What are Dog Lice?

If your dog is irritable, itchy and scratchy and you’re not sure why, there is the possibility that your dog may have dog lice. These pesky little creatures are smaller than fleas. In a 21 day cycle, thanks to the female lice, your dog could become a canine domicile to thousands of these uncomely parasites and a dog owner’s worst nightmare if there is no dog lice treatment. However, do not become overly alarmed. Although these lice are aggravating to your pet, they are not harmful, just very exasperating.

Dog Lice and what to look for.

Dog lice are a lighter color such as beige or tan. If you know what you are looking for, they are relatively easy to spot. They are very slow moving on a dog’s skin, almost no movement at all. They are not a major problem in the United States because they are attracted to oil and dirt. Pets are more likely to be cleaned and professionally groomed in the United States. Ironically, human lice are the exact opposite. They are attracted to clean human hair and they move fast.

There are two main types of dog lice, sucking (linognathus piliferus setosus) and biting (trichodectes canis). Sucking lice feed on the dog’s blood. Biting lice feeds on a dog’s dead skin flakes. One or both types can make an unhappy dog. Dog lice treatment is imperative to your dog’s health.

Female lice can deliver up to 100 eggs or nits by attaching the eggs with a kind of glue like substance to the hair on the dog. It is important to know that these pests are defiant to treatment. You must be vigilant and relentless in dog lice treatment. One treatment option includes bathing your dog with a natural dog shampoo. Another option is to rub mayonnaise into the hair of the dog and give it a good massage. Afterward, shampoo the dog and rinse the lice away.

Dog lice are more attractive to pets that are malnourished and live in an unclean environment. As with any pet, it is important to always keep your dog healthy. Keep bedding washed and disinfected to avoid outbreaks.

What Causes Dog Lice

Dog lice can be annoying pests when they are affecting one’s pet. They are uncommon in the United States and usually target poorly groomed or unhealthy dogs. Dog lice are not to be mistaken for those that tend to affect humans. Being informed about these parasites can help pet owners decide on a natural dog lice treatment.

The first thing that must be done is identifying the dog lice. There are two main types of dog lice, which are known as “sucking” and “biting” lice. Sucking dog lice are more irritating to the pet and live off a diet of the dog’s blood, while biting dog lice eat the dead skin cells on the animal. The symptoms shown by the dog, typically itchiness, can cause these parasites to be mistaken for fleas. Dog lice are smaller than fleas and a light tan color. They also move slowly and cannot leap from one host to another, unlike fleas and human lice. Their eggs are attached to the dog’s hair by a sticky substance and can be difficult to remove.

Dog Lice Can Be Prevented.

There are a few ways to help prevent a dog from being affected by dog lice. Clean, healthy pets are unlikely to attract these parasites, since dog lice prefer dirty and oily hosts. If a dog has close contact with another dog that already has lice, such as lying together, some of the lice may transfer to the new host. It is a good idea to not allow contact with pets that are suspected of having dog lice. They can also be picked up from another dog’s bedding or grooming supplies.

Once a dog becomes a host for these pests, it is important to use a natural dog lice treatment as soon as possible. While dog lice are typically annoying rather than harmful, they reproduce at an alarming rate and may quickly make a pet miserable. A female louse can lay up to one hundred eggs, and the life cycle for dog lice is only twenty-one days.

There are several common treatments for dog lice. A pet owner should usually start with a good-quality natural dog shampoo then apply a lemon rinse to the animal’s coat. The eggs can often be removed by rubbing mayonnaise into the fur to loosen them before shampooing. Most types of natural dog lice treatment are repeated daily until the problem has been eliminated.

As dogs get older they experience more skin problems and issues

When my dog turned 7 we noticed that her shinny coat was not as shinny as it once was.  We also notice that she was beginning to develop more and more skin problems.   Not sure how these formed but she was itching and scratching much more than she did in the past and always seemed to be licking at her paws.

We tried different types of medicated shampoos for the dog skin problems and had some success but the irritations, occasional hot spot, and flaking was still there.   We even tried grooming her more thinking her coat needed a good grooming but no luck.  At the end of the day she had skin problems she never had before.

When we went to the veterinarian for routine checkup we asked him and he said that most dog s begin to have skin problems like eczema, dandruff, itching and scratching as they get older.  He explained that just as our skin changes and wrinkles, for a dog it is sores, hot spots, and general dog skin problems.

Older Dogs will experience skin problems as they age

The good news was that these dog skin problems were nothing to worry about as it is just part of life.  He did suggest we start giving her digestive enzymes every day as they will help keep the skin and her coat healthy.  Other than that she is just aging naturally.

In fact we even noticed that she sheds more than she used to.  Again all part of dog skin problems in older animals!