Mange is caused by parasitic mites living in the hair follicles and skin of dogs and other animals. It causes skin to become itchy and infected, with bald patches and scaling. The most common forms of mange in dogs are demodectic (red) mange and sarcoptic mange. Demodex mites can breed out of control in the hair follicles of a dog whose immune system is compromised, which includes juveniles. Therefore a puppy can suffer from red mange if he inherits mites from his mother. In many instances, the mange clears up on its own within a couple of months, but it can take up to three years for a dog to become resistant to infestation. Treatment can speed up the process. Sarcoptic mange (scabies) is itchier and more contagious than red mange. A veterinarian can inform you of the best course of treatment for your puppy's specific situation.
Things You'll Need
- Bath tub or pail
- Waterproof gloves
- Well-ventilated area
- Sponge
- Anti-mital dip or shampoo
- Blow-drier
Instructions
Take your puppy to a veterinarian if mange is causing him distress or if it does not clear up in a couple of months after birth. He might prescribe a dip containing Amitraz, which treats all parts of the puppy's body where infection might occur. Amitraz is an anti-parasitic drug that kills the mites.
Alternatively, you can add lime sulfur (which does not require a prescription) to your dog's regular shampoo. If using lime sulfur, mix the medicine with ordinary shampoo, according the instructions. Leave on for three minutes, before squeezing excess water from your puppy's coat. Blow or air-dry your pet rather than towel-drying it. Repeat every five days for two months
Isolate your animal before treating a puppy with a medical dip. Mange can be very contagious from dog to dog and between dogs and cats and even humans - although humans will not suffer from the mites in the long-term if their immune system is in good health. The only way to be absolutely sure that other pets do not catch mange is separate your puppy from from them throughout the course of treatment, preferably in a separate room.
Sarcoptic mange, the itchiest of the two, is also the most contagious, so take particular care to keep puppies suffering from this mite away from other pets.
Read instructions on your dip before sponging it on your puppy. Leave it for 10 minutes, making sure his feet are soaked in the dip. Do not rinse off, but let it dry. Try to prevent your puppy getting wet between treatments as this could weaken the medicine. If the puppy gets very completely wet, it is safe to re-apply the medicine.
Thoroughly clean the living area of your puppy and clean or discard bedding to prevent re-infection. This helps to prevent other animals from catching mange via their environment.
Evaluate and treat any other animals in the house. It is safest to treat all your animals to prevent reinfection.
Repeat every treatment every two weeks for three months. Make sure to carry out the treatment regularly, even if the mites seem to have disappeared. The chance of curing the mange jumps from 25 percent to 80 percent when the dip is used at double strength and applied weekly, though this is more expensive and time consuming.