Photo by Conner Baker on Unsplash
They’re everyone’s worst nightmare. The thought of having tiny little bugs that burrow in furniture, beds, and pillows, only to come out at night and bite us, is potentially one of the worst realities for a home or apartment. That’s why you want to know more about bed bugs, their origins, and if your dogs can be carriers.
It’s a valid thing to wonder. It’s even more valid to wonder if dogs can get bed bites as well. Maybe you’ve seen a line of bites on your dog, and you want to know if it’s an indicator of something bigger in your house. Or maybe you’ve seen tiny, reddish tinted bugs crawling on your dog at night. Are they fleas? Bed bugs? Something worse?
Let’s dive deeper.
A Brief History of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are making a big comeback today, after the banning of a particular pesticide that did a number on their population in the mid-20th century. Known as parasites, bed bugs can hide in furniture, mattresses, cracks in the wall, cabinets, and just about anywhere else in your home.
Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t have to be messy to be habitable to bed bugs. They’re pretty resilient, and are just as likely to end up in your home as they are a hotel room.
Which brings us to pets. Can these pests impact your pets?
Can Dogs Get Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs do not live on pets. This is in stark contrast to fleas and ticks, which have no problem sinking their teeth into dogs and hanging on for weeks at a time. Bed bugs instead prefer to hide in crevices and cracks in the wall where they cannot be seen.
Although they may come in for a doggy bite here and there, they will then return back to their hiding spot, or hitch a ride on the dog to get from point A to point B. But, they will not live on the dog.
Do Bed Bugs Bite Dogs?
Therefore, although the bed bugs won’t live on your dog, they may bite them from time to time. It’s difficult for bed bugs to make their way through fur, so furrier dogs will not be a target for these little pests. Additionally, due to the fur, it may be hard to see the bites at all. The only obvious way to notice a bite-attack is by scratching and itching prevalent with your dog.
Since fur makes it hard for bed bugs to get to the source, they will choose a human over a dog anytime, anywhere.
Can Bed Bugs Cause Infections in Dogs?
Since bed bugs are not likely to bite dogs, they are not a primary concern for the health of your canine. However, infections from nonstop itching, scratching, etc. could occur if the problem is not contained.
At the end of the day, bed bugs would much rather bite you than your pooch. It’s not something that should keep you up at night.