Demodectic Mange is a
non-contagious skin disease that has been around as long as
there have been dogs and veterinarians. It still is very difficult to
treat in some cases.
Sarcoptes Mange is
potentially CONTAGIOUS to other pets as well as
humans. It is often difficult to diagnose by skin scraping due to
low number of mites and deep burrowing in the skin. The good
news is it is generally susceptible to treatment.
Both skin diseases
are caused by tiny parasites that live in the hair follicles
and skin glands of dogs.
The following
information will focus on the more common Demodectic mange mite.
You may find additional information about Sarcoptes mange mite at
the following Veterinary Partner Library reference: Sarcoptes
Puppies are infected
with the Demodex mites from contact with the skin of their mother
while nursing. The
mites are present in the skin of many healthy dogs and do not cause
disease. It is thought
that pets diagnosed with Demodectic Mange are immunodeficient—not
able to fight off the mites as a healthy dog would.
Demodex occurs most
commonly in young dogs (3 months to 1 year of age). When the disease is seen in older
animals, they usually have been afflicted since their youth.
Demodectic mange is seen in 2
forms:
Localized
mange is
confined to a few small areas usually involving the face or front
feet, and is relatively easy to treat.
Generalized
mange is
one of the most severe canine skin diseases, and treatment is NOT
always successful!
The skin may
become infected with bacteria-- eventually allowing the hair
follicles to rupture expelling pus. The skin may become dry, crusty,
brittle, and ooze serum, blood or pus. A strong, offensive skin odor may
be present due to the secondary bacterial infection.
A heredity
predisposition is suggested. Affected dogs should be neutered
to prevent passing the disease on to their offspring. Even though all pups in the
litter may not show signs of Demodex, they still may be a “carrier”
capable of passing on the disease to their offspring.
Dogs should be
spayed to reduce the stress of the estrus (heat) cycle which may
cause flare-ups of this disease.
Animals with small,
local lesions of Demodex usually recover well without
recurrence. Diligent,
time-consuming therapy is required for full recovery in the severe,
generalized cases.
Because a defect in the immune system plays a part in this disease,
some dogs DO NOT recover! If the skin infection spreads to
other parts of the body, the dog may become systemically sick and
even die. Severely
affected animals may recover and remain symptom free, but some dogs
require periodic treatment for the rest of their life to keep the
disease under control.
Your dog may look
worse for 2 to 4 weeks after treatment is begun and may be more
itchy initially while the mites die. The itchiness should improve
with subsequent treatments.
Recovery takes a
MINIMUM of 6 to 12
weeks in most cases. Some cases fail to respond due to
a lack of proper follow-up treatment by YOU- the owner! Please follow the recommendations
of your veterinarian throughout the course of treatment.
Medication must be
individualized to your particular pet’s stage of disease and
clinical signs present.
Potential
treatment recommendations are listed below:
ڤ Benzoyl Peroxide
baths
ڤ Amitraz dips as
directed
ڤ Fatty acid
supplement as directed
ڤ Verify thyroid
hormone level
ڤ Antibiotics as
directed
ڤ Other:
Recovery rate for
Demodectic mange is approximately 85% with a 6 to 8 week treatment
procedure. An
additional six treatments will increase the recovery rate to about
95%. Approximately 5%
of affected dogs do NOT respond to treatment and will NOT
recover.
Be sure the dog’s
vaccinations are up to date and that the dog is free of internal
parasites. This is
especially important since the dog’s immune system is already not
working like it should. Be prepared to diligently treat
your dog for 6 to 12 weeks minimum.
YOU will be the
major reason your pet recovers with proper follow-up
care.
