Humans and dogs alike live in harmony with demodex mites, until the immune system takes a slight dip due to illness, allergies or stress. The mites take advantage of the situation to proliferate and, in large numbers, can cause itchy skin problems. In dogs, the condition is called demodectic mange and, in humans, the mites can cause rosacea, inflammation and dry skin. The condition usually stays local to the mites' general environment.
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On Dogs
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The demodex mite is naturally found in the hair follicles of almost all adult dogs, even those without symptoms of mange.
On People
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Demodex mites also live in hair follicles as well as on the forehead and cheeks, in eyelashes, along the sides of the nose and in ear canals.
Environment
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The mites prefer warm, moist, dark places, hence their preference for hair follicles and oily skin creases. They burrow head-first and eat dead skin cells.
Contagion
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Mother dogs transfer a portion of their mite population to their puppies during nursing. It is thought that adult dogs can pass mites from one to another but these “shared” mites simply blend into the normal population without causing problems. Humans usually do not share mites, although elderly people are more likely to have a larger population and the mites are rare in children under five years of age.
Treatment
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Demodex mites warrant treatment only when they are causing skin problems. Dogs with demodectic mange are treated with a series of ivermectin injections, unless they are a herding breed; in which case the preferred treatment would be a dip. Humans generally use a topical permethrin cream.
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