Do bed bugs bite dogs?

Do bed bugs bite dogs? When you find suspicious-looking bites on your furry friend, it’s natural to ask questions about how they got there and the kind of insect you are dealing with. In this article, we will talk about bed bug bites on dogs.

Bed bugs are a serious concern for everyone. They invade our personal spaces, seeking refuge in our clothing, belongings, and around our beds. They are great hitchhikers and can travel from one location to the next using these same personal belongings. However, it is common knowledge that bed bugs prefer to feed on humans. But what about our lovely pets? One might ask, do bed bugs bite dogs?

Bed bug bites on Dogs

Bed bugs preferably feed on humans. But they can also feed on animals, including dogs. However, do realize that dogs don’t act as hosts of bed bugs, unlike fleas. Instead, like humans, bed bugs would live in spaces near their feed source (this time, dogs). So you might find them in their bedding and other spots they frequently lounge at.

How do we identify bed bug bites on dogs?

Unlike humans, it is difficult to spot bed bug bites on dogs. This isn’t because they might not be there, but the length of your dog’s hair adds to this difficulty. However, if you find your dog scratching a lot, it might be an indication to check for these bugs. Often the bed bug bite marks will appear as tiny red bumps. If your dog scratches them a lot, the skin becomes irritated, and bed bug rashes might appear.

Regardless, you can identify bed bug bites (or the bites of other insects) by observing the behavior of your canine friends. Watch for biting, licking, and scratching.

You can also look for other signs of bedding by inspecting their personal space and bedding. Look for dried blood on their bedding or darker spots indicating bed bug fecal matter. Bed bugs also shed skins, which might look just like the bugs but are translucent and empty. You can also watch for bed bug eggs, but these are very tiny and hard to find. If you can identify them, then it means that the infestation may just have begun.

Other signs of bed bugs

Besides checking for bed bugs around your dogs, you should also inspect your personal space. As said earlier, bed bugs would choose humans over other animals. So there’s a chance the infestation may have spread to the locations around your sleeping space. Look for signs of bed bugs (dried blood, fecal matter, skins, eggs) around places such as:

• Baseboards
• Behind pictures
• In between electrical outlet
• Behind personal belongings
• In the seams of clothing and luggage
• On bed frames and headboards
• In mattress seams and many more.

Do bed bugs harm our furry friends?

Bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases, whether to humans or animals. So there is no danger of such occurrence like with fleas and ticks. However, their bites are just as annoying and problematic. Their bites can cause skin irritation and itching. If severe, the skin might become inflamed, leaving more problems.

Concluding thoughts

Do bed bugs bite dogs? Yes, they do, just as they would other pets. However, bed bugs prefer humans. So, there’s a good chance finding them on your furry friends means there is a greater infestation around. Therefore, it is vital to deal with bed bug infestations as soon as they occur.

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