Dog In Durham Treated for Mange

Our fourteen-year-old Rottweiler mix, Jethro, had an especially hard time this winter. Besides the weather which was hard on him, he contracted Sarcoptic Mange (scabies). For weeks we had no idea what was causing his skin irritation, we tried several over the counter products that seemed to give him relief from the constant itching, but none of them cured him. Because we initially believed he was having a skin allergy flare up due to introducing him to new doggie treats, we were treating him accordingly.

After some research we found the top three reasons for itchy skin in dogs; food allergies, flea and tick bites and mange. We immediately stopped giving Jethro the treats and continued using several over the counter treatments. We also began giving Jethro a new dose of flea and tick treatment in hopes that he would feel better and his skin irritation would clear up. We never thought he might have mange, as this had never been an issue in the past.

During the treatments, we found the corpse of a coyote or fox (it was so decomposed it was hard to identify) in one of our sheds. It was hairless, and badly decomposed by the time the snow was low enough for us to get to the shed and discover the corpse. After finding it, we were worried Jethro had a more serious problem than mere food induced skin allergies. We took Jethro to Pieper-Olson Veterinary Hospital in Middletown, where Dr. Mark Albin examined him.

In order to properly diagnose mange a skin scraping is needed. Dr. Albin scrapped Jethro’s irritated skin in several different locations and used a microscope to find that Jethro did indeed have Sarcoptic Mange. After talking with Dr. Albin and telling him about the fox/coyote corpse we found on our property he concluded that the sickly animal had bedded down in Jethro’s dog house during the harsh winter and that the mange mites had contaminated the straw bedding of the doghouse. When Jethro used his dog house the mites spread to him.

Sarcoptic Mange is a mite infection. Mites are closely related to spiders and the microscopic mites burrow into the skin to lay their eggs. The mite larvae spread across the skin of the animal as they grow into adulthood and burrow into the skin laying their own eggs. This causes a massive allergic reaction to the host’s (in this case my dog Jethro) skin. The animal is tortured by constant extremely itchy skin causing them to scratch and bite themselves until they begin to lose their fur.

According to doctors, scarcoptic mange can temporarily affect humans - the symptoms are a similar form of itchiness - but the mites are unable to survive on humans, and quickly die. Jethro spends most of his time outdoors, so thankfully no one in our family was infected.

As for treatments, there are three main options for treating this type of mange; Ivermectin (4 injections, one given every 2 weeks), Selamectin (monthly dosing which can be expensive in large dogs), and finally Moxidectin. Jethro has now had his second dose of Ivermectin and is feeling much better as his constant scratching is subsiding and his hair is finally growing back.

If you suspect your pet has come in contact with an animal carrying mange, see your vet immediately and remove any contaminated bedding. A dog house should be cleaned with a mixture of water and bleach to kill the mites. Throw out indoor dog beds and buy new while thoroughly cleaning all household surfaces your pet has had contact with. Mange cannot be treated at home or with over the counter products, so an examination by a veterinary doctor is needed to properly diagnose and treat your pet.