Itchy skin Dry, scaly skin and dandruff Visible lice - slow moving brown dots Visible lice eggs - white dots on the fur Alopecia fur loss Pale gums due to anaemia, usually only in young animals.

When to contact your vet Contact your vet if you suspect your dog has lice, or you notice any of the symptoms listed above. Find out more about PDSA Veterinary Advice. You will also need to treat any other pets that are in regular, close contact.

Keep your dog away from other pets until they have recovered. Lice lay eggs that can survive in the environment for weeks after they have been laid. You will need to treat pet bedding, brushes, coats and the household eggs will continue to hatch in the environment for weeks after they have been laid.

Treatment for any other skin problems Such as wounds or infected skin Treatment for anaemia In the rare case of a severe louse infestation, your dog may become unwell or anaemic and need admitting into the veterinary hospital for intensive care.

Outlook Given the right treatment, most dogs recover very well from a louse infestation. Prevention The best way to prevent lice is to keep your dog up to date with their flea treatments most are effective against lice , and in clean, warm living conditions. Published: August Did you find this page useful?

Tell us more PDSA Staff ID. Has this page helped you to care for your pet? Yes No. Have you learnt something new from reading this page? Has this article helped you to understand when a vet is needed? Did you experience any of the following issues?

There was too much text to read. Did you find the information that you wanted? Lice and eggs will likely be attached to the hair and hard to dislodge. Use flea combs to remove live and dead lice. After you do so, immerse the comb in water mixed with flea shampoo or insecticide for at least 10 minutes.

Use a prescription insecticide medication topical or oral. Be careful about these products if you have cats, as they may be toxic to them. Ask your vet if they are safe to use on your dog, considering its health, breed, and age.

Fur shaving. In severe cases, it may help to completely shave your dog to expose the skin and lice eggs to the topical insecticide. Repeat treatment at regular intervals for one month. You will also need to treat every dog in your household. Wash all bedding, clothing, leashes, and collars.

Use hot water and clean all areas where dogs spend time to prevent a reinfestation. It is advised to replace all grooming tools since it can be difficult to remove the eggs from combs and brushes. Symptoms and Treatment of Mites in Dogs. Home Expert Advice Health Common Conditions Dog Lice: What They Are, How to Avoid Them Back To Common Conditions.

Dog Lice: What They Are, How to Avoid Them. By AKC Staff Published: Jun 24, 4 Minutes. Published: Jun 24, 4 Minutes. Key Points. What Are Dog Lice? There are two types of lice: Chewing lice survive by eating skin debris and surface secretions and are characterized by a blunt, flat head.

There are two species of chewing lice that affect dogs and wild canids— Trichodectes canis and Heterodoxus spiniger. canis is found worldwide and typically lives on a host for 30 days. spiniger is found mostly in tropical regions, and although rare on dogs in North America, has been seen on the coyote, red fox, and gray wolf.

Researchers have also discovered this type of lice on dogs in southeastern Mexico in a study in Sucking lice need blood to survive. The species of sucking lice that affects dogs is called Linognathus setosus. Unlike the chewing lice, these have a sharp pointed mouthpiece. They are widespread in tropical and subtropical areas of North and South America, Africa, India, and Asia.

What Are the Signs of Dog Lice? Other signs of lice infestations on your dog include: Scratching and intense itchiness. Rough, dry, or matted coat. Hair loss, specifically around ears, neck, shoulders, groin, and rectal regions.

Small wounds or bacterial infections from bites by sucking lice. Restless behavior. Anemia in extreme cases, or in small dogs and puppies. Tapeworms and other bacteria or parasites that are spread by lice. Tips for Responsible Dog Owners This e-book is a great resource for anyone who's considering dog ownership or already owns a dog.

Download for tips on how to be the best dog owner you can be. DOWNLOAD E-BOOK. AKC Privacy Policy. Founded in , the not-for-profit AKC is the recognized and trusted expert in breed, health, and training information for all dogs.

AKC actively advocates for responsible dog ownership and is dedicated to advancing dog sports.

There are two general groups of lice that infest dogs and cats - biting lice and sucking lice. They differ only in how they feed. All lice have powerful claws on all 6 legs, with which they cling to the hair shafts. They are able to hang on tightly enough that even vigorous scratching and biting will not dislodge them.

Unlike fleas, lice live out their entire life cycle on the animal. The adult female lice lay eggs, gluing them tightly to the hair shafts. The eggs are referred to as "nits". In the photo to the left you can see two nits from a dog seen at our clinic. The eggs are actually glued on to the hairs.

One has hatched the empty shell and one is going to soon the brown egg. Nymphs hatch from the eggs. These nymphs look the same as adults to the naked eye; they are just smaller versions. They molt several times and become adults. The entire process from egg to adult takes weeks.

The biggest problem that the lice create is itching and its attendant loss of sleep and general misery. In severe infestations animals can become anemic due to blood loss; this is generally only seen in young puppies or kittens. Lice can carry tapeworms, so infested dogs should be treated for tapeworms once the lice are under control.

They can also fairly rarely transmit other diseases. Clinical signs. The first sign of lice that most people notice is the scratching. Suddenly the dog is intensely itchy. Upon close inspection, you might see some small, tan to medium brown colored critters down near the skin.

You can tell lice from fleas by the color fleas are quite dark and the speed lice are quite sluggish movers, while fleas usually zoom out of sight before you are really sure you saw anything.

You might also notice the nits on the hairs. They are quite difficult to see with the naked eye. The empty shells look most like little bits of dandruff or dead skin.

One way to tell is to use a flea comb to collect hair from the area you are suspicious of. If you can shake the hair and the 'flakes' fall off onto the countertop, it's just dandruff or debris. If the 'flakes' stick tight to the hair, they may be nits. Dog lice on people. There is no need to panic if your dog gets lice!

Dog lice do not like to infest humans. Most lice are quite species-specific; that is, dog lice like dogs and people lice like people. It is definitely possible for a dog louse to get on a person, and it might even bite or try to feed, but it will not set up an infestation.

If you see a louse from your dog on yourself, just pick it off or squish it once you've finished screaming. Treatment of all in-contact pets.

Treatment of lice is relatively straightforward. Many insecticides kill lice. Most flea shampoos contain pyrethrins or organophosphates and do a good job of getting rid of louse infestations. Topical insecticides like imidacloprid Advantage applied topically every 2 weeks will also kill lice.

Selamectin Revolution , while not labeled specifically for lice, may also be effective. Permethrins different from pyrethrins are also effective insecticides but due to the potential for accidental toxicity to cats, I rarely recommend using permethrins for dogs. Use extreme caution when applying permethrin-containing products to dogs with cats in the home.

Permethrins are very toxic to cats, and can get onto the cat from contact with the dog. Never, ever apply permethrins to cats - read all packaging carefully! You have to keep in mind two things.

First, that nothing will "kill" the eggs. No insecticides will penetrate the shell of the egg and zap the growing nymph.

And second, most insecticides there are some exceptions do not have much "forward" effect. That is, they don't last very long on the dog's coat and skin.

If you bathe the dog once, or apply one treatment of Revolution, you will kill the adults and nymphs. In a week or two, though, the nits will hatch and you will have a whole new generation of lice.

Unless you have used a persistent insecticide like Advantage there is nothing left on the dog to kill this new generation. Symptoms and Types of Dog Lice. Both types of lice can be passed directly from one dog to another through direct contact or through contact with contaminated objects, such as grooming utensils or bedding.

Lice are species-specific. They do not move from one species to another. That means that you cannot get lice from your dog nor can your dog get human specific lice from you. Diagnosis is easily made by visually observing lice or their nits eggs in the hair.

Adult lice are flat, six-legged insects with no wings. Nits can be seen attached to the individual hair shafts and appear as small white dots. There are a wide variety of shampoos, as well as insecticidal sprays and powders that are effective in killing lice.

In addition, products such as fipronil and selamectin can also be used.