My UNWANTED friend…
Hello and Good Morning fellow pet advocate…
Yesterday a friend asked me to look at some chickens.
Friendly little guys, and they were more than happy to have me pet them?
Yes
These chickens like people…they were raised by hand as little chicks with many children handling them
SO the chickens seem to be pecking at their feathers MORE often.
As IF they are itchy.
I picked them up and had a long look.
Which revealed lice.
Of course I told my friend NOT too worry
Lice are ‘species specific’…meaning dogs may have dog lice, BUT you or I can’t get these..
After feeling all smart after diagnosing this cause of chicken illness
I was getting ready to work on a newsletter, I felt SOMETHING crawl up my neck…
Up INTO my hair.
YIKES
A slap to the back of my neck revealed this:
A subsequent rapid removing of clothes and long shower made me feel MUCH happier 🙂
The point of all of this?
1.I am not always right…Back to my mantra of QUESTIONING what you are told….
2.You can get some diseases from animals..although it is very unusual
3.Regularly examine your pet- I advise weekly
4.I don’t LIKE having critters crawling on me!!
5.Lice are common critters…Here is what you need to know about dog lice:
LICE
SIGNS
Your pet is very itchy. On closer inspection you find small grayish creatures attached to your pet’s skin (they resemble miniature crabs). You may also find small white nits (louse eggs) attached to your pet’s hair.
CAUSES
Lice are very infectious, and are transmitted from dog to dog by direct contact. They live their entire life on your dog, so they are not usually transmitted from the environment. They are species specific, meaning you or your cat cannot get them from your dog. The lice life cycle is 21 days; a new set of adult lice are around every 21 days unless you break the cycle.
SOLUTIONS
SHAMPOO. Lice are sensitive to traditional flea shampoos containing pyrethrins. Shampoo your pet twice a week for 4 weeks. Leave the shampoo on for 10 minutes at a time.
ADVANTAGE. This is a topical insecticide available from your veterinarian, if your pet has a bad infestation and/or natural remedies are not effective. I often use it in conjunction with shampooing. Apply it every 2 weeks for 3 treatments. This should eliminate the lice.
BRUSH AWAY. Purchase a small comb at a pet supply store (flea comb). Brush out your pet after shampooing. You will remove the adults as well as their eggs.
FEVERFEW FLOWERS. Natural Pyrethrins – these are where the first flea sprays came from. Get a handful the flowers, steep in hot water, cool and pour over your dog or cat. This will temporarily paralyze the lice.
MULLEIN. Another herb that can be made as a decoction/tea and rinsed on your pet.
HORSEWEED. A urinary astringent that also is an effective lice repellent. Once again apply it topically.
PREVENTION. Regularly check your pet for lice. One or two lice are easy to remove with a comb and shampoo.
I LOVED THIS. I LIVE IN FLORIDA AND THERE IS EVERYTHING HERE.
THANK YOU
The good news is most of these unwanted visitors are manageable once we know what we’re looking for. A quick weekly check of our pets can catch things like lice, fleas, and ticks early. Keep those combs handy and keep being a great pet advocate!
In my 66 years living with my dogs, I did NOT know dogs had lice! We live in Texas, and like Susan in Florida, have everything, too, but I’ve never even heard anybody talking about dog lice.
Thank you for the good information, especially the various “treatments” – –
Our neighbor’s dogs have ticks. We go over there every so often and spray them – but this summer the ticks started walking through our fence and getting on our dogs. Black ticks on white, American Eskimo, dogs are pretty easy to see when we know to look. I wasn’t aware we were being “visited” until I felt one crawling on me! I sprayed all of us with flea and tick spray!
Lice here are a fact of life; my children have come home from school with head lice and I even got them one time, when my hair was about 40 inches long – Yikes! Quickly deloused and we checked regularly while they were attending school – not much else one can do —
The good news is they are species specific, so dog lice don’t live on people. Regular checks are still one of the best habits we can have, especially in warmer areas where ticks and other critters thrive. Thanks for sharing your experience, and yes, a crawling tick is definitely a memorable reminder to keep looking!
I have been feeling little things on me, but have gotten no itchy bites, so thought I was imagining things. My cocker sleeps w/ me in my bed. Are these like all the other flea/lice issues where the bed must be treated? The whole house??? How best w/o using nasty pesticides
Good question! The good news is dog lice are species specific, so they do not live on people or usually infest your home like fleas can. We would start by checking your Cocker with a flea comb. Wash bedding as a precaution, but no need to go after the whole house with harsh pesticides.
I learn the most interesting and valuable information to keep my dog health and happy, which keeps me healthy and happy, from Dr. Andrew Jones! He is a first-rate veterinarian who deserves better than he got from his “peers.”
We’re always learning from our animal friends. Keeping a curious mind, asking questions, and doing regular checks can make a big difference in keeping our pets happy and healthy.
thank you. you always provide great advice adn discoveries. I got chickens to kill the ticks, by interrupting their life cycle. I had a huge infestation from a dog show! We have not only been tick free after two years, (after two weeks of spray, bleach and borax)but the termites are gone, the fleas have been forgotten, and they eat cockroaches too! And the dogs have never needed that systemic poison,you put on their necks, since the chickens came. Before if I was a week late the dogs would be covered in fleas. I live in Malaysia (think Florida only more). I’ll look for lice every so often; thank you. The chickens appear to be ok, and many eggs too. With no awful after taste or smell like store-bought ones or “free range” stale ones, that are not really free range. I recommend chickens BTW: they get along with my terriers, my cats, are great pets for small kids (run fast and don’t put up with nonsense), follow you and will happily sit and watch t.v. with you on your sofa, cuddle if they are small, and can be house trained although that was too much work for me.
Nature can be pretty amazing. Chickens can help reduce ticks and other insects, though regular checks are still important. And yes, lice are usually species specific, so your dogs are safe from chicken lice. Sounds like your flock has become a wonderful part of the family!
I really like the flea and tick spray that you suggested earlier in the year (Triple Sure) and it is completely natural with no chemicals. I do not like putting chemicals on my dogs. They are so little and it really makes the sick, but Triple Sure does not and no fleas or bugs of any kind since I have been using it. You can order it on the net. Natural Wonder Products….. I love it and it spells great.
Kathy’
Ontario, California
Natural options can be a great choice for many pets, especially when they are working well for your individual dog. We always like to remind pet parents that every pet is different, and it is important to regularly check your dog’s skin and coat too. A quick weekly look can catch unwanted little visitors before they become a bigger problem. Happy to hear Triple Sure is helping keep those pesky critters away!
Two products from Cedarcide in Texas will kill these boogers & others in your yard or home. Non-toxic, can be used on puppies, kittens, human babies & adults. Products are cedar oil based & work fabulously! Kills fleas, ticks, mites, silverfish, spiders, etc. I even sprayed the interior of my house & nothing in my 75 gallon saltwater tank suffered.
Best Yet spray & PCO for the yard.
Found @ http://www.cedarcide.com
Much better than nasty synthetic crap from the pharmaceutical companies.
Cedar based products can be a helpful option for some situations. The big thing is knowing what bug we are dealing with first. Lice are species specific, so dog lice won’t live on people or cats. A good weekly check with a flea comb goes a long way.
I truly admire a doctor who can admit that there are times when they were not as informed as they would have liked to have been. To me this is the hallmark of a true professional. When I hear a doctor/vet/etc say something like this, I know I can rely upon that person because it is the person who THINKS they know *everything* that will refuse to look up something that may be questionable and thereby will refuse to become informed of new or recent changes. A teachable spirit is something that we all should aspire to from cradle to grave. It is what make us and life more interesting, and when a professional is like this, their patients can only benefit much more b their care.
Staying curious and open to learning is one of the best parts of caring for animals. Even after years in practice, there is always something new to discover. Our pets benefit when we keep asking questions.
like this i haven’t had anytroubles with fleas or anything i feed my dogs some table foods and i use alot of garlic. hope not to have i don’t like fleas and lice i start my dogs early and treat my yard .thnk you for leting me know what to lok for
Sounds like you are staying on top of things, and that is a big part of keeping our pets comfortable. Regular checks are one of the best tools we have because catching fleas or lice early makes them much easier to deal with. Just a little note, garlic is a bit controversial in dogs and cats, especially in larger amounts, so we always want to be careful with how much we use. Keep up the good work checking your dogs and your yard. Prevention goes a long way!