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- When should we use home remedies for head lice in dogs?
- How to assess if infestation is severe?
- Home remedies for dog lice
- Considerations to be taken into account
Does your dog have an excessive and constant itching, in addition, is it restless and when you decide to examine its fur, do you notice the presence of some slowly moving parasites, with a flattened shape and a gray color? This is the most obvious indication that your puppy may have head lice.
Initially you should know two things: these lice do not spread to people nor to any other pet than dogs, as they are exclusive to dogs, and secondly, you should also be clear that this condition must be treated as soon as possible to avoid complications. If you want to use a more natural treatment than the classic insecticides, in this PeritoAnimal article we show you the best home remedies for dog lice.
When should we use home remedies for head lice in dogs?
Lice are external parasites that feed on the blood of their hosts and can also carry some diseases. There are three types of lice that can affect a dog: Heterodoxus spiniger, Linognathus setosus and Kennel Trichodectes.
Home remedies are a good alternative to treat lice in dogs whenever the infestation don't be serious, otherwise, although it is true that there are numerous natural substances that will reduce the population of parasites, it will be very difficult to eradicate them in their entirety.
How to assess if infestation is severe?
The most suitable method is to go to the veterinarian to find out exactly if we have enough time to apply the natural remedies and to be able to observe their effectiveness. Another way to assess this is through a simple inspection of the hair, if you see a lot of parasites, areas of the body with no hair or sores due to excessive itching, it is not a good idea to use home remedies.
In severe cases we must go to a specialist and follow a treatment for dog lice using commercial products, which will help us to eliminate the pest completely and protect our puppy in the future.
Home remedies for dog lice
Some of the home treatments for dog lice are the same ones used to treat fleas with home remedies (as with conventional insecticides) as they present anti-parasitic and antiseptic properties. The most suitable for treating head lice are as follows:
- tea tree essential oil: It is very suitable due to its great antibacterial, anti-parasitic and antiseptic capacity and will help our pet not suffer topical infections due to excessive itching. In this case the most suitable is to mix 5 drops of oil with the dog's usual shampoo, this application can be repeated once a week.
- Citronella infusion massages: Citronella is an excellent repellent plant due to all the components it contains. To perform the massages, add a handful of fresh citronella to half a liter of boiling water, turn off the heat and let it stand until it cools. Then filter and soak the solution in a cotton pad, applying it to the dog's fur and paying attention to the affected areas.
- lavender essential oil: It is very suitable due to its antiseptic capacity and can also be applied directly to the skin whenever there are no open wounds. Add 5 drops to a cotton pad and apply to the affected areas. If there are sores, it is preferable to add these 5 drops to the puppy's usual shampoo.
- Garlic: Although popular belief points to garlic as one of the most toxic foods for our dogs, the truth is that it is one of the most suitable remedies to deworm our dogs. pets. In this case, it is recommended to add to the food one clove of garlic daily in large dogs and half garlic in small dogs, crushed into small pieces so that they are not very noticeable. At these doses it is not a toxic component for your puppy, you can prove it in the veterinary study "Garlic: Friend or Foe?" from Dogs Naturally Magazine, April 2014.
- Artemisia: This medicinal plant contains essential oils that are effective against lice due to its insecticidal action. It will be necessary to make an infusion of mugwort, subsequently soaking this solution on a cotton pad and applying it daily to the affected areas.
No and recommends that all these home remedies are used at the same time, in fact, the most appropriate would be to opt for garlic as an internally applied remedy and only an externally applied remedy.
Considerations to be taken into account
We generally believe that a natural remedy is necessarily an innocuous remedy and although it is true that the risk is minimal, it is essential that you consult your veterinarian in advance in the following cases:
- Your puppy is still in the puppy stage
- Your dog is old
- is there any underlying disease
- Your dog is taking some medication
In the presence of these cases, natural remedies may cause some problem, which, regardless of being mild or severe, should be prevented. In any case and as already explained, the ideal is to use a commercial product to treat more severe cases.
don't forget that prevention is essential To prevent your puppy from suffering an infestation of lice or any other parasite, it is therefore advisable to prepare a deworming calendar for your puppy.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.