Yes! Bed bugs prefer human hosts, but they have been known to feed on family pets. Because fur and bedding are excellent hiding places, keeping these areas clean is critical to avoiding eggs.
Bed bug bites in dogs, like in humans, appear in clusters and may resemble a rash. You may notice your dog(s) scratching, licking, or gnawing at their skin. Spotting is a good indicator to look for; dried blood or bed bug feces in fur or bedding are important indicators of their presence.
Although bed bugs prefer to feed on humans, they can bite almost any animal. Dogs, cats, rodents, and birds are all included. Dogs aren’t a common host for bed bugs, but their bedding can be an excellent hiding place for these pests.
We’ve Got Bed Bugs! Will Taking Care of Them Harm My Pet?
I spoke with the experts at ATAP Pest Control, who have a lot of experience safely removing bed bugs from family homes. Depending on the severity of the infestation and the needs of the owners, there are numerous options available, ranging from heat treatments to fumigations to chemical applications. The recommended course of treatment may differ from one household to the next and from one company to the next.
ATAP most commonly uses a chemical application to affected areas in households with dogs and cats, which necessitates keeping the pet away from the house for 4-6 hours. A severe case requiring fumigation would necessitate the entire family leaving the house for three days. They also emphasized that different pets, such as birds and reptiles, can have different sensitivities to environmental pesticides, so it’s critical to make sure the treatment you choose is safe for your particular menagerie.
Take a deep breath if you’re dealing with bed bugs; you’re not alone. With a little elbow grease, you can get rid of bed bugs in your house.
Is it possible for a bed bug to make me or my pet sick?
Bed bugs, fortunately, do not transmit disease to humans or pets. Some people and animals develop red welts or itchy lesions that are frequently misdiagnosed as flea or mosquito bites. So, while they can cause discomfort and significant mental distress, bed bugs will not transmit diseases to you or your pets, though scratching can lead to secondary skin infections in severe cases. Often, people do not notice bites at all.
Bed bug bites itch, even in our canine companions. Keep an eye out for scratching, biting, licking, and general irritability. In addition to bed bug bites, look for spotting around your pet’s bedding. These marks could be dried blood from your dog’s bite or a darker spot indicating bed bug feces. Another secondary sign of bed bugs to keep an eye out for is exoskeletons shed around your pet’s bedding. Shed skins resemble bed bugs, only they are translucent and empty. Bed bug eggs are very small and difficult to find, but they are an excellent indicator that a bed bug infestation has begun. You may also notice bed bugs crawling around your pet’s bedding. Adults are small and flat, resembling apple seeds. They are reddish-brown before consuming a blood meal and bright, blood red afterward.