Home Remedy to Cure Mange on Pets

Imagine insects burrowing into your skin, feeding on it from the inside. That's how mange feels to dogs and cats afflicted with this disfiguring skin disease caused by mites invisible to the naked eye. Standard veterinary treatments involve pharmaceuticals but if you would prefer a natural treatment or your pet has had allergic reactions to drugs before, home remedies offer another option.

  1. Diagnosing Mange

    • Dogs contract mange more often than cats (although Burmese and Siamese breeds are more susceptible), but if you notice patchy hair loss on either pet, take it to the vet immediately. She will examine a skin scraping under a microscope for the presence of mites. If it's mange, she will recommend testing for underlying health problems, like a compromised immune system, that can contribute to the disease.

    Types of Mange

    • Mange is caused by two different species of the demodex mite, invisible to the naked eye. A healthy dog may have some of these mites on its skin, but what triggers an overpopulation leading to demodectic mange, which isn't contagious, is unknown. Sarcoptic mange, caused by female mites that tunnel into the skin and lay eggs there, is contagious so if one animal in a multi-pet household contracts it, the others should be treated too.

    Prognosis and Treatment

    • When confined to small areas, either kind of mange will usually clear up on its own about 90 percent of the time. If it spreads, treatment becomes more difficult and the condition can become chronic. Standard veterinary treatments involve administering several drugs by injection, orally or topically that can spark allergic reactions in some dogs, especially herding breeds, including potentially fatal neurological symptoms.

    Homemade Solution

    • For a natural treatment, add 4 to 8 tsp. borax powder to a quart of 1 percent hydrogen peroxide and stir until the borax dissolves. Wearing gloves, apply this solution all over the animal's body, avoiding its eyes, with a sponge or by pouring it on and massaging it into the fur. Let the fur dry naturally before bathing. Repeat once a week for four weeks or longer if your vet advises it.

    Daily Baths

    • Bathe your pet using warm water and gentle soap or antibacterial shampoo once or twice a day, depending on the severity of the condition. Gently comb through the fur to dislodge dead hair and mites, waxy deposits and skin flakes.

    Dietary and Household tips

    • Animals with robust immune systems are less likely to contract mange and more likely to overcome it if they do. Add vitamin supplements, fish oil, leafy green vegetables and flaxseed oil to high-quality food. Plain yogurt or a sliced lemon (including the peel) steeped overnight in a cup of boiling water and applied topically will soothe itchiness. Cooking oil rubbed on lesions both smothers mites and softens skin.

    Cleaning

    • No special cleaning measures are needed for non-contagious mange but if your pet has contagious sarcoptic mange, wash its bedding thoroughly and regularly and when housecleaning, pay extra attention to areas most frequented by your animal. Sprinkle borax powder on carpeted areas and upholstered furniture and vacuum up the excess. Sarcoptic mange mites don't live long on human skin but can cause itchy red bumps. A hot shower will wash the problem away.