Will bed bugs bite dogs?

When you find dubious-looking bites on your fuzzy 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 bugs on dogs.

Bed bugs are a serious worry for everyone. They occupy our personal spaces, looking for shelter in our clothing, belongings, and around our beds. They are great travellers and can travel from one site to the next using these same personal belongings. However, it is common that bed bugs prefer to feed on humans. Although, what about our lovely pets? Do bed bugs bite dogs?

Bed bugs feed on humans. Although, they can also, feed on animals, including dogs. However, do understand that dogs don’t act as hordes of bed bugs, unlike fleas. Instead, like humans, bed bugs would live in spaces near their feed source such as dogs. So, you might find bed bugs in dogs' bedding and other spots dogs frequently lounge in.

How to identify bug bites on dogs

Unlike humans, it is hard to see bed bug bites on dogs. This isn’t because they might not be there, but the size of your dog’s body hair adds to this difficulty. However, if you find your canine friend scratching a lot, it might be a signal to check for bed bugs. Often the bed bug bite marks will seem like tiny red bumps. If your dog itches them a lot, the skin develops irritated, and bed bug rashes might appear.

Nevertheless, you can identify bed bug bites (or the bites of other insects) by studying the behaviour of your canines. Watch for biting, licking, and scratching.

You can also, look for other signs of infestation by inspecting their personal space and bedding. Look for dried blood on their bedding or darker spots indicating bed bug faecal matter. Bed bugs also shed their skins, which might look just like the bugs but are transparent and empty but isn’t as it is only their skin, not the bugs themselves. You can also watch for bed bug eggs, but these are very tiny and can be difficult to find. If you can identify their eggs, then it means that the infestation may just have begun.

Other signs to look out for bed bugs

Likewise, checking for bed bugs around your dogs, you should also inspect your own personal space. As there’s a chance the plague may have spread to the places around your sleeping space. Look for signs of bed bugs (dried blood, faecal matter, skins, eggs) around places such as:

• Skirting boards/Baseboards
• Behind pictures
• In between electrical outlets
• Behind personal belongings
• In the seams of clothing and luggage
• On bed frames and headboards
• In mattress seams

Do bed bugs harm our canine friends?

Bed bugs are not known to convey diseases, whether to humans or animals. So there is no danger of such incidents like with fleas and ticks. However, bed bug bites are just as problematic. Bed bug bites can cause irritation to the skin and cause itching. If severe, the skin might become swollen, creating more problems.