Pet Sense (Archives)
What You Need To Know About Mange
Frequently owners will call or ask about their bald and itchy dog. Although many times allergies are the main cause of itchy pets; sometimes mange can be the actual source. Mange is seen frequently in our practice and caused by a tiny mite that lives under your dog’s skin. There are two types of mange that could infect your dog – Demodectic Mange and Sarcoptic Mange.
1. Demodectic Mange (also called Red Mange) is a non-contagious skin disease. It is caused by a tiny parasite (mite) that lives in the hair follicles and skin glands of the dogs. Puppies are infected with 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 immuno-deficient--not able to fight off the mites as a healthy dog would do. This allows large numbers of the mites to appear. Demodex occurs almost exclusively in young dogs (3 months to l year of age). When the disease is seen in older animals it is often the sign of another, more serious problem and is often more difficult to treat.
There are two forms of demodex mange: localized (confined to a few small areas, usually around the face and feet), and generalized (a severe skin disease). Localized demodex usually recovers 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 that do recover seldom show signs of the disease again. However, there are some dogs that require a periodic treatment for the rest of their life to keep the disease under control.
2. Sarcoptic mange is HIGHLY contagious and produces intense itching, reddening of the skin, thinning of the hair, and development of crusts and scabs. Sarcoptic mites burrow tunnels into the skin, where they deposit eggs. This is what causes the intense itching of sarcoptic mange. Sarcoptic mites prefer skin with little hair, so they are most numerous on the ears, elbows, abdomen, and hocks. As the mites spread, hair is lost and they begin to occupy larger areas of skin. Sarcoptic mange is sometimes referred to as “scabies”. It is highly contagious to other dogs; it is also contagious to humans. The dog’s bedding should be washed in hot water with bleach or (preferably) discarded. Although the mites are not able to complete their life cycle on humans, they will cause quite a bit of itching before they finally die.
How is mange diagnosed?
Diagnosis is made by a skin scraping that is examined under the microscope.
For demodex mange, a large number of mites may be identified under the microscope.
However, for sarcoptic mange only a small number of mites may be present. Because of this, a dog may be strongly suspected of having sarcoptic mange, but all skin scrapings are negative. A presumptive diagnosis can be made because the signs are quite typical.
How is mange treated?
Most cases diagnosed with mange require weekly: shampoo therapy (to help flush out the hair follicles prior to the dip), followed by a special dip, oral/injectable medication, and sometimes a daily topical cream applied too. Some cases with severe skin infections may require antibiotic therapy as well.
Promeris, our new flea and tick topical treatment, can also be used to treat mange. Promeris is used once a month to take care of fleas and ticks; however, when treating for mange, it can be applied every 2 weeks to help treat for mange.
How long will the treatments last?
Treatment should occur weekly for at least four weeks. After four weeks, your dog should be rechecked and have another skin scrape completed to determine if further treatment is necessary.
Need to knows:
** Skin can become infected with bacteria--eventually allowing the hair follicles to rupture, expelling pus. The skin may become dry, crusty, brittle, and ooze blood or pus. A strong, offensive skin odor may be present due to the secondary bacterial infection.
** Since a hereditary predisposition is suggested. Affected dogs should be spayed 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 also be spayed to reduce the stress of the heat cycle, which may cause acute flare-ups of this disease.
** Be sure the dog’s immunizations 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 as it should be.
If you have any questions or concerns about your pet and mange, call our hospital and set up an appointment so that a full physical exam can be completed. 797-7387
