How To Protect The Dog From Lice
Dogs can suffer from several kinds of parasite infestation. Aside from fleas, mites and ticks, the pet can have another unwanted guest – LICE! A dog owner that maintains a regular grooming routine for the pet should not be surprised if lice is found on the dog’s fur as this parasite can be found even on very clean dogs.
Both humans and dogs can be infested with lice. 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.
Dog lice are beige, gray or tan colored wingless parasites that measure about 12th of an inch. Unlike fleas that can jump and move very fast, lice are slow moving and even stationary parasites. The lice that infests the dog can be a biting kind or the kind that feeds on the dog’s blood. The dog can have the kind of lice that bites to feed on skin flakes or the lice can be the kind that thrive on the dog’s body by sucking blood. Both biting and blood sucking lice would have unwanted effects on the dog as the first would cause immense itching while a severe infestation of the blood sucking kind can cause anemia.
Direct contact with an infested dog is the most common form of lice transmission as unlike fleas, lice cannot jump into the dog. Using the brushes and combs of a lice infested dog to another dog can also spread the infestation. A female lice can lay up to 100 eggs thus it is possible for the infestation to grow rapidly if prompt eradication measures are not administered.
Excessive scratching is one of the signs of lice infestation. Lice wold be seen attached to the skin on the dog’s neck and shoulders, on the anus and on the ears. The eggs called nits will be glued on hair follicles and would appear like particles of dusts.
Lice infestation is easy to eradicate as these parasites are not resistant to insecticides. Adult lice are eliminated by bathing the dog with insecticide shampoo. The nits, just like the eggs of other parasites are resistant to insecticides thus the treatment has to be repeated to break the life cycle. Washing the beddings and the toys of the pet in hot water would kill lice that have managed to escape from the dog’s body.
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