How to manage Mange – Dogster

news7g05/08/2022

6 3 minutes read

We have all heard the term “mangy mutt”. But do you know what mange actually is and how it can affect your dog? Mange is a general term for two specific canine skin diseases caused by ticks. These mites cause hair loss, sometimes intense itching, and secondary skin infections. Only two types affect dogs – demodectic mange and sarcoptic mange.

Demodectic manga, sometimes called “red mange”, is caused by Demodex mites, a small, cigar-shaped parasite with eight legs that lives in hair follicles. All dogs have a few of these ticks that live on their skin, as they are passed from mother to child (and not between dogs or people). Most of the time, these commensal mites don’t cause any trouble; However, in puppies with immature immune systems, illness can occur. It will get significantly worse if the puppy is malnourished and/or has other internal parasites such as roundworm or hookworm. Likewise, older dogs or dogs with compromised immune systems can develop genital warts.

Demodectic mange can be localized, causing spots of hair loss that do not itch, or become systemic and severe, leading to complete hair loss, scaling, and a secondary skin infection called pyoderma. These can be bacteria or fungi or both.

Sarcoptic mange (known as scabies), on the other hand, spreads rapidly between dogs and can also infect humans. Sarcoptes is a short, stout, eight-legged tick. It causes intense itching when the tick enters the skin. This leads to significant discomfort, abrasions, skin trauma, hair loss, and pyoderma (a bacterial skin infection).

Check it out

Have your dog evaluated by a veterinarian if you notice any skin problems. Hair loss and flakes are very common manifestations of many illnesses, including flea infestations, food allergies, fibroids, and even liver disease or cancer. Therefore, when having your dog examined by your veterinarian, prepare a basic skin diagnostic technique that includes scraping the skin, cytological evaluation, and discussing your pet’s history and potential. exposure to parasites and allergens.

Diagnosing mange ticks is generally straightforward. If you have a new puppy that is losing hair or your dog is experiencing intense itching for no apparent reason, your vet will perform a skin scraping as part of the dermatological examination. This includes taking a dull scalpel blade and gently scraping along the edges of the lesion. Some bleeding is expected, but this is not a painful or invasive procedure. The hair and skin on the blade are then transferred to a slide and examined under a microscope. Demodex mites are usually easy to find. Sarcoptes ticks, as they tend to burrow deeply, can be more difficult.

There is an “unofficial” test for the satire system called the foot pedal response. If you scratch behind the dog’s ear and the dog reacts as if it’s intense itching by slamming its hind paw, it’s considered a scabies infection. Studies have actually been conducted to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of this method and have shown it to be highly effective!

If your dog has signs consistent with scabies and tick-free skin scrapes, your veterinarian will likely treat it anyway, as current treatment is safe and effective. .

New and improved treatments

Until recently, treatment involved aggressive, repeated “soaking” using foul-smelling chemicals such as lime sulfur. The dogs have been bathed in this water several times to kill ticks. The invention of today’s antiparasitic drugs, especially those in the isoxazoline class, has rendered this treatment obsolete. These are oral and topical medications that prevent fleas and ticks, and also treat tick infestations. They are safe, effective, and readily available.

If your dog has systemic skin degeneration leading to a bacterial or fungal skin infection, you’ll also need to treat them with topical antibiotics and antifungals and possibly oral, gentle baths, and supplements. fatty acid supplements.

As always, when in doubt, check with your vet!