How to Test for Red Mange

Red mange, another name for demodectic mange, is a truly awful disease, caused by mites, that afflicts dogs. Despite the severity of red mange, it is not contagious, and if you have more than one dog, and one is infected, you do not need to separate them. It is easy to test your dog for red mange because the symptoms are so obvious. In fact, it would be hard not to notice that your dog has this illness.

Instructions

    • 1

      Observe your dog's behavior and sleep patterns. Red mange causes dogs to become lethargic, drowsy and inactive. It also causes them to lose their appetite and therefore eat less, as well as bite and scratch themselves incessantly. All of these behaviors are indicators of red mange.

    • 2

      Look at the dog's skin. Red mange will irritate the skin and appear in red blotches.

    • 3

      Look for hair loss on the dog. Red mange will cause the dog's hair to fall out in patches wherever the disease is present on skin.

    • 4

      Smell your dog. Dogs infected with red mange give off an odor like that of sewage.

    • 5

      Take your dog to a veterinarian. The best way to know for certain that your dog has red mange is to have the animal tested by a professional.