I’ve been a groomer in Trail for almost a year and one thing I have noticed is that a lot of dogs from the Rossland area — about 80 per cent of all the Rossland dogs that come in — are infested with dog lice.
Dog lice is not like fleas; you won’t notice them hopping on your pet and they are a far harder parasite to actually kill off. It takes six weeks of treatment from your vet to get them under control and killed off. Things people can do to prevent these nasty bugs from infesting their pets it making sure to have your dog treated with a parasite control treatment such as Revolution and Advantage but your vet would be able to give you the best choice for you and your dog. These are over the counter drugs any vet can prescribe to you if they have an accurate weight and know the breed of your dog.
Things you may notice if your dog has dog lice: extra shedding or dull, dryer feeling coat, scratching of the ears or chewing themselves. Things that can happen if they go untreated are anemia, blood infections, and skin infections. They can also be carriers of other parasites such as round worms and heart worms.
Thank you for taking the time to read my short blurb on something I believe the Rossland community should be more aware of.
Frankie Smith,
Trail, BC