What is Demodex Mange?

Mites

• Demodex mites are microscopic, about 0.4 mm long. They look like tiny worms. There are over 60 species of demodex mange mites. Demodex mites use their claws to burrow into the skin. The demodex mites live on the host inside oil (sebaceous) glands and hair follicles, head down, feeding on nutrients. The mites mate, burrow into the skin and lay eggs. It takes approximately two to three weeks for the demodex mite to hatch, mature, mate and lay more eggs.

Significance

• Demodex mites are normal parasites on many hosts. Generally, they cause no problem because the host's immune system limits their growth. However, if the host is sick or has a compromised immune system, the mites can multiply quickly. When there are too many mites, their feeding destroys enough skin cells and hair follicles to cause symptoms. In addition, the number of dead mites increases. Both the skin damage and decaying mites can cause bacterial infection inside the skin.

Symptoms

• Mite overgrowth results in many symptoms. The most common symptoms include itching, hair loss, scaly lesions, thickening skin, inflammation and infections from the mites or due to injury from scratching the skin. According to Marvistavet.com, classifications include localized in one area or generalized to the entire body. Other classifications may apply in different hosts. For example, canine demodectic pododermatitis affects only the paws. In most hosts, generalized demodectic mange is an indication of other health problems and immune issues. For example, your cat may have feline leukemia, diabetes or feline immunodeficiency virus, according to Vetinfo.com.

Hosts

• Although more than one type of demodex mite might prefer a certain host, each mite prefers only one host. For example, cats and dogs both have three different types of demodectic mites. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, demodectic mange is most common in dogs. Some other hosts of demodex mites include humans, horses, cattle, rabbits, sheep, goats, bears, rats and hedgehogs.

Contagious

• Demodex mites do not spread from one species to another. However, some types may spread among members of the same species. For example, infestation from mother to puppies may occur until the puppies are about one week old. According to Marvistavet.com, there are some cases of adult dogs passing the mite to other dogs but it is very rare. The demodex mite in cats, while rare, is very contagious, according to Vetinfo.com.

Treatment

• Treatment depends on the host, severity of the symptoms and other issues. Drugs that are safe for one host may be toxic to another, so consult with a veterinarian before treating. Sometimes treatment is not necessary. For example, almost 90 percent of puppies will recover from demodectic mange without treatment. Horses, which rarely have demodectic mange, currently have no approved treatment. Ivermectin is one medication used in the treatment of cattle and dogs. Amitraz is another drug used on some animal hosts. However, never use the home remedy motor oil as it is toxic to all hosts.