Dog lice: When it is time to see the vet

Chances are that you have noticed lately that your dog’s new favorite hobby
is scratching himself in at least three places at once. When you part his
coat to examine what is causing the itch and excessive scratching, you
notice tiny white dust-like particles that are attached to the hair shafts.
What are these tiny particles and why are they causing your dog to itch?

Your dog is suffering from lice infestation. Dog lice are six legged
parasites that feed either on your dog’s flesh or their blood, triggering
intense itchy reactions. The tiny white particles that are attached to his
hair are lice eggs or nits. Although dogs rarely get lice and it is
actually more common for people to get human lice, dog lice is still out
there and our dogs are not immune to them.

One tiny louse cannot kill your dog, but once that tiny louse decides to
invite all his louse friends to live off of your dog, then your pet could
literally be eaten alive. If your dog is suffering from a severe case of
lice, he could lose about one quarter of his blood volume within months,
causing severe anemia or shock.