Is your dog licking and scratching incessantly? Are they starting to lose their fur? If so, they might have mange. While a number of conditions could be responsible for your dog's itching, it's important to arm yourself with the facts about dog mange. Mange is a condition that, while usually treatable, is sometimes contagious and has the potential to be serious. Keep reading to learn about mange in dogs and how you can help your itchy dog.
What Is Mange?
Generally speaking, mange is a skin condition caused by an infestation of mites. These are tiny parasitic arachnids that are closely related to ticks. There are three major types of mange that affect dogs: demodectic mange, which is not contagious, and sarcoptic mange and cheyletiella, which are both contagious to dogs as well as humans.
Demodectic mange
This type of mange is caused by infestations of Demodex mites, which live in your dog's skin and hair follicles.
Demodex mites can be found in small numbers in dogs and humans, but are usually kept in check by the immune system. Demodectic mange develops when the immune system can’t stop the mites from reproducing, at which point the growing number of mites starts to cause hair loss and itching.
This can happen in dogs with a weakened immune system, such as those with some cancers and infections, or simply because the dog is young and their immune system is still developing. There are some breeds of dog, such as Staffordshire and English bull terriers, that are genetically predisposed to demodex, possibly because their genetic makeup has caused a weakened immune system.
With all this in mind you can see why demodex tends to affect dogs that are sick, geriatric dogs, young puppies and certain breeds.
Although demodectic mange is not normally contagious, mothers can pass it to their puppies due to the very close contact they have. While any puppy can catch demodex in this way, the puppies of predisposed breeds tend to be the ones that succumb to mange.
Demodex is usually quite easily treated, but this will also depend on whether any underlying medical problem can also be resolved.
Sarcoptic mange
This type of mange is caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite — the same mite that causes scabies in humans. These mites burrow under the skin, causing extreme itching. Hair loss from this type of mange is usually the result of a dog's incessant scratching and chewing, rather than the mange itself.
While sarcoptic mange is treatable, it's highly contagious and transmissible to humans and other pets. If your dog is diagnosed with this kind of mange, keep a close eye on yourself and the family. Look for patches of itchy skin and let your doctor know that your dog has sarcoptic mange.
Cheyletiella mites
An infestation with this mite is often called ‘walking dandruff’ because that’s exactly what it looks like! These mites rarely cause itching in the early stages but if the infestation goes unchecked you could see redness, itching and hair loss. If you notice itchy skin on yourself, again, notify your doctor of your dog’s diagnosis.
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Signs and Symptoms of Mange in Dogs
Signs that your dog could be suffering from mange include:
- Redness, rash, and itching
- Hair loss
- Sores and lesions
- Scabby, crusty or scaly skin
While all types of mange can cause itching and hair loss, they do tend to affect slightly different areas. Cheyletiella tends to look like dandruff, usually along the back. Demodex tends to cause hair loss first on the head and legs, while Sarcoptes love armpits (axillae) and ear flaps (pinnae). Although it’s not set in stone, these differences may give your vet some good clues as to where to start looking.
Diagnosing Dog Mange
Your veterinarian may perform a number of tests, usually starting with skin scrapes and hair plucks. Other tests may include blood and urine tests to rule out alternative causes of your dog's itching and hair loss, such as allergies or metabolic disorders.
Treating Dog Mange
Treatments for mange vary depending on the type.
Treating Sarcoptic Mange
In times gone by, treating all mange was difficult and involved repeated, strong chemical washes that were no fun for anyone. Luckily, these days there are various spot-ons and oral medications that quickly and effectively cure most Sarcoptes infestations.
Treating Demodectic Mange
A localised Demodex infestation, where there are just one or two patches, usually gets better on its own and doesn’t need treatment. However, if your dog has a weakened immune system, they may develop generalised demodicosis, which can be much harder to clear up. Your vet may also want to do various tests to try to find out why your dog may have succumbed. Again, modern treatments are more simple than before, but your vet may want to do a combination of treatments for severe infestations.
Treating Cheyletiella
These mites usually respond well to medicated shampoos. You may need to repeat the washes a few times to kill newly hatching mites. There are also several sprays and spot-on treatments that treat ‘walking dandruff’.
Your vet will be able to guide you to the most effective and appropriate treatment for your dog, depending on what sort of mite they have.
Don’t worry…
The word mange often conjures up images of dirty, neglected animals. Just like children getting head lice, dogs picking up parasites is just a fact of life. It’s not a reflection on you as an owner.
If you notice your dog itching, gnawing and losing fur, book in a vet visit as soon as you can. As with everything, the earlier you catch it, the more likely it is that you can nip it in the bud. Sometimes mange can be a pointer that something deeper is going on and those little creatures may just give you and your vet the chance to catch a much bigger issue before it causes more problems. Always look on the bright side of life – even mange can be a positive!
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