Class: Insects
Size: 1 to 6mm
Weight: Variable
Age: About 1 month
Appearance: Yellowish brown
Food: Blood
Distribution: Worldwide, ca. 3’500 species, ca. 650 to 1’000 in Europe
Original location: Unknown
Sleep-wake rhythm: Diurnal
Habitat: Host animals, warm-blooded animals
Threatened with extinction: No

• Animal lice are ectoparasites on birds (feather lice) and mammals (true pet lice and hair lice). Therefore, they are considered the only insect order whose members are permanent parasites of birds or mammals. Most species are specifically dependent on one host, but often several species are found on the same host. Without this host, they usually survive only a few days. Transmission usually occurs through direct body contact or through the nest.
• True animal lice (superorder) are blood-sucking insects that depend on mammals. They have no wings and grow to one to six millimetres in size. They stick eggs (nits) to the hair of the host.
• The body of animal lice is usually very flat and the head protrudes. They usually have piercing-sucking mouthparts.
• Animal lice are usually specific to one host and therefore cannot normally be transferred from one animal to another. Although lice can be transmitted from birds and chickens to humans, these lice cannot reproduce with human blood and do not survive for long.
• Pediculosis is an infestation of lice or hair lice. In dogs, it is caused by dog lice (Linognathus setosus) or dog hair lice (Trichodectes canis). These dog lice are highly dependent on their host and therefore only occur in dogs and are not transmitted to other animal species or humans. However, they can easily move from one dog to another. They are also transmitted through contaminated combs and brushes.
• Puppies or weakened dogs are particularly affected. Because of their dishevelled fur, stray dogs or hunting dogs are also more susceptible to louse infestation due to their increased contact with other louse-infested dogs or dens.