Can Dogs Get Lice from Humans?

Q: Can dogs get lice from humans and visa versa?

A: Lice are species specific, meaning that people can only get head lice from coming in close contact with other people. Human head lice will then live on the scalp area of the human, not cats or dogs.

Dogs cannot get head lice from humans, however, dogs can two types of lice from other dogs (but neither kind will try to live on a human).

The first type of lice, biting lice, stick to a dog's fur and feed off his dead flakes of skin. The second type of lice, sucking lice, feeds off blood and attaches to the skin rather than the fur.

Lice Prevention

Dog lice is rare, but the same prevention rules apply for human lice: don't share grooming products, check your dog after playing with dogs you don't know or visiting a kennel.

Lice Symptoms

Symptoms of dog lice are also similar to those of human lice: excessive scratching, and the appearance of small white eggs and small black bugs when combing your dog's fur with a fine-toothed comb.

Lice Treatment

You can bathe your dog in pyrethrin-based dog shampoo, but be sure to only use it on your dog, as other types of pets, like cats, can get sick from it. Follow the directions closely, and if you're pregnant, have someone else do the bathing.

Otherwise, talk to your vet about using a preventative medication like Frontline or Advantiks.