Lice in Dogs

What You Should Know About Dog Lice

Lice, while you may think is something that just affects humans, can also affect dogs. It doesn’t really matter how clean you keep your dog, they can still become infected with lice. It is something that all dog owners should be watchful about, because it can really become an issue if you leave it untreated. The key is to make sure that you know the symptoms so that you can get them to the vet as soon as possible if they get it.

One of the first questions that people have is about what lice really are. Catching lice is something that can happen to every dog on the planet, but it is really common in dogs that live out in the country. Lice infestations will also start to cause some symptoms. Many of these symptoms are really easy to spot, if you are watchful and observant of your pet. You may begin to notice that they have irritations to their skin. You may also see that they just have a general feeling of being unwell. If left untreated, lice can actually lead to a lot of other health issues in your dog. It can even cause them to become anemic. This is why it is so important for you to keep a close eye. You don’t want it to turn into something awful that you won’t be able to correct with an easy solution. If you look at the dog lice under a microscope, you will see them looking gray and flat, and they don’t have wings. They are actually parasites that feed off of the blood of your pet. They will bite into the skin, and they will also feed on skin flakes. Others may feed solely on the pet’s blood supply. This is bad, because it can really irritate their skin. If they are scratching hard and heavy, and have skin irritations, it is time to take them and have them seen by their vet.

Most of the time, lice will mainly target their ears, their anal area, their neck and shoulders. They will then lay their eggs in your pet's hair. This is how they reproduce so quickly. While they may just have one or two on them at some point, after they lay eggs it can turn into a full blown infestation before you know it. The eggs are usually easy to spot, because they look like dust in your pet’s hair. Treating lice in pets is actually quite simple. They don’t have much of a resistance to insecticides, which means that they can be killed by certain shampoos and sprays. Your vet can recommend a product such as Stronghold that will work well for your pet. You will use it to treat your pet. It should be pretty effective, but if you have a pet with really long hair you might have to get their hair cut to really get rid of all of them. Some treatment options can actually be repeated if you don’t get the results that you are looking for in the first try. You can talk to your vet and see how often you can reapply the insecticides to get rid of the lice. You don’t want to overdo it, but you don’t want to leave any behind either. As you can see, dog lice can really make your pet uncomfortable. The key is to notice it early, and treat it right away. You don’t want to let it go, because as we saw earlier it can really lead to a plethora of other problems if you aren’t careful.

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