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He has a small bald patch just under his bottom lip on his chin, and on the same side of his face, where each whisker comes out of his face, it's bald also. He never itches it, so I know it does not bug him. I think it bugs me more than it does him!!!
I read up on it and it says it should clear itself up.
Has anyone had a dog have this?
Sierra had Sarcopic Mange when we adopted her
(ugh... the hubby and I got it also :o )
It could be that, or sarcoptic, or something else entirely. A simple, inexpensive skin scraping will tell.
Oh if it is demodectic mange it may clear utself up or it may not. It may take months before it gets better. And it will most likely return at least once a year or so.
Every dog has those mites living in their skin (as a matter of fact they in every or most humans eyebrows too). Just some dogs have a reaction to them. Which in turn makes them bald.
Some say it is hereditary, some don't believe that is true. I believe it is semi-hereditary.
Not too much can be done to prevent it.
There is documentation that interceptor, if given EVERY DAY can help control it.
Because of the costs of interceptor, most people only opt for that route if it is a small dog or if it gets severe.
good luck
As Iv4dogs suggests you should consult with your Vet. If it's Demodex then scraping may be able to find the mites. You might also be dealing with a localized fungal or bacterial infection. Another possibility is an allergy with a follow up bacterial infection of the skin.
If it's Demodex then you will need to determine if there is any underlying cause. In puppies the underlying cause is either an immature immune system, or one which has a T-cell defect. In older dogs the appearance of Demodex mange without any history of prior Demodex problems, suggests an impaired immune system, and the cause could be metabolic or even cancer. In your case you may not have the complete history of your puppy dog.
In puppies with an immature immune system Demodex can be readily treated with oral ivermectin for 3-6 weeks. Weekly baths with oatmeal shampoo helps gets off any dry skin and relieves itching. Supplementing the diet with Vitamin-E (dry form), and fish oil helps the skin recover from the mites.
In puppies with a T-cell defect it's more difficult to get rid of the disease initially, and it may readily occur one or more times later in life. In severe cases some puppies with the genetic defect are unable to recover from Demodex, but this is rare.
As said before check with a vet.
I belive that Demodectic mange (aka red mange) is treated by Ivomectin.
Ivomec is the active ingredient in heartworm preventive.