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Ask the Vet About Mange (Demodex) in Dogs and Cats
Ask the Vet About Mange (Demodex) in Dogs and Cats
Dr. Michael Dym
As a practicing veterinarian, Dr. Dym has over 19 years of experience and dedication to enhancing the overall health and well-being of pets. His commitment and passion for pet health continuously drives him to learn more about the art and science of homeopathy through ongoing training and education.
Submit Your QuestionDate: Oct 20, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: Dog
Topic: Mange treatment duration
Question: Dog is getting metronidazole for demodex mites treatment 10mg per lbs twice daily. How long the treatment should last?
Answer:Metronidazole does not treat demodectic mange. It is usually used for gastrointetinal problems, so maybe your dog had this as well. Let me know what else your dog was given (some of the newer flea & tick medications help mange like Nexgard and Bravecto).
Date: Aug 25, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: Dog
Topic: Treatment
Question:Hello, My dog is a 5 year old Labrador Retriever. When we got her from the shelter, they informed us she had mange and gave us the proper medication for it. After a month, I took her in for a checkup and they assured me she was healing properly and did not need another round of medicine. Now it’s been about two months since that check up and along her neck, she has lost all of her fur and she itches it like crazy. Is this mange again? And how do I treat it?
Answer:It is certainly possible but there are other causes of itching (like allergies) so since these are treated entirely differently, it is ideal for your veterinarian to run some quick tests and determine the cause so you can appropriately treat it. Prescription medications work much better for mange as well, so you can get those while you are there if that is the cause.
Date: Aug 5, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: Dog
Topic: Generalised Demodex mites on dog for 10 mths
Question:Hello Doctor, I have a 10mth old mutt who weighs 12kg and is on ivermectin 2mg twice weekly. Just this week, she has started scratching again. My question is should the dosage be increased? She is currently using benzoyl peroxide shampoo twice weekly apart fr the med. Earlier, the vets that I went to diagnosed her as having ringworm and yeast infection, prescribed a fungal cream and, the other vet diagnosed her as having allergic reaction to the bleach I use to clean her area, prescribed antihistamines. My mutt didn react to the med and continued to itch until I noticed the ear flap lining were a bit bumpy which led me to suspect she had mites infestation. Just this week, she is starting to scratch her neck, belly, chest to the extend that her skin breaks and turn red. I am glad the bumps on her ear flap lining has disappeared. Pls advise my next course of action to terminate demodex mites permanently.
Answer:I can't tell if she was definitiely diagnosed as having demodex - it usually isn't super itchy. Sarcoptic mange is itchy. Either way, they both can be treated successfully with Ivermectin, if that is what your veterinarian prescribed. Consult with them about adding either Nexgard or Bravecto now if she is still having problems.
Date: Aug 4, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: Others
Topic: Rats with mites that are snake food
Question:My rats have mites . How do I treat them so I can still feed them to my snake ?
Answer:I am solely a small animal (just dogs and cats) veterinarian so contact a veterinarian that specializes in exotics for help with your rat & snake. You can often find them at your local veterinary school or on websites like Justanswer.com.
Date: Jul 10, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: Dog
Topic: Doberman dog having hairloss patches with Itchiness
Question:Hello Doctor, My dog doberman 7 months old is suffering from hairloss in patches all aound his body,face with itchiness all over plus he also has red boils and red rashes on his back and chest.This is going on from two months.Tried bathing him with ridd solution but no relief.Recently he had lots of very tiny mites falling off from his body after a walk in afternoon sun.We feed him royal canin for breakfast and dinner and for lunch rice and curd. Please help and advise.
Answer:Hairloss like that, at that age, is almost always demodectic mange - the mite is microscopic (you cannot see it so whatever you saw was something else - fleas maybe?? - there isn't a macroscopic mite). Anyway, your veterinarian will need to confirm the demodex with a quick skin scrape - it is very easy to diagnose and then prescription medication is needed to treat it - but it's usually pretty easy to treat as well. Some/most pups even, grow out of it if no treatment but it takes a really long time without medication.
Date: Jun 21, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: Dog
Topic: Demodicosis
Question:Are amitraz and the lime sulfur dips safe to use on a dog with generalized demodicosis with open cuts?
Answer:I would really need to see the dog's lesions to say for sure - it sounds like oral treatment (with nexgard, bravecto or ivermectin) and antibiotics might be better for him.
Date: Jun 12, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: Dog
Topic: Demodex
Question:What medication can I get for Demodex he has a bad red rash DONT know what to do
Answer:Here is a link to our article about treatment of demodectic mange with over-the-counter and prescription medications for the treatment of mange: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/mange-treatment-dog-cat-9.html
Date: Jun 1, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: 2
Topic: Mange
Question:If my dog has mange does that mean he has heart worms
Answer:No, those 2 things are entirely unrelated (although many dogs that have both are just not very well cared for so may get and not be treated for both).
Date: May 13, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: 4
Topic: local fox with mange
Question:any recommendation for a powder I could sprinkle in her den or an oral agent I could leave in some food near her den to treat mange? She had a beautiful tail 2 months ago, now looks like a rat tail (no hair).
Answer:Sometimes they are just blowing their winter coats unevenly this time of the year, but I am solely a small animal (just dogs and cats) veterinarian so contact a veterinarian that specializes in exotics for the best advice for your fox. You can often find them at your local veterinary school or on websites like Justanswer.com.
Date: May 8, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: 2
Topic: Treatment for dogs and yard
Question:Our three dogs have got either mites or mange and our yard is all sand the mother has mites in her ears and I've been treating her with the Adams ear mite drops but they are all three miserable and the heat only intensifies it. My question is how can I effectively treat both yard and pets and also can you recommend or prescribe something maybe it's my first time doing anything like this online so I apologise beforehand for my ignorance . Any help you can suggest will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and consideration and God bless.
Answer:Ear mites in adult dogs is rare, but so is ear infections in multiple dogs, so you really need a diagnosis so you know what you are treating because ear mites, mange and ear infections are all treated entirely differently and treating for one when it's another can be really painful, so see your veterinarian for a diagnosis so you can get them treated appropriately.
Date: Apr 29, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: 4
Topic: Guinea pigs
Question:I have 2 male guinea pigs (not neutered). I?ve been noticing they have been itchy, so I look in their fur to see whats going on. All I see are black and white specks, they come out easily when blown at or touched. Could it be just little crumbs of pellets or poop? They also are shedding quite a lot of fur as well.
Answer:I am solely a small animal (just dogs and cats) veterinarian so contact a veterinarian that specializes in exotics for help with your guinea pigs. You can often find them at your local veterinary school or on websites like Justanswer.com.
Date: Apr 28, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: 2
Topic: Licking paws
Question:My dog is constantly licking his feet. What do you suggest doing?
Answer:There are many things that cause this (allergies, mange, ringworm, etc) and most are treated differently so have your veterinarian run some quick tests and make a diagnosis. Since allergies are the most common, here is a link to our article about various treatments for allergies, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/allergy-treatment-dog-cat-9.htm
Date: Apr 28, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: 2
Topic: Mange
Question:What can use to stop the itching on my dog
Answer:There are many things that cause itching (allergies, mange, ringworm, etc) and most are treated differently so have your veterinarian run some quick tests and make a diagnosis. Since allergies are the most common, here is a link to our article about various treatments for allergies, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/allergy-treatment-dog-cat-9.htm
Date: Apr 28, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: 2
Topic: Mange
Question:I have a 7 year old Labrador and has recently developed mange, and he keeps scratching and sometimes bleeds. What should I do?
Answer:There are many things that cause itching (allergies, mange, ringworm, etc) and most are treated differently so have your veterinarian run some quick tests and make a diagnosis. Since allergies are the most common, here is a link to our article about various treatments for allergies, both over-the-counter and prescription: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/allergy-treatment-dog-cat-9.htm
Date: Apr 24, 2020
Category: Mange
Pet Type: 2
Topic: D Mange and inflamed paws
Question:Our dog had widespread D Mange. Treated with RIDD solution. Now, she has paws that are inflamed - pink bubbles between toes. She bites and it gets infected. Don't want to use almitraz. Any other solution as she suffers?
Answer:Oh yes, definitely. She is hopefully already on one of the new flea and tick medications that have activity against Demodex (like Nexgard or Bravecto), but then Ivermectin may be needed at some point as well - definitely contact your veterinarian before starting - certain breeds should not be given ivermectin.
