Mange

[halter91]

I can't belive it, my pooch has Mange, now he really is a Mangy mutt. The Vet tells me 100 dollars per dip and I'm going to have to get him dipped at least twice. Does that seem high?? Skin scrapes are 35 bucks too. Just want to make sure my vet is not taking me for a ride. My poor Max, He seems a lot more quiter lately too. I actually lays on me and falls asleep. We start obedience classes on Monday. Wish us luck!!

[lv4dogs]

I'm not sure about the costs of dips as I have never had my dogs dipped & my vets never have either. They use other products, like revolution, pills, shampoos & other skin salvants. It is very contagious if it is the sarcoptic mange so I would speak with your obedience instructor & notify him/her that your dog has mange, they may want you to wait a week to begin. Sarcoptic mange in dogs is the same as scabbies in humans so make sure you wash your hands well after handling him. $35.00 for an exam & skin scrape is a fair price. Good luck in class & with the healing!

[lute]

poor doggie. hope it all goes well. i called my vet and she said they charge $125 for a dipping.

[ramanth]

When my vet suspected Kia of Mange, she gave her a series of two shots of Ivermectin. My vet does not do dips because they can be very toxic. The shot is much safer.

I didn't pay $100 for the shot. I paid roughly 20 dollars per shot. After two injections a week apart, Kia was still itching and it was determined she had allergies.

Sarcoptic Mange is VERY contagious and I don't think your obedience instructor will want your dog around others until he's all better.

[halter91]

dip or shot, dip or shot??? ahhhh!! And it's demodetic Mange. The Vet said it's not contaigous.

[halter91]

I was told by my Vet that Ivermectin is not FDA approved, and both methods can be toxic. So i guess I'll go with the dip. What must life be so complicated?????

[oodlesofpoodles]

At the Clinic I work at we charge $23.for the bath and amitraz dip used in treating demodectic mange and if we do the ivermec injection it is $23.50. This type of mange can be control. but if the dog gets stressed it can come back. there is no cure for it. It is best to have a dog with this spayed or neutered. I live in the south maybe things are cheaper here. and it is not contaigous

[lv4dogs]

Poor doggie, some cases of demodectic mange can become quite severe and it is re-occuring. Demodectic mange can also be controlled by giving daily doses of interceptor! This can be very expensive if it a large dog, but a small dog it is fairly cheap. Your vet may even give you a little break since you will be buying it in a larger quanity. Since it is demodectic mange it will most likely re-occur throughout the dogs life & all those dips will be very expensive and more toxic since the dog will probably need more, so maybe looking into the shotsmight be safer for your dog. Also stress & poor diet can cause dem. mange to flare up so try your best to reduce the amount of stress & feed a good diet. Good luck!

[jaquetta]

I have had a lot of experience with demodectic mange. It can be done cheaper if your vet will allow you to do it yourself as mine did. It comes in a dip, you use just like you would a flea dip, by mixing it with water. What I used was mitaban, and it is very potent. You need to use disposable gloves and containers which can be disposed of, if you do it yourself. As mentioned above it can reaccur, though in my dogs I have never yet had it to. Where I am the mitaban was about $25 and was good for two dips. I also know from early experience, some vets will really try to get to you on this deal, trying to tell you the dip has to be done by a vet, but it doesn't, least not here. They will advise that it be though.

This is just from my own experience and my opinion. But my dogs got over it just fine from the mitaban and it cost me about $50 dollars total to do it.

However I do agree that a dog which has had demodectic mange should not be bred, as it is hereditary.

[lv4dogs]

Here is some more info in it. Hope this helps!

A common skin disease of dogs, demodectic mange (canine demodecosis) is caused by the mite Demodex canis. This mite is found as a normal resident in the hair follicles of all dogs. Mites are naturally transmitted from nursing mothers to their puppies within the first few days of life. Signs of disease appear only when mites reproduce unchecked and occur in unnaturally high numbers .
In mild cases, signs of demodectic mange include itching and scratching, reddened or scaly skin, blackheads, and patchy hair loss. More severe cases are accompanied by widespread hair loss, pustules (pimples), and a crusty appearance of affected areas. The head and feet are most commonly involved.

The exact reasons that dogs develop mange are not fully understood, but genetics and immune suppression both play a role. A tendency to develop demodicosis runs in some families, with the same parents consistently producing affected puppies. While all breeds are susceptible, some are at increased risk. Some of the breeds in which demodecosis can be particularly common or severe are Old English Sheepdogs, Dobermans, Boxers, Shar-Peis, Shih-Tzus, and Lhasa Apsos. Immune suppression due to underlying diseases (such as Cushings’s disease and hypothyroidism), or drugs (like steroids and chemotherapy drugs) may increase the risk of a dog developing mange as well.

Mange is diagnosed based on signs and history combined with deep skin scrapings. When viewed under a microscope, these scrapings reveal mites recovered from the hair follicles.

Demodecosis is often described by its age of onset and its distribution on the body. Dogs under 1 ½ years of age suffer from juvenile-onset mange. This form is often hereditary. Nearly half of all dogs with juvenile-onset demodecosis will heal by themselves. The other half, however, may experience secondary bacterial infections or other complicating factors that will require medical treatment. Demodectic mange in dogs over 2 years of age is classified as adult-onset, and usually occurs secondary to an underlying cause. Successful treatment of adult-onset mange relies upon identifying and correcting the underlying cause.

Distribution patterns of mange are described as focal or generalized. Focal mange affects a single area of the body. Generalized disease involves either the entire face or two or more feet. These classifications help veterinarians develop a prognosis for the treatment of mange.

Treatment consists of insecticidal dips and antibiotics to treat secondary infections; additional treatment of underlying medical conditions may also be necessary. The course of treatment lasts for several months in many cases and can be quite frustrating to both pet owners and veterinarians. In addition to treatment for mange, dogs that develop the generalized form of demodecosis should be surgically neutered to ensure that they do not breed, producing more susceptible dogs.

Prognosis for successful treatment is best in young dogs with localized disease. Older dogs, and those with generalized or complicated mange are more difficult to treat.