Demodex mange, also known as "Red mange" and "Demodectic mange," is a skin disease caused by Demodex mites that is very hard to treat, especially in older dogs. The disease irritates the skin, causes the dog to scratch and bite itself and causes the dog's hair to fall out in patches until the canine is eventually hairless. The treatment of Demodex mange is a lengthy process and only has a 70 percent success rate.
Things You'll Need
- Scissors
- Degreasing shampoo
- Dip solution containing amitraz, Tactik or Mitoban
- Water
- Towel
- Sponge
Instructions
Cut off the remaining hair around infected areas of the skin. These areas are wherever you can see patchy baldness occurring and red inflammation of the skin.
Wash the dog with degreasing shampoo. Degreasing shampoo breaks up dirt and oil. Wet the dog, then thoroughly massage the shampoo into the dog's fur until you work up a thick lather. Let the shampoo stand for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinse and towel dry the dog.
Apply a dip solution that contains amitraz, Tactik or Mitoban. Soak a sponge in the dip solution and then rub it all over the dog. Let the solution air-dry. Refer to the directions on the bottle for exact usage.
Repeat this process once every two weeks until all of the dead mites can be seen on the dog's skin and hair begins to regrow. It normally takes four to eight treatments before this happens.