Can Dogs Get Lice?

Head lice are small insects that live on the hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes of humans where they feed and lay eggs. Eggs take about 1 week to hatch. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood. If the lice fall off a person, then they will die within 2 days. The adults’ life span is approximately one month, and eggs can survive on clothing for a month.

Anyone can get head lice but dogs and cats do not get head lice so neither can they give it to humans.

It is however, common in school-age children. This is usually due to the fact that children do not shampoo and condition their heads as thoroughly as adults. A person can catch head lice by coming in direct contact with an infested person's head or with personal belongings such as combs, brushes, and hats. Head lice can spread as long as lice or eggs remain alive on the infested person or clothing. Dogs and cats do not catch head lice. Head lice (Pediculus humanus) are species-specific, meaning they are transported by humans. They will not cling to the coarse hair on a dog.

Infestations can be prevented

• Avoid physical contact with a person who has lice.

• Do not share combs, brushes, hats, scarves, ribbons, or other personal items.

• Household members and close contacts of a person with head lice should be examined and treated if they are infested.

• Exclude children with head lice from school or day care until the morning after treatment is completed.

A household infected with head lice can be treated

• Spraying classrooms or homes with insecticides is not recommended.

• Vacuum floors, rugs, pillows, upholstered furniture and pets bedding.

• Wash hats, scarves, clothing, towels and bed linen in hot water (130 F) and dry using high heat for at least 20 minutes.

• Dry clean or tie up non-washable items in a plastic bag for 2 weeks.

• Soak combs and brushes for 1 hour in rubbing alcohol or another disinfectant, or wash with soap and hot water (130 F).

 A couple of easy remedies that work to treat lice are as follows:

Mayonnaise Treatment

Instructions: Wash the hair, apply mayonnaise all over hair and scalp, cover the head (leaving face and ears exposed) with a plastic bag. Usually any plastic grcery sack will do and keep on for four hours or instead of waiting four hours, use a blow dryer and blow dry the plastic covered scalp for 10 minutes or allow to sit in sunshine for 20 minutes. Afterward, rinse the hair and comb out with a lice comb. All the lice will come off as well as the nits.

Head Lice Shampoo (make your own)

Small Amount

2 tablespoons Tea Tree Oil
6 ounces Dawn Dishwashing Liquid (Dawn ONLY)
2 ounces white vinegar

Medium Amount

2 ounces Tea Tree Oil
12.5 ounces Dawn Dishwashing Liquid (Dawn ONLY)
4 ounces white vinegar

Large Amount

4 ounces Tea Tree Oil
25 ounces Dawn Dishwashing Liquid (Dawn ONLY)
8 ounces white vinegar

Mix the three ingredients in a large squeeze bottle, such as an empty dish soap bottle. Use as regular shampoo, leave on for about 5 minutes before rinsing. Use conditioner to soften hair and keep dandruff down. Tea Tree Oil may cause some dandruff, but the bugs will be gone. May use every day, and bugs are usually gone within a week. Be VERY CAREFUL not to get into the eyes or mouth.