Our pup has demodectic mange...anyone experienced with this?

[cedahlia]

We noticed a tiny bald patch with a scab in it on her head a couple weeks ago. Thought the scab was a result of her wrestling with my dad's dog (thought she'd just been nicked by a tooth or something.)

Took her to the vet today for her spay incision check-up, and asked the him about the scabby bald patch. He immediately said it looked like mange, and did a test...sure enough, it turned out to be the hereditary form of mange (called demodectic mange.) I had only ever heard of the contagious kind of mange so I was very alarmed by this. We now have to give her a very expensive "dip" treatment for the next 3 months.

Vet said this treatment should take care of it, but it is always possible that it won't work. Has anyone here ever dealt with this before? I'm just wondering what to expect...did some Google searching, but I'd like to hear some personal accounts if anyone has any.

Thanks guys! :-)

[hobbit709]

1. Dip, Dip, and Dip again

We had to do it with 4 at once for three months, once a week.
Oh! my aching back. But it worked

[cedahlia]

6. Will do

I agree that it will be tough, but the alternative is unthinkable.

She gets her first "dip" today...wish us luck! :-)

[Lorien]

2. I think it's fatal is severe cases

but it sounds like you caught it early. dip, and dip often! Our collie had it when I was growing up; we dipped him frequently, and he was cured.

I just cured the neighborhood raccoon population of sarcoptic (sp?) mange. I used weight proportionate doses of Ivermectin paste (intended for bots in horses) shot into marshmallows. It took three or four weeks, but eventually the hideous "giant naked mole rats" regrew their fur and stopped scratching (the babies were particularly afflicted). I guess it would seem weird to some to get into the time and expense of curing wildlife of disease, but it's very contagious and nasty, so it seemed like time and money well spent.

[cedahlia]

5. how wonderful of you!

Those are some lucky racoons! I think if you have the time and the money to do so, that is definitely a great thing to do. O8)

Thanks for the encouraging words about the mange...we'll be vigilant with her treatments and hope for the best!

[Lorien]

8. Thanks! I don't have any "before" photros (too horrible) but

Here they are two and a half weeks after the beginning of treatment, and they've grown odd, slightly pink coats:



Beside a healthy adult (not much fur on those tails yet, though):



Now they're the same color as that adult raccoon, and as frisky and playful as can be! Only cost me $13 and about half an hour every week (plus a bit of watching out the window to see if they had come to the catfood dish yet). I know that mange is a huge problem for wildlife and feral animals this year. If anyone else sees sarcoptic mange in their neighborhood, PM me and I'll send you the formula for a cure. :-)

[sleepyhead]

3. It may get a bit worse before it gets better.

Don't get discouraged though - and continue the dips for at least two more times after the lesions are all gone. Make sure your dog is eating a good-quality food, and ask your vet about a good vitamin/fatty acid supplement for her skin. It's not unusual for demodectic mange to appear at times of stress (e.g. spay surgery or hormonal changes), and it is not the simplest thing in the world to treat, but most dogs do recover. If she just has 1 or 2 bald spots and the rest of her skin is OK, she will have an easier time than a dog with its entire body affected (I have seen these, and they are not pretty - they get secondary skin infections and need all kinds of special shampoos and antibiotic treatment). Good luck!

[cedahlia]

4. Thank you for the info

Vet did say that could happen (might get worse before getting better.)

About her diet...she eats Nutro Max for puppies, which I thought was a very good dog food (without all the nastiness that comes with some other brands, like Purina.) But is there something else that would be better for a dog with this form of mange? I'm open to suggestions if you have any.

Thanks again. :-)

[sleepyhead]

7. Nutro is fine.

And puppy food has more protein and fat (good for skin healing) and is definitely better in this case than adult food. Lots of my clients feed Nutro and it does seem to result in better-looking skin than some other popular brands. My point was that if you were feeding no-name food or even grocery store food (eg Purina, Alpo, etc.), you would be better off transitioning to a higher-quality food (with Nutro being a good example).

[Lorien]

9. There are MUCH better foods out there

Karma, Wellness, Innova, California Natural, Artemis...find a few here: http://healthypetfoods.com/pookies/default.php?cPath=21

Look for HUMAN GRADE natural, holistic and organic ingredients (makes a HUGE difference in the health of your pet)!

[flvegan]

10. Lots of experience

One of our rescues was covered in it (dobie). Few months of oral ivermectin, good food and attention, and it's gone. It can always come back. It's usually the result of a supressed immune system and is genetic.

Had a couple puppies come in with it, but were much easier to cure. It's more common than most people think, especially with the crappy breeding that's going on out there.

[Lorien]

11. sounds like the dobie had sarcoptic mange

which usually leaves them nearly naked over most of their bodies, particularly the hindquarters (the photos I posted in #8 are of young raccoons recovering from sarcoptic mange; they grow a "peach fuzz" coat before a true coat fills in). Sarcoptic mange, when extreme (as it was for my small raccoons) leaves their faces swollen-sometimes the eyes are nearly swollen shut! Demodectic mange appears as bald patches that gradually spread, sometimes multiple patches.

[flvegan]

12. Nope, was demodex

Went from the back of her neck to her tail, and about halfway down her body...one "big patch" so to speak. Very typical, untreated appearance when she came in. Now she's doing great.

[Lorien]

14. I didn't know that Ivermectin could cure them both

that's good to know.

[cedahlia]

13. Our pup was a rescue too

So we don't know much about her history. Mom was a purebred shepherd (from the looks of her anyway, but no papers) but she came to the ASPCA as a stray, so no idea about dad.

The vet prescribed an antiseptic shampoo and something called "Mitaban" which we have to sponge all over her after we bathe her. We did this last night, and man, that is some potent smelling stuff. Hubby compared the smell to that of modeling glue, which I think is pretty accurate. Vet said nothing about ivermectin, but I think I read that it shouldn't be used with certain types of dogs, so perhaps that's why he didn't prescribe it for her. (?)

Thanks for your input! It's good to hear about positive outcomes.