What is Lice?
Symptoms of Lice in Dogs
Symptoms of lice infestation in dogs can include one or more of the following:
- Itchiness
- Scratching, rubbing and/or biting at skin
- Restlessness
- Skin redness, irritation
- Dry coat
- Matted fur
- Hair loss – often around neck, ears, upper back, groin and rectum
- Anemia – more often seen with severe infestation
- Lethargy, weight loss, poor development in severely infested pups
Types
There are two species of lice that infest dogs:
- Trichodectes canis: The chewing louse. These insects grip the host’s fur with their large, wide mouthparts and chew the dead skin cells of the dog host. This species is found throughout the world and can serve as a vector for the canine tapeworm.
- Linognathus setosus: The sucking louse. These insects grip host hair with their claws and have narrow mouthparts for sucking blood through the skin. This species is found throughout the world and can be more common in long-hair breeds and colder climates.
Causes of Lice in Dogs
- Both types of lice can be transferred between dogs through direct contact or contact with contaminated objects.
- Locations where dogs are in close contact such as dog parks, boarding kennels, grooming facilities and animal shelters are all possible places pets can contract lice.
- Dogs that share kennels, bedding, furniture, or outdoor space with affected dogs are at increased risk for lice infestation.
- Lice are species-specific and do not feed on animals of other species. People cannot get lice from dogs and dogs cannot get lice from people. Cats and other animals are likewise not susceptible to dog lice.
Diagnosis of Lice in Dogs
A pet owner may notice itchiness, restlessness, fur loss, or other symptoms mentioned above as an initial sign of possible lice infestation. The owner or groomer may see adult lice on the skin or the eggs of lice, “nits,” on the pet’s fur. Adult lice can be 1-2.5mm in length and look like spots of dirt on the skin. Nits look more like white sand granules stuck along the hair shaft. Lice can be difficult to notice until a full infestation has developed.
The type of infestation is diagnosed by a veterinarian by examining a sample of fur or scraping of the skin for nits and adult lice under the microscope. Chewing lice are identified by their large mouthparts used for chewing and grasping fur. Sucking lice are identified by their narrow mouthparts and slightly more developed claws.
Diagnosis is based on reported clinical symptoms and visual identification of lice or nits. Most lice in an infestation will be found under clumped or matted fur or along the head, neck, shoulders, groin and tail. Lice seek out moisture and will often locate themselves near skin abrasions or the anus.
Treatment of Lice in Dogs
Infestation with lice can be treated fairly easily. Once your pet has been diagnosed with pediculosis, the veterinarian will supply you with instructions for treating the infestation and preventing further infestation. It is important to remember that merely bathing your pet will not rid it of a lice infestation. Lice hold tight to the skin and hair and will not be removed or killed with soap and water.
Topical TreatmentsThere are numerous shampoos, sprays and powders effective in killing lice. The effective ingredient may be:
- Lime-sulfur
- Pyrethrin
- Pyrethroid
Flea treatments are also effective in preventing and treating a lice infestation. Some products that may be recommended by the veterinarian include:
- Fripronil
- Imidacloprid
- Selamectin
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 DurationBecause 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 flea 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 RisksCertain dogs, pregnant dogs and young puppies can be susceptible to insecticides. Be sure to follow the veterinarian’s instructions on treatment.
Recovery of Lice in Dogs
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.
Lice Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
My puppy is too young but found lies like creatures in his fur hes just 1month old to be treated.what should i do to stop sevierty growing lie...willbe harmful to me also
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I have 5 Dalmatians ( one aged 7 , two aged 2, And 2 aged 6 months old ) . Due to extensive renovation of the house and access to unattended farm , they were infested with ticks fleas and lice . Over restrictions from access they have reduced in fleas and ticks considerably , however the lice lingers on . One morning I woke up to over 30 lice on the bed of all
Sizes .
I am in india where all products are available but with different brand names . Any suggestions / recommendation would be advisable with specific compositions that I may look into the label of a product . Thank you .
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We have 3 dogs that were previously treated for confirmed sucking lice back in January. We gave them Advantage II for 3 doses at 2 week intervals. They began itching again at the beginning of May that intensified. Today we gave one a bath and while brushing her found 2 adult sucking lice again. We took the lice in to our vet who confirmed they were sucking lice.
We were given 3 doses again for each dog but with instructions to apply the Advantage II once a month for 3 months. We have decided to continue with monthly applications even after the 3 month period has ended.
First, should we be treating the 3 dogs with Advantage II every two weeks during the initial three treatments? Second, with obvious reinfestations, is it a good idea to give the 3 dogs Advantage II every month? And third, is there anything better on the market to get rid of the sucking lice?
Thank you for your help!
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A single application of Advantage for all three dogs would be sufficient with monthly applications afterwards if only two lice were found; but it is also important to wash bedding (high temperature wash in a washing machine) etc… and to treat the environment with fipronil containing products (spray). Selamectin, imidacloprid, and fipronil are all other ingredients which are effective against lice. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Hi Dr. Turner;
I wanted to touch base with you regarding our experience thus far with our 3 dogs and lice. We were given Advantage Multi by our vet rather than Advantage II. We used a single treatment 3 times on each with 2 weeks in between treatments. We gave them the last of the 3 treatments on July 24th. On August 6th we found an adult lice on one of our dogs and all 3 dogs starting major itching that same night.
We are at a complete loss on what to do at this point as this was our second round treating lice for them (the first was this past February). Is there any medicine or treatment you would further recommend to help us get rid of these terrible pests?
Thanks for your help again.
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Hello there,
I am a dog sitter and while wiping the paws of one of the dogs, found what looked like black dots on her. Suspecting fleas, we put her in the bath and noticed they were not acting like fleas. We applied pet armor after her bath, quarantined her, and treated the home.
Upon research, we learned it can be dog lice and went out to purchase a flea shampoo containing pyrethrins 0.150%. We gave every dog present a flea bath and applied pet armor.
I took the initial dog to the vet and was told that they were sucking louse. She has been on frontline monthly and learned that frontline does not specifically target sucking louse.
We have advised the owners of every dog present to give their dogs weekly flea baths along with washing their bedding weekly in addition to a spot on treatment.
We have done a ton of research and cross referenced all the information we've found. However, we would like to get a confirmation and some questions answered.
1. Once the eggs hatch, how long does it take for nymphs to reach their reproductive stage?
2. Since we've already applied frontline to all the dogs present, how long do we have to wait before applying a more appropriate treatment (i.e. K9 advantix, advantage)?
3. What kind of spray should we be looking for that is safe to use on the dogs and our bedding/common spaces (that is not toxic to cats)? We have been washing our bedding daily but would like to back it up with sprays as well.
4. We plan to treat our home and dogs as a infestation for 4 - 6 weeks. We are advising the dogs that were present to do weekly flea baths 4 - 6 weeks in combination to spot on treatments every 2 weeks. We have been suggesting k9 advantix and advantage but know that they are toxic to cats. Is there an over the counter spot on treatment that is safe for cats and effective in killing sucking louse specifically?
5. We are informing all our future scheduled dogs owners of our current situation. The vet informed us that they should be pre treated 2 - 3 days before arrival and another round in 3 - 4 weeks. Since they have not been exposed, I was told that these treatments will prevent an infestation. Is that something you would agree with?
6. We have not found a single live louse since the flea baths were given. Although the dog we found the lice on is separated, they share the same backyard. We take them outside separately as well. How likely is it that the others can get eggs on their body from using the same backyard?
This is our first time encountering dog lice and the safety of everyone under our care is our number 1 priority. I thank you for taking the time to read through my situation and look forward to your response. Thank you.
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do lice go on humans been itching lately
Hello Dr. Turner. Thank you for your response. Through our research, we have found that the ingredients, imadacloprid and permethrin is effective in killing sucking louse. Would k9 advantax II and advantage work to kill sucking louse specifically? If so, how long before it loses efficacy against sucking louse? Would it kill all sucking louse upon contact? I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
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My dog is icthing bad to the point her skin is red I found a flea on her got it off but she is losing her hair here and there what can I do for her and would it be a reaction I'm not sure if it's lice or not we also have a Pom to and she is scratching to but not as bad as my chi not losing hair either and can adults get dog life
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We have an approx. 9 year old havenese-Lhasa-Apso. Max has very dry skin on his back. He kept rolling and scratching. When I looked closed at his back, it looked like dandruff and dirt. Before I found this website, I shampooed him with Oatmeal to get the loose skin cells and dirt off. I added some moisturizer with a towel. He's not itching. And it looks like whatever it was is healing. He has scabs in the area. Should I bathe him again to rid his skin of the dead skin cells. The area is tender to the touch. Max needs a haircut. But, I want to make sure the skin is healed before I take him to the groomer.
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From your description and the response to the shampoo, Max may have seborrhoea sicca. There are many types of shampoos available; if you have any concerns, a skin scraping by your Veterinarian will rule out parasites. When using shampoo, always follow the instructions and treatment intervals on the bottle. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
www.vetary.com/dog/condition/skin-disease-canine-seborrhea
Thank you so much. I thought of allergies. I will take him for the skin scraping as the article advises. He is on flea/tick treatment so I believe it is endocrine related. Thank you.
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I took my golden retrieve in today for a bath and trim. They said he has lice. what is the treatment. He has been scratching a little but I thought it was an allergy. Very healthy What is the treatment.
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My mixed breed dog (Husky, Great Dane, Collie, Norwegian Elk Hound) was diagnosed with lice three weeks ago. He got a treatment with a selamectin topical solution at the vet's clinic and then another one at home two weeks later. This is week three and there are still numerous nits on the shafts of his fur when I brush him daily. How long will it be before the nits disappear? He is not itchy (never was) and the only indication that he has lice is the nits on his fur.
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Hello, we just adopted an 8week old puppy from a shelter. Turns out the puppy has lice. It is a mutt, mix of golden retriever/lab and maybe border collie/poodle. It has straight black hair about 2 inches long. Is it OK to cut the hair to 1/4inch to help us with treatment and prevent reinfestation?
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It is a good idea to cut hair down when treating lice if the hair is long or matted; also washing their bedding in a hot wash in the washing machine and using topical sprays containing fipronil will help with the environmental cleaning. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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I have two dogs a GSD and a mixed breed. About few weeks before my older one the mixed breed started showing itchiness scratching and biting followed by skin outbursts. I had him treated with ticks and fleas shampoo and neem as told by my breeder. His kennel was also cleaned . It seems like the number of lice flea or whatever was present on his body has reduced. But now my younger one GSD too has started showing same symptoms but not that aggressively . Today I saw a number of lice on his fur it doesn't seems like it's causing that much disturbance as there is no skin outbursts but how do I treat my GSD ? It's pretty hot climate now in here as I am from India . I had his long coat cut short .
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I have had his hair cut short and bathed him with shampoo for lice. Also I make sure that his coat is combed regularly.
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My dog 3 year old German Shepherd scratches his ears a lot and often bits and licks his forearm but he took that pill that doesn't let fleas be around what's wrong with him?
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Scratching the ears could be due to otitis which is common in German Shepherds and the licking of the arm could be due to irritation from Buddy licking the area causing more licking. Other possible causes may be mites (if the tablet doesn’t cover mites), allergies and chemical sensitivity (have you used any new cleaning products in your home?). Check his ears to see if they are clean, if you see or smell anything try to clean his ears out with a products from your local pet store; for his arm, clean the area and prevent him from licking there. If these problems persist, visit your Veterinarian. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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Our Pomeranian mix has black crawling bugs that leave black dirt like substance. He has flea and tick med. on so I don't think it's fleas.
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It does sound like Koda has lice; the best course of treatment is to use a shampoo specifically for lice which you can get from your Veterinarian or pet store. The shampoo kills the adults but the eggs are not affected, so daily washing is required for usually two weeks; please read the specific instructions carefully for the product that you purchase also thoroughly clean your home and your dog’s bed (may need to be thrown out and replaced). Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
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Um i have a 7yrs old chi she been having bugs that i dont know what it is....um it kind of look like lice but it lives under the skin so it kind of look like warms but she got eggs on her hair so can you help me bec i have takking her to the dr and they dont know what they talking about or what they doing....i need help,bad she hurting really bad @ its bittinh her all over and its under her skin they look like black,worms thats coming out from under the skins and it makes her scream and cry
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From your question I am going to answer in three ways since I haven’t seen the lice / worms for myself. Firstly Kona may have lice which leave eggs on the hair shaft and return to the surface of the skin to bite or suck (depending on the species); lice can be treated at home with topical shampoos available from any Pet Store. Secondly, Kona may have some larva which fall out of the skin; successful treatment may involve surgical extraction and medical treatment. Thirdly, leeches are black and resemble worms; treatment simply revolves around removing the leeches from the body. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
I have a 1 year shih tzu i found lies on its back and it is being sleepy and rubbing its skin and frequently sitting on ground can u please tell me a suggestion
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What can i do for my shih tzu. My 1st vet told me she had lice and to bathe her with dawn dish liquid. But he retired. When it seemed that she was having more symptoms I took her town another vetc who stated she has fleas. I've bathed her sprayed her with a natural spray also bedding, got a new flea collar and even gave her flea killing pill because the vet said it was fleas. I know it's fleas but what about the lice they look different than fleas but she said it was just fleas. I am constantly getting bit by the fleas.. so what can I do for both fleas and lice
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I have a golden retriever who scratches constantly especially her belly. She has a flea collar. All of her long fur shedded and at one point she was eating it. I also caught her eating her poop. Whats wrong with my dog?
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my dog is a japanese spitz. she is 10 years old. she suffers from lice infestation which started a week ago. it becomes severe and her head is covered. this morning she can barely walk, limps and howls in pain..what can be done about this?
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If Fifi has lice, it would be best to clip off her short and to bathe her followed by the application of a pyrethrin based topical medication or using a spot on medication containing fipronil or selamectin. If Fifi is in pain and is unwell, a visit to her Veterinarian is needed. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
My dog has lice and has worms now going to the vet today cause she had had them over a month now and know better of doing advantage shampooing. I am scared.
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