According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), mange in dogs can be caused by two different types of microscopic mites: demodex and sarcoptic. Scarcoptic mites are passed from one infected dog to another and must be entirely eliminated for the mange to go away. Demodex mites, however, are naturally occurring on dogs and only cause mange when they grow out of control, due to unknown factors. In cases of demodex mange, or red mange, a diet aimed at boosting the immune system may help.
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The Theory
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According to Naturopathic Veterinarian Dr Jeanette Thomason, of Thewholedog.org, dogs suffering from mange caused by demodex mites are also suffering from a lowered immune function that is not able to keep the mites from overpopulating, like most dogs do. She further says that the demodex mites live on yeast, sugars and proteins that are present in the blood of the dogs due to the contents of their diet, and that by giving them a specific diet, you can help dogs fight off and be free of mange.
The Diet
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The diet recommended for dogs with mange is a raw meat and bone diet, that is entirely free of grains or simple sugars. Vegetables can be added to the diet, but only minimally, and they should always be raw as well. Giving the dog only meat cuts out most of the foods that yeasts live on, and reduces the amount of sugars in the bloodstream to amounts that are insufficient to feed the mange mites. Thomason also advocates giving the dog antioxidant supplements, as they go through the raw meat diet to get rid of mange.
The History
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According to rawfed.com, a website that advocates raw meat diet for pets, dogs are naturally carnivorous and are less healthy and more prone to disease when given diets based on processed food. The website claims that by returning dogs to their natural diet, many health-related conditions will improve, including tooth decay, coat and fur health and overall energy.
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