Pet Health - Lice

A new treatment for lice is being developed in Utah. Biologists are perfecting a hairdryer-like device that uses air to desiccate the lice and their eggs. Desiccation, not heat, kills the lice in half an hour. Unlike typical insecticides that need to be used twice, desiccation works when used once. To be successful, the drying air must reach the roots of the hair where lice and the eggs are attached to the hair shaft.

Developers of the new device are worried that parents will hear about this technique and will mistakenly believe that heat is what kills the lice. Some parents may burn their children’s scalps by using hairdryers that are too hot. Dale Clayton, the biology professor at the University of Utah who helped develop the machine, says the LouseBuster works

• by blowing twice as much air as a normal hair dryer blows and
• by lifting the hair so that it reaches the roots where lice and eggs attach.

The LouseBuster is being developed for humans, but all manner of pets—dogs, cats, birds, horses—have lice and may benefit. Lice are typically host specific, so the lice that torment pets prefer to torment pets. Current methods of treating lice include, dips and oral, topical, and injectable medications.

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