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Deer louse fly in dogs: Avoiding and treating bites

Deer louse fly in dogs: Avoiding and treating bites

As a dog owner, you may already know from your own experience how annoying an infestation with ectoparasites such as fleas or mites can be for your dog. However, the deer louse fly is largely unknown to most owners. Yet this parasite can also cause very unpleasant symptoms in dogs. What exactly deer louse flies are and what measures you can take to keep them away from your dog are explained below.

What is the stag louse fly (Lipoptena cervi)?

The stag louse fly (Lipoptena cervi), sometimes simply called deer louse, is a fly that belongs to the louse fly family. It reaches a length of between five and six millimetres. Its body is flat and it has a reddish-brown colour. In addition, the deer louse fly has hooks on its legs and a pointed proboscis, which it needs for its blood meals.


Deer louse flies are found practically all over the northern hemisphere. They occur especially in forests or near forests and are mainly active in August and September. Under favourable weather conditions, however, deer louse flies may also become active in larger numbers at other times of the year.


The preferred hosts of flying ectoparasites are usually wild animals such as deer, roe deer, wild boar and badgers. Like ticks, deer louse flies are blood-sucking parasites. Once they have found a victim, the annoying flies look for a suitable spot on the victim's body to bite. To suck blood, the deer lice cling to the skin of the host and then break off their wings.

Deer lice flies and dogs: more than a harmless mosquito

Although they are not actually among their usual hosts, dogs can also become victims of the deer louse fly when out walking. If your four-legged friend is bitten by one of the parasites, it is initially very unpleasant for him. Apart from that, the venom that the deer louse fly secretes while sucking blood usually causes discomfort in dogs such as skin inflammation, severe itching and the formation of pustules.


In addition, the deer louse fly can carry the pathogen Bartonella schoenbuchensis. This is a bacterium that, if transmitted to dogs, can cause fever or myocarditis, among other things.

How dogs are bitten by deer louse flies

When the deer louse fly has identified a dog as a potential host, it circles around it to look for a suitable place to bite. It usually prefers parts of the body with as few hairs as possible. Accordingly, deer louse flies bite dogs mainly in the anal region, in the abdominal area or on the inner thighs.


Once one of the parasites has settled on the animal's body, it is usually difficult to remove it before it bites. This is because, unlike ticks, deer lice flies are much faster on foot. Nevertheless, if you discover a deer louse in your dog's fur, you should of course give it a try. If you do not succeed, the deer louse fly will bite your dog. Since this is quite painful for the four-legged friend, he will most likely bite and scratch himself at the bite site.

How can deer lice flies be removed from dogs?

To remove deer lice flies from your dog's coat, it may help to use a flea comb. If the four-legged friend has already been bitten by several parasites, it may be necessary to shower the dog to get rid of the deer louse flies. Once this is done, you should cool the painful and itchy bites. In addition, if necessary, a soothing ointment, such as Bellfor Paw Protection Ointment, can help to soothe the irritated skin of the four-legged friend.


Depending on the severity of the symptoms, however, the dog may even need to go to the vet, as the consequences of the stings of the deer louse fly require treatment. If necessary, the veterinarian can use an anti-allergic medication to control the skin inflammation and itching in your dog.

How can you protect dogs from deer lice flies?

Because of the sometimes extremely unpleasant consequences, it is of course sensible to avoid an infestation of deer lice flies in dogs as much as possible. To this end, if necessary, switch to an alternative route for walking your dog, at least for a time.


In addition, using appropriate ectoparasite remedies can help protect your dog from deer lice flies and other nuisance parasites such as ticks. In this context, however, bear in mind that many common preparations for this rely on acaricides as the active ingredient, which can harm not only the parasites but also your dog. We, therefore, advise you to use natural alternatives for parasite protection whenever possible.


For this purpose, you can use products like Marsavet Tick and Flea Protection. This is an easy-to-apply spot-on treatment that does not contain toxic chemicals. Instead, natural ingredients like insect fat and Aloe Vera provide a deterrent effect on parasites. In this way, the product developed in collaboration with veterinarians can significantly reduce the likelihood of deer fly bites on your dog.

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Our conclusion on the subject of deer lice flies and dogs

Deer louse flies may seem like harmless houseflies at first glance. However, their bites are associated with unpleasant pain for dogs. In addition, they often cause inflammatory skin reactions and severe itching. Furthermore, in the worst case, the deer louse fly can infect your dog with the pathogen Bartonella schoenbuchensis, causing the four-legged friend to develop fever or even heart muscle inflammation.


Therefore, make sure as much as possible that your dog is not attacked by deer lice flies when walking. For this purpose, avoid walks in the forest if necessary and use natural remedies against ectoparasites, such as Marsavet Tick and Flea Protection, if required.

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