What are the symptoms of Demodectic mange?

As the demodex mites multiply in the hair follicles, inflammation occurs that results in the loss of the hair from the follicle.  Generally, this is not an itchy disease and the owners simply notice areas of thinned hair or missing hair. Frequently, we will see it first appear around the eyes and ears, but it can occur anywhere on the body.  Some pets only get it in a few areas, where others have most of the body affected.

How do we diagnose Demodex infestation?

This diagnosis is made by observing the mites or their eggs under the microscope after obtaining a sample from a deep skin scraping.  The process of skin scraping may cause a slight bit of bleeding at the site but is not dangerous.  Sometimes, we may not be able to find the mites despite multiple scrapings.  In some cases, we have to take a piece of skin (biopsy) and send it to the lab for histopathology.

Is demodex contagious to other pets or to people?

Demodectic mange mites do not spread to people under any circumstance and to other pets under normal conditions.  The one exception is that the mother may pass the mites to the offspring during and around birth.  Therefore, one may see a few puppies in the same litter develop the symptoms of mange.

How do we treat mange:

Currently, we treat mange with the topical dip called “Mitaban”.  This drug has been approved for this purpose and is effective in approximately 75-80% of the cases.  The dip must be applied to the pet after a medicated bath with a shampoo that opens the follicles on the coat.  The dip is a potent drug and may cause the following side effects:

Drowsiness           Wobbly gait          Loss of Appetite               Vomiting               Weakness             Collapse

Due to the strong nature of this medication, we have the dips applied at the hospital and the pet is observed for the better part of the day before being sent home. 

Most dogs need from 5 to 8 dips given at 1-week intervals in order to clear the disease.  We usually will recheck the pet after 4 dips with a skin scraping to see if the mites are still present.  Once we have determined that the mites are gone, we give 2 more dips to be certain they are all dead.

In addition to the Mitaban dips, we must address the pet’s immune system. 

v      We attempt to fortify the immune system by feeding high quality food (typically Hill’s P/D diet) along with daily vitamins. 

v      We also add a supplement to the food called Derm Caps which provides the essential fatty acids needed to help the skin heal. 

v      If the pet has a concurrent bacterial infection in the skin, we administer antibiotics for a period of 2 to 6 weeks. 

v      For older pets that develop this disease, we typically run tests to evaluate their metabolic function (kidneys, liver, white cells etc) along with their thyroid function and sometimes their adrenal function.  .

How successful is the treatment:

Fortunately, 90% of the pets that develop demodex mange as puppies will improve and get over the disease with treatment and aging.  As they grow, their immune system matures and can deal with the mange mites provided we support them with the drugs above.  For older pets that contract this disease, the prognosis is quite variable.  If we can find and reverse the underlying problem that is depressing the immune system, we have a much better chance of helping them than if we simply try to treat the mites themselves.

For the pets that do not respond to the initial treatment, often times we will change to alternative treatments with oral drugs typically containing the drug Ivermectin.  This drug is not approved in the dog for this purpose, but is it known to be safe and frequently efficacious.

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Last modified: November 15, 2007