Puppy Has Demodectic Mange

Your pup will be just fine - no need to freak out. Demodectic mange is quite common and it is NOT contagious. All dogs have these skin mites and normally their immune system keeps them in check - but sometimes a puppy's immune system is immature or not quite strong enough and the mites become more numerous, resulting in areas of hair loss. If it is mild and localized to 1 or 2 small areas, sometimes treatment isn't even needed and it will resolve on it's own. Sometimes we may prescribe a topical cream that you can use. But sometimes they are not improving or the infection is more generalized and wide-spread and then oral ivermectin is the treatment of choice. Slowly increasing the dose daily, then continuing for a month or 2 is the standard recommended schedule. Demodectic mange (also called demodicosis) is diagnosed by your vet doing skin scrapes of affected areas and finding the mites under a microscope. If a dog is positive and treated with ivermectin, they should be treated until they get negative skin scrapes, and then for 1 month afterwords. Again, it is NOT contagious to other dogs or to people. Some collies and other herding breeds can be sensitive to ivermectin, but it seems to be in certain families and lines, not every individual dog. And it's normal to slowly up the dose of medication daily for the first 5 days so it's less likely to cause stomach upset.

BTW, I am a small animal veterinarian who has treated many cases of demodicosis without complications - and I can assure you, there is no reason to freak out. ;)

I did a little reading after seeing your post...
What I found seems to say that your vets prescribed treatment is applicable to dogs with generalized demodectic mange. In other words, they don't just have it in a spot or two (like you seem to indicate is the case with your puppy-- just in his ear), but more than 5 spots of it. Does your puppy have more than 5 spots of this in his ear?

If not, then what seems to be the recommended treatment, is to first apply a topical treatment:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2109&aid=729
"A treatment that has been successful for years has been a 1% rotenone ointment (Goodwinol ointment), or more recently, a 5% benzoyl peroxide gel applied daily. Bathing periodically with a benzoyl peroxide shampoo and feeding a high quality diet and a multivitamin with a fatty acid may also help some dogs. Most of these localized lesions will heal on their own and do not require overly aggressive treatment, though they may worsen before they improve."

If that is not successful, then come the dips. And if the dip treatment is unsuccessful, then they go to the off-label use of the Ivermectin or Milbemycin oxime (high doses of Heartguard or Interceptor). From what I read, these are sort of the last shot type of treatments, and not all vets use them, and they are not licensed for this use (but there are a lot of meds that are used "off label" effectively-- even for humans), but sometimes there are good results with them.

I would ask your vet about trying the rotenone ointment or benzoyl peroxide gel treatment before going straight to the Ivermectin. Maybe he has a reason for doing so that you aren't aware of.

I don't know if your vet explained demodectic mites/mange to you, but it sounds like they are microscopic parasites that all dogs have. They live in hair follicles. Most dogs' immune systems are able to keep the 'populations' of them in check.. but sometimes dogs are more sensitive to them or the immune system is not able causing the spots (either localized or generalized). It is not the presence of the mites that results in a diagnosis of mange, but the lesions. Mites with no lesions does NOT equal mange. It is most common in puppies over 4 months old, but if an older dog (years old) get its, it can be a clue that there is an underlying problem with the dogs immune system.

They cannot live off of their host. So no need to disinfect bedding or anything else. They cannot survive at all without being ON the pet. And the type that can be hosted by a human is a different species of mites.
I hope this helps...

Well I never had a dog that had demodectic mange but I've treated several in the past when I was a vet tech. Unfortunately the treatment you mentioned is the common protocol for mange. Didn't know if the vet explained to you that the mange is a common parasite that lives on all dogs. It's just when the immune system is not working properly that they multiply and cause lesions on the skin. So the immune system that is your problem and not really the mange. Puppy's have this problem because the immune system is sometimes not fully developed to the point that it can keep the numbers down and suffer lesions sometimes covering most of the body. Since it's localized I would suspect the puppy would outgrow the problem though sometimes it can be an ongoing problem for the dogs life if the problem lies deeper than just being an under developed immune system. Some puppies can "outgrow" the mange without any treatment and it never return but if the lesion is significant then it's wise to treat. Sadly while "poisoning" the parasite the dog is some what poisoned also. It is a very harsh treatment and used to be a pricey one as well. I sure wish I knew of a different treatment that wasn't so invasive but I don't. I know many will tell you to treat with stuff like old motor oil and such but if it worked I would have heard about it ;)
The only advice that I would give you is that you feed you dog very good food and ask about a good vitamin supplement to help your dog fight this as best he can.
Hope he grows up to be a healthy adult dog ")
Best Regards,
C.

Find another vet. One does not treat a "strange" case with something like that.
best, k

Hey L....sorry your pup has this!! We recently rescued a yellow lab mix "country pup" for Christmas last year and she had mange all over her body. Looking at pics of her then compared to now is like night and day. :)

As for your pup, Ivermectin is pretty standard to treat any kind of parasitic infection in dogs. As one poster said, the problem isn't necessarily the mites, it is the animal's immune system. This was the case with Bella, our latest rescue. She was a country stray, about 3 mos. when she was picked up. She was kept at the shelter until a local rescue group (I use the term loosely since it's two big-hearted ladies doing it all on their own!) adopted her out and she found us. During our first visit, the vet made note that she had hookworms (I think...can't remember exactly), was a little lean, her hair was coarse and brittle, skin was dry and of course the mange was present. The vet said all of this was from poor nutrition and living conditions. She prescribed Ivermectin, although I think we had a powder form to sprinkle on her food and it was only for 5 days.

Sure enough, within about 3 months, she had grown and gained 12 pounds!! Her coat was coming in and was beginning to shine and her mange and skin irritations were disappearing. Today, not even one year after we adopted her, she is a full bodied blonde ;), worm and mite free, 69 lbs, spunky and healthy!

Don't worry about the Ivermectin; it's pretty par for the course. Keep a close eye on your pup and of course, don't be afraid to ask the vet questions if you have any concerns or apprehensions! :)

My chihuahua had it as a puppy but she looked awful. She had no hair and people would actually ask me what kind of animal is that? We gave her ivermec(sp?) and it cleared it right up. It is strong stuff, you have to make sure the dosing is right, don't get it on your skin and wash your hands afterwards anyways, but our dog never reacted any different than her happy self after taking it. We always gave her some peanut butter after wards to get the taste out of her mouth. It has not been a recurring problem and she is 8 yrs old now she looks great. Well she is too fat but has great skin and hair. We feed our three Iams.

Search out a group or groups on the net that are also dealing with their pets and this affliction, they would be the most knowledgeable having had experience I would say. My dog is recently a diabetic and I immediately joined a group for the same and have learned a wealth of do's and don'ts and products, how/when/where to give the shots and foods to feed...you name it they have info on all aspects, even those you don't knw to ask about yet!!
Good luck, I have read through rhe years of peoples pets with this and it apparently is cureable!
D.

I know exactly where you are coming from. We adopted a rescued puppy about 8 years ago. He was dropped off at the pound and their best estimate was that he was only 6 weeks old. We got him from a rescue group. We thought he was generally healthy but ended up with demodex. At the time, the only meds. available were the Ivermectin. That didn't work for us, as our pup had hair loss all over his face and tail. The dips came back on the market and we did these ourselves. I'll be honest, it was very nasty. We did it because it was a little cheaper as the medicine was quite expensive. Also, our pup didn't care for the vet since he had to go so many times.
In the end, the dips worked. He still has not grown back all his hair and never will. He apparently has a poor immune system as a result of being taken from his mom too early. We have given him many things from the health food store to try to help him. We also feed him Wellness food. Overall, he is healthy and the demodex never came back. He will be 8 this December and is the BEST dog!
I did not like giving him the dips but we ran out of options and it was getting worse. I hated to see him like that.
I do remember that there was something I read about tea tree oil and lavender oil as treatments. I don't remember the exact treatment - I googled natural treatments - however, it didn't work for us since his case was severe. If your pup only has localized spots this may work. Sorry I can't give more information - it was about 7 years ago.
You did receive some very good information from other posts - disregard those who don't know what they are talking about. The treatments you mentioned have been options for years. Vets don't like them anymore than we do, but what choice do you have when nothing else works ? Our pets are our babies - mine thinks he is my oldest child :>) And he is!
I would just ask lots of questions and read info about it. Hopefully you will get it under control and not have to worry about it coming back! Good Luck to you!

I have worked with several demodectic mange dogs and both of these treatments are normal. Demodex is very common, it is on all dogs skins, but sometimes they get an overgrowth that causes the reaction and scratching. I think the dips are used less now. I have also seen a topical used if it very localized. The oral meds are much easier on everyone. The dip involves a regular bath and then dip that has to air dry for the most part. Not all collies cannot tolerate ivermectin and if you are worried there is a gene they can test for to see if the dog can tolerate it. At least I am pretty sure there is a test now, you can check with your vet. Ivermectin is the same drug that is in some heartworm preventions, you are just giving it at a higher dose. Your vet is probably just telling you all of the potential side effects so you are aware and know what to watch for. It is better to know what to watch for and know what to do ahead of time. All of the dogs I have seen with Ivermectin treatment have been fine and I have only seen one vomit after a dip and the dog was fine, but we did switch it from dips to ivermectin after that. you are more comfortable you can always wait until Monday to start probably, that way the vet is only a phone call away if you have any concerns, but I'm guessing tomorrow you are home all day to watch and Monday you may not be. Good luck as you start treatment and hope all goes well for you.

Have you tried getting a second opinion ? I would also suggest looking for a holistic vet.

My Sam came from the pound, he was extremely "moth eaten" looking. I took him to my vet (who is awsome, I have known her for over 12 years) and Sam had Scarcoptic mange (not sure of the spelling) His hair had fallen out all over, I remember the vet telling me to be very careful when applying the RX, we had to dip him a bunch too. I cannot remember how many times now, but he was a different dog by the time he was well. Sam didn't have it "in" his ears though. Ear mites - yes! I say treat him now and try and stop it spreading, he may not need to be dipped because of the location.
Good luck
M. F

Our dog has had demodetic mange since she was a puppy too. She is currently 12 years old and going strong. Is your dog fairly large because 1 ML is a high dose, which is used on dogs over 75 pounds. Ivermectin is the best solution. We had done the Mitaban dips first before the Ivermectin and the poor little dog would come home all red and irritated and she managed to get fleas at the vet to boot. Give the Ivermectin a chance, it shouldn't have any side effects. Our dog is a Husky Shepherd mix and has been on and off Ivermectin her whole life. Good luck!