Dealing with Dog Mange

Spring brings warm weather, longer days, flowering trees, fleas and mites. No one would really want to see their favorite dog rolling all over to ease the pain felt from these fleas and mites. Like fleas, mites are also microscopic bugs that burrow under your dog's skin and this is not visible to a human eye. Other parasites that affect dog health are ticks and lice. Although fleas are the most common parasitic skin disease found in dogs, mange is a skin disease which is caused by mites.

According to most veterinarians, dog mange is a common disease in skin that can greatly affect dog health. A mange is a persistent and contagious disease of the skin causing inflammation, itching and loss of hair that can affect domestic animals like dogs (and sometimes people). There are two types of canine mange: demodectoc and sarcoptic mange (scabies). Puppies are usually afflicted by mange because their immune systems are not fully developed yet. Signs of demodectoc mange is when hair or fur loss occurs in round patches resembling ringworm. Oftentimes, the skin appears red and scaly. Demodectoc mange is caused by Demodex canis, a minute size, cigar shaped mite that affects puppies from three to 12 months old. The most commonly affected areas are the face and the front legs. With sarcoptic mange, symptoms can be loss of fur and crusting of teeth. It is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, which also causes human scabies. The dog's ear, front legs, chest and abdomen are most commonly affected by sarcoptic mange or scabies.

Several treatment methods can be done to cure dog's mange. Most veterinarians recommend the antiseptic method by clipping the infected area and washing it thoroughly. Anti-mite dips and shampoos can be useful too. Most cases of mange respond well to this treatment. In cases of ear mites, thorough cleaning of the dog’s ears while the animal is sedated is also advisable. This treatment can be followed up with home treatments using special solutions like insecticidal dips, sprays, powders and shampoos. These are just few on how to secure your dog health away from dog mange.

Taking note of the condition of dog's skin and coat is important to ensure good pet health . As always, the key to fast recovery from mange is early detection and treatment. If these kind diseases are not treated early, then the possibility of chronic illness and damaged organs can occur.