Demodex Mange Treatment
I took Baxter to Banfield today for a skin scrape because I was worried about hair loss next to his nose. The test came out positive for Demodex mange, which is typically passed to pups through the mother. They explained to me that due to it being a genetic condition, it'll be a lifetime disease typically triggered by weakened immune systems especially since Baxter is still a pup.
They prescribed Mitiban dips for 6 weeks and it'll go as follows:
1. Dip once a week for 4 weeks followed by a skin scrape.
2. With a negative skin scrape, 2 additional dips.
3. With a positive skin scrape, 2 additional dips followed by a skin scrape.
* A 6 week course of treatment will be roughly $400.
I'm worried about the amount of chemicals he'll be absorbing during this treatment period and am thinking of getting a second opinion. Has anyone had similar experiences? They stressed the importance of quality food for his immune system; he's currently on Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain. Dogfoodanalysis.com gave it a pretty decent rating. Should I be giving him daily vitamins to boost his immune system?
Thank you in advance for your help!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by steve smith on
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Sounds like you really did some research. Second opinion is a good idea if you feel you would like one. What ever it is I know that Baxter will be better off because you took the time to look into it. I vote for second opinion.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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I love Taste of the Wildand recommend it but you might want to consider the salmon with a lower protien level as I read your page and he's still so young...corgis should have lower protein till they reach 18 months.I hope I got his age right!
As for the vitamins...can't help....sorry!
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Permalink Reply by Baxter on
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I was planning on putting him on a TOTW Sierra Mountain/Pacific Stream rotation because they had the lower caloric/fat/protein content. Thanks for the suggestion! His next bag will most definitely be the salmon flavor.
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Mine love all the flavors but I think I buy the salmon twice as much!
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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I say go somewhere else. This treatment likely is not going to work on a double-coated dog like a corgi. The dip must be applied directly to the skin and in long haired dogs and dogs with thick coats that would require a total shave of the dog before applying the dip for the dip to even have a chance at being effective. Generally you can get rid of demodex with a long course or two of Ivermectin. No need for the dips. Also Demodex is NOT a genetic condition. It is a parasite. It is treated like a parasite, and it is NOT a lifetime condition. You should be able to treat him for the mites, and as he grows and is immune system strengthens you shouldn't have to deal with it anymore. It may take 6-12 months to totally rid him of the infection, but a large majority (think 80 or 90% of dogs) can be cured with treatment. Another treatment option (though MUCH more expensive) would be using Interceptor. This would require daily (or weekly, can't remember) doses of Interceptor. Again, this is very expensive but does work well. I would definitely see a vet not associated with Banfield, as their vets tend to have no independent thinking and go by the book for most (if not all) treatments.
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They told me the mother transmits it to her pups and was told that it was a recessive trait. They said that flare ups occur when they're young due to their immature immune system and decrease in occurrence as the pup matures. I wasn't too fond of the chemical treatment route, especially with side effects such as seizures and such. I know that all drugs have side effects, but I wanted to know what other options there were. Thank you so much for this information! It's been truly helpful! Now, I'm crossing my fingers that Baxter doesn't have a permanent, weak immune system.
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The mother does pass it to the pups, but it is in no way genetic. It just has to do with the strength of a puppy's immune system. One pup in the litter may get it while others do not. Also, if you have several litters of pups together they can transmit the mange to each other and an adult dog with a weak immune system can get it from another dog. Hope Baxter is feeling better!
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Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on
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Did the vets tell you it was genetic? Because, uh... that's VERY wrong and I would never, ever go to them again if that is the case. Melissa has the best advice so far as to treating the mange.
ToTW is generally a good food and I wouldn't recommend switching if he is doing well on it.
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Unfortunately, that was the way it was explained to me. I knew that I needed to get input from my fellow MyCorgi members before proceeding with their recommendations; I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful resource to rely on.
His coat has gotten silkier, and he gobbles up his food like he's starving all the time. Then again, we know how corgis are when it comes to food. ^_^
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Permalink Reply by Nicole and Kiba on
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Kiba has Demodex as well. Started when he was about 7 months old and then he started getting better, then just a couple of months ago it got really bad. The vet started him on Ivermectin the first time and then did the dip the second time for 2 weeks before Kiba started scratching himself till he bled. So with the open sores they put him back on Ivermectin. He hasn't had any bad reactions to the Ivermectin and it's A LOT cheaper than the dips...like $15 for a months worth of medicine. I do also give him a human multivitamin for immune boost and the vet said it wouldn't hurt him but they didn't know if it would really help. There are also vitamin powders that you can mix with the food and I know GNC makes immune boosting pills http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4299175
The photo is from the second time after all of his sores healed from scratching and biting. The cone and antibiotic shampoo helped clear it up faster but he still stayed bald for a while and only a couple of weeks ago did his hair start growing back. Just got a skin scrape on Tuesday and he still has a few mites left...a couple of adults, some babies, and a few eggs. I just hope that this is the last time and his immune system starts kicking in soon since he is already a year and 2 months. Fingers crossed!
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Praying for Kiba's speedy recovery and hopefully last episode of Demodex. Currently, Baxter's bald spot is a small spot on the right side of his nose, and I'm hoping to have him treated before it multiplies. It's difficult to examine his whole body because of all the fur.
I had viewed the webpage you listed on your page, and I believe Baxter has the localized subtype. It states that, "Treatment is not necessary or recommended for localized demodicosis but there are treatment options for people who simply cannot feel right about doing nothing." Also, roughly 10% of localized demodicosis become the generalized subtype.
Did Kiba start scratching as a result of a reaction to the dip? Baxter's nose doesn't appear to bother him much, and he's not scratching that area or anywhere else more so than usual.
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