We\u2019ve all heard the term \u201cmangy mutt.\u201d But do you know what mange actually is and how it can affect your dog? Mange is a general term for two specific skin diseases of dogs caused by mites. These mites cause hair loss, sometimes intense itching and secondary skin infections. Only two types affect dogs \u2014 demodectic mange and sarcoptic mange.<\/p>\n
\u2724 Demodectic mange<\/strong>, sometimes called \u201cred mange,\u201d is caused by the Demodex mite, a small, cigar-shaped parasite with eight legs that lives in the hair follicles. All dogs have a few of these mites living on their skin, as they are passed from mother to offspring (and are not contagious between dogs or infectious to humans). Most of the time, these commensal mites don\u2019t cause any trouble; however, in young puppies with immature immune systems, illness can occur. It is significantly worsened if the puppy is malnourished and\/or has other internal parasites such as roundworms or hookworms. Similarly, elderly dogs or dogs with compromised immune systems can develop mange.<\/p>\n Demodectic mange can be localized, causing focal spots of hair loss that are not itchy, or become generalized and severe, leading to complete hair loss, scabbing and secondary skin infections called pyoderma. This can be bacterial or fungal or both.<\/p>\n \u2724 Sarcoptic mange<\/strong> (called scabies), on the other hand, does spread rapidly between dogs and can also infect humans. Sarcoptes is a short, stubby mite with eight legs. It causes intense itching as the mite burrows into the skin. This leads to significant discomfort, scratching, skin trauma, hair loss and pyoderma (a bacterial skin infection).<\/p>\n Have your dog evaluated by your veterinarian if you notice any skin issues. Hair loss and scabbing are very common manifestations of many illnesses, including flea infestation, food allergies, atopy, and even liver disease or cancer. As a result, when having your dog checked by your veterinarian, expect a basic skin diagnostic workup initially including a skin scrape, cytology evaluation and discussion of your pet\u2019s history and possible exposure to parasites and allergens.<\/p>\n Diagnosis of mange mites is generally straightforward. If you have a new puppy with hair loss or a dog with intense itching and no obvious cause, your veterinarian will perform a skin scraping as part of a dermatology workup. This involves taking a dulled scalpel blade and gently scraping along the edges of a lesion. A little blood is expected, but this is not a painful or invasive procedure. The hair and skin on the blade are then transferred to a slide and examined under a microscope. Demodex mites are generally easy to find. Sarcoptes mites, as they tend to burrow deeply, can be more challenging.<\/p>\n There is an \u201cunofficial\u201d test for sarcoptic mange called the pinnal-pedal response. If you scratch behind a dog\u2019s ear, and they respond as if this is intensely itchy by thumping their back leg, it is considered consistent with scabies infection. Studies have actually been conducted to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of this maneuver and found it to be highly effective!<\/p>\n If your dog exhibits signs consistent with mange, and a skin scrape doesn\u2019t show mites, your veterinarian will likely treat anyway, as treatment is now safe and effective.<\/p>\n Until recently, treating involved aggressive, repeated \u201cdips\u201d using foul-smelling chemicals like lime sulfur. Dogs were bathed in this several times to kill the mites. The invention of modern-day parasiticides, particularly those in the isoxazoline class, have made this treatment mostly obsolete. These are oral and topical medications that prevent fleas and ticks and also treat mite infestations. They are safe, effective and readily available.<\/p>\n If your dog has generalized demodecosis leading to bacterial or fungal skin infections, then you will also need to treat those with topical and possibly oral antibiotics and antifungals, and soothing baths, as well as fatty acid supplementation.<\/p>\n As always, when in doubt, check in with your veterinarian!<\/p>\n The post Ways to Manage Mange<\/a> by Dr. Catherine Ashe<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post Ways to Manage Mange<\/a> by Dr. Catherine Ashe<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve all heard the term \u201cmangy mutt.\u201d But do you know what mange actually is and how it can affect your dog? Mange is a general term for two specific skin diseases of dogs caused by mites. These mites cause hair loss, sometimes intense itching and secondary skin infections. Only two types affect dogs \u2014 demodectic mange and sarcoptic mange.<\/p>\n \u2724 Demodectic mange<\/strong>, sometimes called \u201cred mange,\u201d is caused by the Demodex mite, a small, cigar-shaped parasite with eight legs that lives in the hair follicles. All dogs have a few of these mites living on their skin, as they are passed from mother to offspring (and are not contagious between dogs or infectious to humans). Most of the time, these commensal mites don\u2019t cause any trouble; however, in young puppies with immature immune systems, illness can occur. It is significantly worsened if the puppy is malnourished and\/or has other internal parasites such as roundworms or hookworms. Similarly, elderly dogs or dogs with compromised immune systems can develop mange.<\/p>\n Demodectic mange can be localized, causing focal spots of hair loss that are not itchy, or become generalized and severe, leading to complete hair loss, scabbing and secondary skin infections called pyoderma. This can be bacterial or fungal or both.<\/p>\n \u2724 Sarcoptic mange<\/strong> (called scabies), on the other hand, does spread rapidly between dogs and can also infect humans. Sarcoptes is a short, stubby mite with eight legs. It causes intense itching as the mite burrows into the skin. This leads to significant discomfort, scratching, skin trauma, hair loss and pyoderma (a bacterial skin infection).<\/p>\n Have your dog evaluated by your veterinarian if you notice any skin issues. Hair loss and scabbing are very common manifestations of many illnesses, including flea infestation, food allergies, atopy, and even liver disease or cancer. As a result, when having your dog checked by your veterinarian, expect a basic skin diagnostic workup initially including a skin scrape, cytology evaluation and discussion of your pet\u2019s history and possible exposure to parasites and allergens.<\/p>\n Diagnosis of mange mites is generally straightforward. If you have a new puppy with hair loss or a dog with intense itching and no obvious cause, your veterinarian will perform a skin scraping as part of a dermatology workup. This involves taking a dulled scalpel blade and gently scraping along the edges of a lesion. A little blood is expected, but this is not a painful or invasive procedure. The hair and skin on the blade are then transferred to a slide and examined under a microscope. Demodex mites are generally easy to find. Sarcoptes mites, as they tend to burrow deeply, can be more challenging.<\/p>\n There is an \u201cunofficial\u201d test for sarcoptic mange called the pinnal-pedal response. If you scratch behind a dog\u2019s ear, and they respond as if this is intensely itchy by thumping their back leg, it is considered consistent with scabies infection. Studies have actually been conducted to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of this maneuver and found it to be highly effective!<\/p>\n If your dog exhibits signs consistent with mange, and a skin scrape doesn\u2019t show mites, your veterinarian will likely treat anyway, as treatment is now safe and effective.<\/p>\n Until recently, treating involved aggressive, repeated \u201cdips\u201d using foul-smelling chemicals like lime sulfur. Dogs were bathed in this several times to kill the mites. The invention of modern-day parasiticides, particularly those in the isoxazoline class, have made this treatment mostly obsolete. These are oral and topical medications that prevent fleas and ticks and also treat mite infestations. They are safe, effective and readily available.<\/p>\n If your dog has generalized demodecosis leading to bacterial or fungal skin infections, then you will also need to treat those with topical and possibly oral antibiotics and antifungals, and soothing baths, as well as fatty acid supplementation.<\/p>\n As always, when in doubt, check in with your veterinarian!<\/p>\n The post Ways to Manage Mange<\/a> by Dr. Catherine Ashe<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nGet it checked<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s36700.pcdn.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Bulldog_Mange_getty490777202-386x600.png\")
New-and-improved treatments<\/h3>\n
Signs & Symptoms<\/h3>\n
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Get it checked<\/h3>\n
New-and-improved treatments<\/h3>\n
Signs & Symptoms<\/h3>\n
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