Mange
When most
people think about Mange they probably think about the
condition where the dog's hair is falling out in patches. What
most people do not realize is that there are two different types
of Mange. One is called Demodectic Mange and the other is called
Sarcoptic mange.
Demodectic mange
Canine
Demodectic mange, which is also known as Demodex mange, is the
type of mange where the parasites live on the hair follicles of
your dog. The parasites for Demodex mange are cigar shaped mites
with eight legs. One of the symptoms of Demodex mange is that the
dogs looses patches of their hair. There are two different types
of Demodectic mange, Localized Demodectic mange and Generalized
Demodectic mange.
Localized
Demodectic mange is a condition where there are only a few bald
spots. Generalized Demodectic Mange on the other had is an
elevated condition where there are a great number of bald spots on
the dog. Generalized Demodectic Mange can also lead into
infections on the dog.
Sarcoptic mange
Sarcoptic
mange, also called Scabies, is a condition where the mites burrows
deep into the dogs skin. The symptoms of scabies are scaly, very
itchy skin which is most noticeable in the face, ears, abdomen and
elbows. Unlike Demodectic mange the parasites in sarcoptic mange
have a more rounded shape. Scabies is very contiguous and is not
only isolated to dogs
Treatment for Mange
Demodectic and Sarcoptic mange are treated a little differently.
Both forms of mange are diagnosed by scraping the dogs skin and
analyzing the tissue under a microscope. Demodectic mange is
usually treated with a series of dippings. Dogs infected with
Demodectic mange are dipped over a period of a few weeks until the
problem is gone. The vet will usually do a skin scraping to
verify the problem has been resolved. It is important to work
with your vet so that you can insure that your dog's health is
restored.
Sarcoptic
mange is usually treated by giving injections of a drug called
Ivermectin. The Ivermectin injections are given once a week over
the next several weeks. If your pet has a negative reaction to
the medication then a special dip is used to treat the problem.
There are also oral medications that can be given to your dog to
treat the problem. Again, treatment for Sarcoptic mange like
Demodectic mange should also be handled by your vet.
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Mange
