is there a way to cure mange?

Question

i live in the country. someone dropped off a pregnant dog that has mange. she had her puppies yesturday. there is no animal rescue out here or shelter. is there anything i can do for her without taking her to the vet?

Answer 1

Take her to the vet! She needs to be diagnosed to make sure that's what it is, and she AND the pups will need to be treated. The vet will have the only effective, safe method for treating the pups. If you use an OTC product or home remedy, it can kill mom and/or pups!! If it is mange, you will need to be VERY careful...it can be passed to humans. If that's not acceptable, find the nearest animal shelter or rescue, or call the police to pick her up (they'll have somewhere to take her). Every state has somewhere to take unwanted animals. It may mean a long drive, but it sounds like you won't be able to care for her anyway. Plus, any dog found (even if you think the owner left her at your house) needs to be reported to the police or a shelter or have an ad placed in the paper. If she is actually missing and you keep her you are breaking the law. The best thing for everyone here is simply to call the police or take her to a shelter.

Answer 2

You really should get her to the vet to determine what KIND of mange of it is (or that it's mange at all). There are several kinds of mange. The most common are Sarcoptic and Demodectic. Sarcoptic mange is contagious to other dogs and humans; Demodectic mange is not. The dog may also have a severe reaction to flea bites, which is causing its mangy appearance. (We have a dog in that condition in our shelter right now.)

If you are unable to get the dog to a vet immediately, you can give the dog a good bath, and treat it with Goodwinol Ointment (which is an icky, thick ointment made of a low-grade pesticide), MITACTIN, or try some of the homeopathic mange treatments.

But you need to know what you're fighting first, and only your veterinarian can tell you specifically what you're dog has.

Answer 3

At your local Farm & Fleet or TSC, or some other farm supply or pet place you can buy an over the counter shampoo that works great. It's been a long time since I've used it, but I think you leave it on for awhile. Make sure to read the instructions because it's pretty potent. She may not be able to use it if she's nursing. I've also heard that kerosene gets rid of it, but I wouldn't receommend it. The shampoo is fairly inexpensive. It's great that you're taking care of her. Good luck.

Answer 4

Not only does the dog need to go to the vet, but the puppies need to go as well. They will get it from the mother and then you will have a very large problem on your hands.

Answer 5

Demodectic mange is a condition seen in both dogs and cats caused by different species of Demodex mites. It is interesting to note that Demodex mites are present on the skin of all normal animals, including people, and usually exist in small numbers within the hair follicles. Demodectic mange is therefore considered non-contagious since all animals already have these mites. Apparently, animals are not born with the mites but acquire them from their mothers in the first few days of life, during the nursing process.

If Demodex mites are present on all normal animals, why do some animals develop mange and most do not? Animals with mange may have an inherited or acquired immune defect that fails to keep the mite numbers in check. The result is a demodectic mite population explosion which not only crowds the hairs within hair follicles and results in bacterial infections, but the mites produce other substances that then further compromise the immune system. It is important to remember that these mites are normal residents on the skin (albeit in small numbers) and reflect an underlying important defect of the immune system. The proliferation of mites is therefore an effect, rather than a cause, of the condition. In young animals, which are most commonly affected with mange, the condition likely reflects an inherited incompetence of the immune system.

Not all young animals afflicted with mange are destined to be immunologically handicapped for life. A large percentage tend to self-cure when they reach immunologic maturity which may range from 8 months to 3 years of age, depending on the breed. It is estimated that 90% of pups affected will improve naturally if given supportive care. The 10% which are considered to have generalized mange should be considered to be immunologically crippled but can be made symptomatically better by using treatments to kill the mite population, and thereby lessening the incidence of bacterial infections.

This is where the cost to keep an infected dog may be entirely too much if you take the dog to a Veterinarian. A Vet will use a multitude of expensive treatments which usually include cleansing shampoos, antibiotic therapy, topical insecticides (Mitaban (Rx) or its active ingredient Amitraz), and immune stimulants. The cost for the Veterinarian treatments along with the cost of the office visits will add up to hundreds of dollars per year. Once again, I want to remind everyone that I am not a Veterinarian, but rather a long time Beagle kennel owner. I'll tell you what I have used and done in the past, you can use your own judgment whether you want to follow in my footsteps. This article is presented only as a documentation of how I have treated Demodectic Mange in some Beagles that I have owned at a fraction of the cost that a Veterinarian will charge for the expensive medications, therapies, insecticides, and shampoos.

Patchy hair loss in a dog can be caused by several things, but the two most common causes are ringworms and demodectic mange. The diagnosis of mange is usually not difficult if the skin is firmly squeezed (to express the mites from the follicles), then scraped with a scalpel blade, and the collected material examined with a microscope. The adult mites are often described as resembling cigars or alligators and the eggs are more tear drop-shaped. If scrapings are not done, the mites are easily seen on biopsy specimens within the hair follicle. If you decide to use a treatment (such as the one I will describe) to kill the mites specifically, you should do so with the assumption that you are dealing with an immunologically handicapped animal. This warrants spaying or neutering of the pet and making sure it does not contribute to future generations of immunologically-disabled pets. If it is determined that your pet has ringworms, please check out my article on Canine Ringworms and Inexpensive Treatment. Also, the medication given for heartworm prevention has a second benefit in keeping your Beagle free of Demodex mites.

The easiest and most inexpensive treatment to kill the mites on dogs that are kept outdoors, and heal minor bacterial infections is a two part treatment. First, bathe the mange infected dog with an inexpensive dog shampoo or dishwashing liquid detergent while using a firm, bristle brush to scrub off any scabs or scaly skin. Second, dip a rag in used automobile motor oil and generously apply the oil to the infected area along with the surrounding hair. DO NOT get the oil in the dogs ears or eyes. This treatment will kill the mites that are causing the hair loss/bacterial skin infections, is safe to use on your dog, and the used motor oil acts as a moisturizer to help stop itching. This treatment will work in 98% of all mange infected animals, especially those without any major bacterial skin infections.

A second treatment, recommended by a Beagler friend of mine, that works extremely well is a dip called Mitoban and it only costs about $10-12 per bottle. It is very good and it works better than Paramite dip which is very good especially for fleas and ticks, and may work well on sarcoptic mange, but not demodectic mange. Simply dip your Beagle once every 10 days for three treatments. You should also use a good dandruff shampoo between dips if loose scaly skin is a problem. Cortisone cream is great for severe itching, and any of many topical antibiotic ointments are great for preventing or treating secondary bacterial infections.

A third treatment that works very well and is also fairly inexpensive is the use of Ivomec for cattle. This is the same medication talked about in the article called Canine Heartworms and Inexpensive Prevention. If you are going to buy the Ivomec for the heartworm prevention, then you might as well use it for getting rid of mange mites as well as ear mites. I administer a subcutaneous (under the skin) injection at the back of the neck, consisting of 1/10 cc of Ivomec for cattle per 10 lbs of Beagle body weight. I give one shot every seven days for 3 consecutive doses. Explained differently, that is one shot, wait 7 days, give a second shot, wait 7 more days, and then give a third shot. This is a very effective treatment for both mange mites and ear mites. If you are already buying the large bottles of Ivomec for cattle to use as a heartworm prevention, then you might as well also use it for this purpose when needed. This is a very clean treatment method, and for maximum effectiveness can be used in conjunction with the first or second treatment method listed above.

No matter which of these three inexpensive treatments you may decide to use, the main thing is to do the treatment and follow ups correctly and in a timely manner. If done correctly and in a timely manner, you will definitely see the mange spots healing up with hair growing back into the hair loss areas. At this point you can discontinue the treatments and only start them again if you see another episode of mange developing. Both of these treatments are only designed to kill the mites and thus stop the hair loss and bacterial skin infections. The dog will look healthy and feel much better with no hair loss, skin infections, or itching. The cause of the overpopulation of Demodex mites (mange) is a bad immune system which can be passed genetically to any offspring. REMEMBER, this warrants spaying or neutering of the pet and making sure it does not contribute to future generations of immunologically-disabled pets


Hope i was of help to you!

Answer 6

This worked on my dog, try motor oil. Actually bathe him in motor oil, let it sit for maybe 15-20 min. (make sure he/she's tied up) and rinse and wash him/her twice.

Answer 7

You should carefully shave her and then give her a good washdown, try a medicated wash for skin problems.