I dog lice they are a common nuisance among our four-legged friends and must be intercepted in time so that the situation does not escalate with even important consequences on the health and well-being of our beloved furry friend.
In the first place it is good to know that there are valid remedies for lice on the four legs but that, at the same time, prevention is very important. Here’s everything you need to know about dealing with these pests.
Types of lice
In nature there are many types of parasites: it is essential, at this point, to know the types of lice that can infest our dogs.
They basically exist three families but it is useful to know that these types of insects are simple to recognize because they are flat, gray and essentially static little animals:
- the first familyvery rare in Europe, is that of theHeterodoxus spiniger and is composed of insects about 2.5 mm long;
- the second that of Linognathus setosus it is formed by insects of a size ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 mm in length and which attach themselves mainly to the head, neck and chest of the dog, a preference that allows them to be distinguished from the “cousins” belonging to the third family ;
- the third family of the Trichodectes canis which, slightly smaller, are instead installed especially on the head, neck, ears and back of the animal.
Can dogs get lice?
Dogs can get lice when thehygiene is not taken care of and when situations of overcrowding occur.
In fact, lice are transmitted from animal to animalbut not only through direct contact: even infested objects in the house can be the cause of lice in dogs.
Generally speaking though, this parasite is transmitted in winter rather than in the summer as it lives during the cold season and finds its natural habitat in the dog’s winter fur.
Can dog lice pass to humans?
First of all it is worth pointing out that dog lice do not pass to humans because in nature there are over 3 thousand varieties of these annoying insects, but each of these has particular characteristics and acts as a parasite only with some breeds of animals.
In practice, therefore, dog lice cannot survive on humans and – at the same time – human lice cannot settle on our pet’s hair. So, once and for all, the answer to the – rather common – doubt whether lice are transmitted to humans is “no”.
What is the difference between lice and fleas, another parasite?
First of all, fleas and lice have a different shape: patti and reddish the former, oval and dark gray the latter. Furthermore, fleas can jump, while lice are very quick to move and are even more difficult to find hidden in the hair.
Symptoms of a dog with lice
Among the most common symptoms is one widespread skin irritation causing very intense itching (resulting in Fido being restless) e can cause widespread injury.
These are dangerous because, if they are not treated promptly, they can lead to bacterial diseases at a topical level, therefore of the skin.
Be careful, therefore, to promptly recognize the symptoms ea don’t hesitate to take your dog to the vet at the first suspicion.
Even if at the beginning this malaise can be confused with an allergy (which is one of the main diseases of dogs), in fact, it is good for the specialist to have Fido examined quickly to prevent the situation from getting worse.
To prevent
No prevention method is 100% effective, but there are some good practices for preventing dog lice.
Among these are the habit of respecting the recommended frequency in the application of pesticides and the constant attention both to hygiene, taking care of the dog’s coat and to cleaning the spaces it inhabits.
How to get rid of dog lice?
If prevention has not been done or if, despite efforts, these annoying insects have nevertheless made an appearance on Fido’s coat, it is good to know that lice affecting dogs can be easily removed.
First milestone: the vet
After the visit, the vet will be able to recommend the optimal treatment considering the family to which the insects that have chosen our friend as their new home belong and, at the same time, the state of health and the clinical history of our four-legged friend.
In general, however, the specialist will recommend administering anti-lice and proceeding with an accurate specific washing.
But how to remove lice from dogs then?
In practice, therefore, to eliminate lice in a puppy you will first have to wash it with a special repellent shampoo and then comb it with an anti-flea comb which will allow you to manually remove these annoying little animals (which will then have to be killed one by one to prevent them from returning to infest the dog’s coat).
After these first two steps, therefore, you will have to dry carefully and it will be time to apply insecticide indicated by the vet and which can be a pipette, a spray or a natural pesticide for dogs.