extremely unsanitary conditions (think garbage dumps).”
The good news is that lice can’t be transmitted from one species to another. Dog lice stay on dogs, cat lice on cats, human lice on humans.
As mentioned earlier, it is possible that a dog louse can get on a human — but it can’t live on us. It dies. This is a grand plan of nature!
If you or your child have a lice infestation that is not going away, it’s a human lice problem, not a dog lice problem.
This goes the other way, too: Your dog can’t get your kid’s lice. Human lice won’t survive on a dog.
Lice are flat, 6-legged wingless insects that can be seen with the naked eye.
They live their entire life on your pet. They lay eggs, called nits — those nasty white things on the shaft of hair.
You probably have never seen lice on your dog, but you may have had a child, like me, sent home from elementary school with lice. Those nits are easy to see on your kid’s head.
Although lice are gross, upsetting, disgusting, however you want to express it, we can effectively treat them on any living creature, human or dog.
Dogs get 2 main forms of lice:
How Did My Dog Get Lice?
Your dog can get lice only from another dog with lice or from nit-contaminated bedding, grooming equipment, etc. Lice do not live long in a clean environment.
Lice are not common in the United States or Europe. Due to climate change and the nasty way parasites can reinvent themselves, however, they are beginning to adapt to drier, cooler environments.
Lice infestations most commonly occur in tropical areas. Rural Central and South America, Africa, and the Middle East report infestations of 4–22%. Since reporting in these areas is not always reliable, the incidence of lice could be much higher.
If you adopt a dog from a very warm climate or from a dense shelter with poor husbandry, lice are a possibility.
Topical Treatments
There are numerous shampoos, sprays and powders effective in killing lice. The effective ingredient may be:
Flea treatments are also effective in preventing and treating a lice infestation. Some products that may be recommended by the veterinarian include:
Fur Shaving
Clumped or matted fur may require shaving. Shaving will expose the skin and ensure that lice are put in contact with the insecticidal treatment.
Treatment Duration
Because of the life cycle of the parasite, it may be necessary to treat your pet more than once with topical shampoos, powders or sprays. Adult females live approximately 4 weeks and lay eggs daily. Nits hatch within 1-2 weeks. The nymph becomes an egg-laying adult within 2-3 weeks.
The initial treatment will kill the adult lice. However, nits are not susceptible to insecticides and will remain on the pet. Treatment every 1 to 2 weeks for at least 4 weeks should be sufficient to kill all hatched nymphs.
Treatment Risks
Certain dogs, pregnant dogs and young puppies can be susceptible to insecticides. Be sure to follow the veterinarian’s instructions on treatment. Keep the treatment products in a safe place away from children and pets and wear gloves when applying them. Although people cannot get dog lice, remove and wash your clothing immediately after treating your furry buddy. Wash all towels used in the process as soon as you complete each treatment session.
Worried about the cost of Lice treatment?
Pet Insurance covers the cost of many common pet health conditions. Prepare for the unexpected by getting a quote from top pet insurance providers.
Affected pets should be quarantined and have no contact with other dogs until the full treatment regimen is complete.
To prevent reinfection, throw away or clean any place where your pet spends time. Carpets, floors, rugs, furniture and outdoor surfaces should be cleaned thoroughly. Throw away or wash all pet bedding. Lice survive only 3-7 days off of the host, so unwashable items can be packed in sealed plastic bags for 4-6 weeks (allowing time for all eggs to hatch and die). Clean all grooming brushes, combs, crates, leashes, collars and dog apparel.
Dogs severely infested with sucking lice may require supplementation with iron, vitamins and minerals to address anemia (low red blood cell levels). Most monthly flea treatments will prevent future lice infestation.
The symptoms of a lice infestation can be expensive to treat. To avoid high vet care expenses, secure pet health insurance today. The sooner you insure your pet, the more protection you’ll have from unexpected vet costs.
From 289 quotes ranging from $200 – $1,500