Can dogs get lice? This is another very common question we get asked. Many pet owners worry that when head lice enter their house, they could land on their dogs too, however, this is not the case. The simple answer is dogs cannot catch human head lice and this blog explains why.
Human and Animal Blood Differences
Can dogs get lice? One of the main reasons they cannot get lice is due to the differences in human and animal blood. Human and animal blood differ in their composition and amount of nutrients and headlice species have adapted to survive from one, meaning human headlice will not transfer to dogs and vice versa.
Lice Species
It is important to note that lice have evolved to be extremely species-specific, meaning they can only survive on the animal or human they have adapted to feed on. For instance, human head lice can only survive on human blood and in a human hair environment and dog lice can only survive on feeding from dog blood and living in an environment of dog fur. As human and animal blood is very different, lice cannot swap hosts from animal or human blood as they simply will not survive.
Dog Lice
Can dogs get lice? They cannot get human lice, but as mentioned above, dogs have their own species of head lice. The dog lice that can thrive in their fur (of which there are 3 types) will not transfer to you, so fear not. There are pretty straightforward methods of getting rid of dog lice such as shampoos, but if you are having issues, we recommend contacting a vet.
Relax, your pet dog will not catch head lice from you or your children if anyone in the house has an infestation. Nor will you catch anything from your dog either! If you would like more information about head lice removal, contact The Hairforce. We are a professional nit and head lice clearing service and we can book you in for a check or a clear. Please visit www.hairforceclinics.com, or call on 020 7485 7351 for more information.