dog shampoo for LICE!

hock1 · Mar 26, 2004

Never say never. We'd all eat dog food if it was the only thing available. People are really struggling so hard that $100.00 is everything and my neighbor doesn't spend her money on smokes or booze. I hear what's being said though. I can't stand parents who have lots of money for smokes, clothes, etc but never any for their kids. That's unforgiveable.

MultipurposeRN · Mar 26, 2004

I had occasion to get on the Dog Shampoo bandwagon when my kids had repeated outbreaks from contamination at school. the money I spent on brand name and even the generic products was ridiculous. the dog shampoo had the same ingredients, only a smaller dose. It was thick and lathery, so what the chemical didn't kill, the thick shampoo would. I would lather it on thickly then wrap cellophane around their scalps and run the blow dryer on them for a few minutes.It ended up being about the only thing that worked. And..no harm was done, except to the lice. And as far as not feeding your kids Alpo..that's a matter of taste, of course, but it certainly would have no harmful effects on them. But..it ain't cheap, either. Off brand mac & cheese or off brand hotdogs are alot cheaper, although may not be as healthy as dogfood. lol

MultipurposeRN · Mar 26, 2004

I find it strange, also, that people are worried about the fact that it's shampoo for dogs...but dogs take many drugs that are also for humans..aspirin and tylenol are a couple of examples, also chondroitin and MSM. Livestock use some of the same antibiotics people do. Why the big hangup on whether it's labeled for dogs or humans? The ingredients were the same..it's just with the animal label, the price was considerably less, and the amount in the bottle considerably more. Long term effects? You'll have to worry just as much using the human stuff. If someone's that worried, use vaseline..although when I tried it, it took 2 weeks to get it out of my daughter's hair. I said never again, after that.

My kids are as important to me as the next person's are, but there's nothing wrong w/ saving money when you can. Besides..most kids are tougher than parents want to believe.

hock1 · Mar 27, 2004

:rotfl: :chuckle The Mac-n-cheese thing...hilarious. Thanks for the smile.

Brickman · Mar 29, 2004

OK think about it people. Dogs don't wash their own hair, someone does it for them. That someone has the shampoo up to their elbows for quite sometime. Do you think it is safe for humans? Of course it is. Just read the lable and buy one with the same active ingredient. Or you could just throw some money away, your choice. :rolleyes:

casperbjs · Mar 29, 2004

I use to work for a pediatrician. She also said that mayonnaise would kill lice too. Needs left on overnight with a cap, but it also good for your hair too.

elkpark · Mar 29, 2004

Many years ago, I left my dog with friends while I went out of town, and when I returned, he had MANGE!! Of course, since I'd never seen it, I didn't know what it was, but he clearly had something wrong with him, so I took him straight to the vet before I even took him home. It was summer, and I was wearing shorts and a tank top, and the dog was so happy to see me, he was all over me in the car.

When I got to the vet, she diagnosed him with one glance, and mentioned casually that it's highly contagious, so, if I had had any physical contact with him, I probably had it, too. :rolleyes: She then advised me to mix up a small batch of the same "dip" she was Rxing for the dog in a little bottle, and dab it on all of my "spots" with a cotton ball a few times a day, and that would clear it up -- she caught it all the time (because it's so contagious), and that's what she always did for herself.

I did, indeed, break out promptly with big patches of mange (it's a tiny bug, like scabies), and got to have the fun experience of calling the hospital IC nurse and asking whether I could come to work with MANGE :chuckle . She didn't know and referred me to the IC physician, who happened to be my doctor. I'm not sure whether he was more alarmed to hear that I had mange, or that I was treating it with the same dip I was putting on the dog! :chuckle Of course, he didn't have any better suggestions for treating mange (I guess they don't spend much time on that in med school ...), so he couldn't say much ... :)

I would not be too concerned about using the dog shampoo for a limited time on kids, if the active ingredients are the same, esp. if it means a big difference in cost (I know that the lice treatments can really add up!)

smileystudent · Mar 31, 2004

yes I have heard of using dog shampoo for lice. my neighbor used it and it was effective quickly before the infestation was out of hand. And I have also dewormed my son before w/ our dogs deworming meds. Actually it was an accident. My son was taking amoxicillin and the dog was taking a liquid form of dewormer. He was a puppy then. Well my son likes amox. and when I was filling the dog bowl I laid the dewormer on the table and when I turned to get the dewormer my then 2 yr old had the syring in his mouth and the med was gone. I freaked and called the vet and he laughed and said dont worry my son will be OK and he will also get rid of any worms if he had any. Oh and as an after thought my son happens to be one of those kids that likes to take meds that don't belong to him. We have had bouts w/ charcoal a few times in the ER. Fortunately we didn't have to do charcoal that time. Well alls well that ends well I guess. :chuckle

jyoung1950 · Mar 31, 2004

Are lice the same as scabies?

I work in a nursing home and periodically, scabies breaks out. Big pain in the neck.:uhoh21:

Shed13911 · Mar 31, 2004

Lice and scabies are not the same. Lice are usually on the head and are little tiny bugs. They cause really bad itching and scratching on the head. They feed on the blood of the host and multiply. Scabies are tiny mites that can be seen only under a microscope. They burrow under the skin and leave little lines as they move around. Scabies cause intense itching but take 30-45 days after contamination before symptoms occur. Both of these can be treated but everyone in the household needs to be treated to get rid of these little pests! :uhoh3: