Well, if any of you remember my last question, I said my dad told me that my dog had body bugs. My dad had no clue what he was saying as usual. He had no idea what the bugs actually were. All he heard was "bugs under the skin" and I don't think he cares about the type. He does love Pepper (dog), because he's doing his best to treat him with daily medication and expensive treatments, so I'm not too mad. That's just my father and I accept it, BUT I had to take some intiative. I tried calling the vet and asking him, what it was. My dad got upset, though, beause he thought it would cost more. I think he used his charismatic personality to get a reduction on the price from the secretary, and he didn't want the doctor to know what she did. I told him to ask the vet on my dog's follow up, but he forgot!!! They said his hair was very close to falling out, so I'm assuming it's mange mites ...What do you think? What can I do? How do I treat the area that he lays in while in the house?!?
2007-11-09 13:07:36 · 3 answers · asked by GLAYS S 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
I want to clean the house for his sake!!! I don't want him to get them again.
2007-11-09 13:20:39 · update #1
I love that your dad called them 'body bugs.' The only way to know what kind of mites your dog has, or even if he has mites, is for a veterinarian to diagnose it. They usually do a skin scraping and look for mites under the microscope. I think you should go to the vet with your dad the next time he goes, then you will know what is going on with your dog. Or tell him to ask the veterinarian to write down what they did, so he can share it with his family. I work at a vet clinic, and we send home a written report card of the physical exam with every client. And you can always call the Veterinary Clinic and ask, they won't charge you for that.
Whether or not you have to clean your house depends on what kind of skin problem your dog has. If he has Demodex Skin Mites, which is the most common type of skin mites, then you don't have to clean your house. Demodex mites naturally live on a dog's skin, but if their immune system is compromised for any reason, they can sometimes take over, causing skin irritation and hair loss. You can't clean your environment to help get rid of them, because they naturally live on the dog's skin.
If he has Sarcoptic mites (Scabies - yes it can be transmitted to humans), then I don't know about cleaning the environment. It isn't as common in dogs, And I have only seen a few cases. I have never heard of anything to clean the environment with to help get rid of them. They also live on the skin, I don't think they can survive in the environment.
Because your dad can't remember what kind of 'body bugs' :) your dog has, he might have a different kind of skin condition, and based on what he has, that will determine if you need to clean your environment. You can call your vet clinic and ask what he has, and ask if you need to clean your environment. I don't think they will charge you for just calling, but you can always ask them, just to be sure. Good Luck with your dog!!!
2007-11-09 13:14:27 · answer #1 · answered by Stark 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
certain types of mange can be treated with mitiban dips which are done at the vet. ask about those. wash his bedding etc normally theres no need to bleach and lysol the whole house.
2007-11-09 13:12:45 · answer #2 · answered by The Vet Tech 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are specific to dogs and will not get on you. IF that is what the problem is.
You really need to get a diagnosis.
2007-11-09 13:10:56 · answer #3 · answered by ARE YOUR NEWFS GELLIN'? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋