Treatments for demodetic mange

[Eman'smom]

Our puppy has mange

It was diagnosed a little over a month ago, we have been following the vets instructions she is eating Nurto max puppy food, getting a vitamin a day and we have been putting the goodwinol cream on it daily. The "old" patches are getting better however it's spreading. We just came back from the vet and she wants us to keep doing what we've been doing and hope that her immune system catches up and fights it off.

Anyway are there any other treatments, maybe slightly more natural that we can try.?

[JoAida]

I'm sorry.

My pup had a few small spots, and we just used the chemical they gave us and it went away. I lost a golden lab to it a couple years ago (she was a foster dog, and neither I nor our humane society had the funds to continue treatment past $500). I'm sure you will get some suggestions here, and I hope you are able to get it cleared up quickly!

[boricuaqueen327]

i dont have any suggestions, i've never dealt with mange. however, i know there are chemicals you can use to get rid of it. if you try lots of natural things and it doesnt work that may be one option...though i would prefer natural methods... i'm gonna do a search for you and see if i come up with links.

[boricuaqueen327]

This link gives basic ideas, not actual dosages and frequencies

here is the link

another link

Hope those help. There are lots of dog knowledgable people here, some vets even i think. hopefully they can give u more detailed advice. good luck!

[chersolly]

We tried every natural remedy under the sun, but in the end we had to go with the series of caustic mitaban dips.

[pickle it]

No offense to your vet, but Goodwinol ointment is an old standby tx for mange and there is actually nothing in it that kills mange (read the ingredients, it is basically moisturizer). If the lesions are spreading, you will probably have to resort to less natural, and more expensive, treatments to get rid of the mange.

[boricuaqueen327]

i think you should try to get a second opinion if the lesions are speading. good luck!

[shannon0218]

I agree with Pickle it, if you've been using that ointment for a month with no improvement it's time to get serious. The reason some think Goodwinol ointment works is that they use it first and the dog does get better on their own--but the dog very likely would have gotten better on their own anyway--sometimes dogs get demodex when they've had a recent stress (usually going to a new home) so when the stress settles, so does the mange.

There are safer alternatives to mitaban dips available now that work well (mitaban works but honestly I'd be really uneasy about using it if you have kids that are going to be touching the dog) You can use relatively high dose Ivermectin for a period of time and that will kill them off without anything on the outside to harm your children. I've used that treatment on a few of my dogs.

Also, if you got this dog from a breeder or shelter--they should know about the mites--they aren't likely at fault per se as most dogs have a certain number of them on their bodies and if their immune system is weak they take over.

I would also start your puppy on ester C and one product I really like for boosting immune system is Solid Gold Seameal.

[Eman'smom]

Thanks everyone, she is a "pound puppy" She is a yellow mix of lots of big things, 55+ pounds at about 8 months old.


I've been reading about "NEEM" oil and shampoo for mange, anyone know about that?

The old spots have all but gone but she's developed new ones.

Can I OD her on immune system stuff? She's already getting a vitamin, and flax seed oil if I add ester C and Solid Gold Seameal would that be too much? I've also started added some veggies to her diet.


Sigh, I just want this gone, she is such a sweety.

[shannon0218]

Hmmm, I didn't realize she wasn't a baby puppy. Honestly, I'd go directly to chemical treatments to kill off the mites and boost her immune system during and after--with a young pup you can often get away with just dealing with the immune system, but I'd guess these mites took over months ago.

[Eman'smom]

Chemicals like Mitoban? Where can I get something like that?

Oh and she's been on Ivermectin for heartworm for 2 months 136 mcg worth

[armonia]

I have had 2 dogs with demo. mange. I used a follicular flushing shampoo daily and it helped. I can't remember the name, though. Sorry. It wasn't harsh and it was inexpensive. I think it was $12 from a feed store.

Also, is the vet sure the new spots are mange? It could also be "hot spots". This is the time of year for hot spots to show up because they are usually caused by environmental allergies (like grass and flowers and pollen, etc). Hot spots can be treated more naturally. I was going to suggest trying to treat for "hot spots" in addition to a follicular flushing shampoo.

Did he do a scraping recently on the new areas? I was told that all (or most)dogs carry demo. mites and stress (or having puppies) will trigger the hair loss. Is she spayed? Hormones can cause it to flare up, too.

edited to add some links:

Here are some natural remedies and links to tons of info. (scroll to the bottom of page where links to demodectic mange treatments are):
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/skin.htm

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petallergies.htm

[Eman'smom]

She is 8 months old, and yes spayed. The vet didn't scrap the new spots. Our puppy/dog isn't bothered by any of the spots and the only one that looks bad is the one under her color.

off to read new links.

[armonia]

This treatment sounded kind of interesting:

click on homeopathic treatment for mange

http://www.caninecaregroup.net/dholi...t%20of%20Mange


I also read that it can look worse after treatment starts, and then gets better.
Maybe that is why your dog has new spots, she might be responding to treatment.

[shannon0218]

Hot spots and spots from demodex look VERY different. Worsening with treatment happens in the spots already there, the reason it gets worse is that the mites die and decompose--so new spots are not an aspect of the mites dying.

When you say she's been on Ivermectin for 2 weeks--do you mean in a daily dose?? Because for heartworm it's generally given once a month.

[armonia]

Originally Posted by shannon0218

Hot spots and spots from demodex look VERY different.

Yes, I know that hot spots look different than demodectic mange. But hot spots and demodectic mange are sometimes treated the same way using *natural* methods.

I am no expert, just offering what has worked for me in the past. I have seen a bacterial skin infection secondary to demodectic mange look similar to hot spots, so I thought treating for hot spots the natural way while using a follicular flushing shampoo might be mild and effective with less compromise to the immune system.

[shannon0218]

Originally Posted by armonia

Also, is the vet sure the new spots are mange? It could also be "hot spots". This is the time of year for hot spots to show up because they are usually caused by environmental allergies (like grass and flowers and pollen, etc). Hot spots can be treated more naturally. I was going to suggest trying to treat for "hot spots" in addition to a follicular flushing shampoo.

Did he do a scraping recently on the new areas? I was told that all (or most)dogs carry demo. mites and stress (or having puppies) will trigger the hair loss. Is she spayed? Hormones can cause it to flare up, too

My comment that they look different was in response to this statment--any vet that should be practicing should be able to tell the difference between a hotspot and a demodex lesion without a skin scraping--so my guess is that indeed the vet is sure--unless of course he's blind (which I do know a blind vet--but he gets bitten a lot :LOL)

[Eman'smom]

She's been on Ivermectin for 2 months, so 2 pills, one a month.

[shannon0218]

that's what I was thinking--for mange treatment the ivermectin is given daily. But, it's not as expensive as say giving a heartworm daily would be (actually nowhere near!)

[armonia]

OK...I understand and always respect your opinion Shannon.

I sometimes kind of throw ideas out there, kind of like if I was talking and brainstorming, and my thoughts do not follow a logical order at times.

OK...back on topic...I hope you find a treatment that works. I am off to meet a lady that wants to adopt a puppy I found this weekend. A flea-infested puppy (not now) whose mother looked covered w/ demodectic mange, so this topic was timely. I let the lady know what the mom looked like and she is ok with it and is familiar w/ treating. Yay!