Most of my family on here knows I've had a sick puppy for a few days ...Finally got him to the vet and they told us it was Demodex mange a type of dermatitis prob that is given to the pup from it's mother ... there are 2 types of this kinda mange sarcoptic(contagious) and Demodex (non contagious)with the demodex however there is 2 stages 1st local it can occur on their faces paws
and lower backs and the kind my puppy has which is the severest Generalized his entire body is infested by demodex mites ... as the dogs immune system is lowered the mites take over the eating at the flesh it starts in the hair foliclies and eats its way out on to the skin which can also lead to the killer of the dog A secondary skin infection .. only a good vet can tell right off the kinda mange your dog may have if not they do a skin scraping. My puppy is very sick with the secondary skin infection now they are treating him with a high does of Keflex.. Had this been any other dog I would have had it put down(because of the pain and severity .. But he's smart and well with my children. The vets told us to take a pic of Roscoe everyday so we can see as he gets better ... these first few days have been extremely hard to look at him ... he is bloody, scabby, and smelly But he is my dog and I am working at making him better... The vet said he should live(no promises as this was very severe)but after the treatment for the infection is done they will start to treat the mange mites with a dip or injection of Ivermectin.. once they start that the mange should clear in 1 to 2wks but he will be on the meds for 4 - 6wks and should never have a reoccurance ...I'm writing in hopes that other pet owners will heed if their pets start showing signs of this kinda mange... As I've never heard of this ... No I'm not a huge pet lover I have 3 dogs .. but Roscoe is my kid dog and they love him very much and that is why I have spent the time and money to clear him back up .... I had the option to put him down but not the heart... Okay enough rambling I'll let all read the inclosed info and see the pics... (the pics are kinda graphic)
Roscoe before he got sick
and now with the Demodex mange
Demodex Mange
(also known as Red Mange)
Roger Ross, DVM
There are hundreds of different species of mites, most of them microscopic, that share our environment (dust mites) or parasitize our flesh. Mange refers to the disease that parasitic skin mites cause; namely damaged and inflammed skin along with secondary allergic and bacterial problems.
There are two classes of mites affecting dogs and cats. They both cause skin problems but they are quite different. They look different under the microscope, they have different life cycles, and most important from a practical point is that they require different treatments.
This article is about the Demodex Mange and is caused by different species of Demodex mites.
The other type of mange we commonly see (the contagious type) is known as Sarcoptic Mange. There's an article about this type of mange further down the page.
Here's some basic info:
Demodex mange in not contagious from one dog or cat to another. (Or to people)
Demodex often doesn't itch much. Mild cases simply show up as small patches of hairlessness. More severe cases, though, often involve secondary bacterial skin infections making the the situation look a lot different; inflammed, pustular, itchy, and quite awful.
Here's something that surprises a lot of people:
all dogs and cats probably have small quantities of demodex mites living in their skin just like all pets (and humans) have small numbers of skin bacteria.
The trouble is that in dogs (and occasionally cats) with the disease of Demodex Mange, the numbers of mites have multiplied to the point where they start to cause trouble, immune reactions, inflammation, irritation, and stimulation of the sebaceous glands.
The reasons for this aren't clearly understood but have to do with immune suppression and hormone changes. This disease is usually associated with puberty so is most common in puppies between 4 and 16 months of age.
But we also see it occasionally in any animal of any age that is immune suppressed, either genetically, from poor nutrition, from parasitism, or from certain medications and certain diseases.
Or from hormonal changes and stresses such as pregnancy or nursing. We also think that testosterone may be a culprit because castration often helps with the cure (although not usually critical to the cure...but if it isn't a breeding animal, consider this anyways.)
The diagnostic technique for detecting demodex mange is the same as for sarcoptic mange; we can usually find it easily under the microscope with skin scrapings.
The treatment is different though.
1. We look for causes of immune suppression or stimulation of the sebaceous glands.
We make sure the patient isn't infested with worms, other parasites, or on a poor diet.
2. Since patients with poor immune systems are susceptible to many diseases, we look extra hard for secondary infections, ringworm, and so forth.
3. Oral ivermectin is used by a lot of veterinarians because it often helps achieve a quick cure, but the dosing protocol is different for each vet, and some vets don't use it at all because this medication is NOT approved. That means that if anything goes wrong, and ivermectin is a potent drug, he or she might be considered legally liable for the problem. Using such medications is NOT illegal, but is rather called "off label".
We vets are fairly used to this situation; a lot of drugs, for example, legally available for humans, are known to be useful in animals too, but were never approved for that use, or at least for that particular animal. Getting a drug approved is very, very expensive, so the drug companies don't bother. And they like to avoid potential legal liability too. Besides, they know we're going to use them anyways, and by being off label they avoid both the expense of getting them approved for each species and they're off the hook legally if your pet happens to die from a medication.
At any rate, your vet may or may not recommend using ivermectin. Or maybe only if you take the precaution of first doing blood work to make sure the kidney and liver (which metabolize medications) are working well. Remember that demodex is associated with immune diseases that affect the whole body.
4. Dipping with amitraz pesticide. This is a very potent poison, so listen to instructions. Tell your vet if you might be pregnant.
This dip is also somewhat poisonous to the patient so pay attention to problems like vomiting and seizures. Keep in touch with your vet if there are problems. In fact, some vets insist on doing the dipping themselves in order to make sure there aren't major problems. I don't mean to over scare you, usually everything works out fine, but amitraz is a potentially dangerous pesticide, but it's about the only pesticide that works well.
The dipping is usually repeated at weekly intervals until all better. Sometimes this takes more than 6 weeks.
5. Some vets supplement this treatment with immune stimulants, vitamin and nutritional support, fatty acid supplements, and anti-oxidants.
In addition, we need to treat for any secondary infections, ringworm, etc.
Sometimes it helps to clip the hair coat prior to treatment to allow better penetration of the dip. Another helpful option for better dip penetration is to use a medicated scrub prior to dipping in order to remove crust, scales, and open skin pores.
I didn't tell you this, but some cases are mild enough that they are self curing. On the other hand, a very few cases are incurable. The pet responds to treatment, but only for a short period. This occurs with severe immune system deficiencies. Most cases are in the middle; the disease is serious and uncomfortable, as well as ugly and smelly, but quickly gets better with professional treatment.
You never know how hot it can get with her
and now with the Demodex mange
Demodex Mange
(also known as Red Mange)
Roger Ross, DVM
There are hundreds of different species of mites, most of them microscopic, that share our environment (dust mites) or parasitize our flesh. Mange refers to the disease that parasitic skin mites cause; namely damaged and inflammed skin along with secondary allergic and bacterial problems.
There are two classes of mites affecting dogs and cats. They both cause skin problems but they are quite different. They look different under the microscope, they have different life cycles, and most important from a practical point is that they require different treatments.
This article is about the Demodex Mange and is caused by different species of Demodex mites.
The other type of mange we commonly see (the contagious type) is known as Sarcoptic Mange. There's an article about this type of mange further down the page.
Here's some basic info:
Demodex mange in not contagious from one dog or cat to another. (Or to people)
Demodex often doesn't itch much. Mild cases simply show up as small patches of hairlessness. More severe cases, though, often involve secondary bacterial skin infections making the the situation look a lot different; inflammed, pustular, itchy, and quite awful.
Here's something that surprises a lot of people:
all dogs and cats probably have small quantities of demodex mites living in their skin just like all pets (and humans) have small numbers of skin bacteria.
The trouble is that in dogs (and occasionally cats) with the disease of Demodex Mange, the numbers of mites have multiplied to the point where they start to cause trouble, immune reactions, inflammation, irritation, and stimulation of the sebaceous glands.
The reasons for this aren't clearly understood but have to do with immune suppression and hormone changes. This disease is usually associated with puberty so is most common in puppies between 4 and 16 months of age.
But we also see it occasionally in any animal of any age that is immune suppressed, either genetically, from poor nutrition, from parasitism, or from certain medications and certain diseases.
Or from hormonal changes and stresses such as pregnancy or nursing. We also think that testosterone may be a culprit because castration often helps with the cure (although not usually critical to the cure...but if it isn't a breeding animal, consider this anyways.)
The diagnostic technique for detecting demodex mange is the same as for sarcoptic mange; we can usually find it easily under the microscope with skin scrapings.
The treatment is different though.
1. We look for causes of immune suppression or stimulation of the sebaceous glands.
We make sure the patient isn't infested with worms, other parasites, or on a poor diet.
2. Since patients with poor immune systems are susceptible to many diseases, we look extra hard for secondary infections, ringworm, and so forth.
3. Oral ivermectin is used by a lot of veterinarians because it often helps achieve a quick cure, but the dosing protocol is different for each vet, and some vets don't use it at all because this medication is NOT approved. That means that if anything goes wrong, and ivermectin is a potent drug, he or she might be considered legally liable for the problem. Using such medications is NOT illegal, but is rather called "off label".
We vets are fairly used to this situation; a lot of drugs, for example, legally available for humans, are known to be useful in animals too, but were never approved for that use, or at least for that particular animal. Getting a drug approved is very, very expensive, so the drug companies don't bother. And they like to avoid potential legal liability too. Besides, they know we're going to use them anyways, and by being off label they avoid both the expense of getting them approved for each species and they're off the hook legally if your pet happens to die from a medication.
At any rate, your vet may or may not recommend using ivermectin. Or maybe only if you take the precaution of first doing blood work to make sure the kidney and liver (which metabolize medications) are working well. Remember that demodex is associated with immune diseases that affect the whole body.
4. Dipping with amitraz pesticide. This is a very potent poison, so listen to instructions. Tell your vet if you might be pregnant.
This dip is also somewhat poisonous to the patient so pay attention to problems like vomiting and seizures. Keep in touch with your vet if there are problems. In fact, some vets insist on doing the dipping themselves in order to make sure there aren't major problems. I don't mean to over scare you, usually everything works out fine, but amitraz is a potentially dangerous pesticide, but it's about the only pesticide that works well.
The dipping is usually repeated at weekly intervals until all better. Sometimes this takes more than 6 weeks.
5. Some vets supplement this treatment with immune stimulants, vitamin and nutritional support, fatty acid supplements, and anti-oxidants.
In addition, we need to treat for any secondary infections, ringworm, etc.
Sometimes it helps to clip the hair coat prior to treatment to allow better penetration of the dip. Another helpful option for better dip penetration is to use a medicated scrub prior to dipping in order to remove crust, scales, and open skin pores.
I didn't tell you this, but some cases are mild enough that they are self curing. On the other hand, a very few cases are incurable. The pet responds to treatment, but only for a short period. This occurs with severe immune system deficiencies. Most cases are in the middle; the disease is serious and uncomfortable, as well as ugly and smelly, but quickly gets better with professional treatment.
