Symptoms of Mange Spreading to Humans

Of the two kinds of mange your dog can have, sarcoptic mange is the only one that is contagious. Most commonly found in puppies, the mites that cause sarcoptic mange can travel to humans. However, these mites cannot reproduce on humans and generally die off within 3 weeks. A different form of sarcoptic mange, also called scabies, is a human-borne mite which can survive and reproduce on you and pass from human to human. If you suspect your dog has sarcoptic mange, watch for hair loss, crusty scabs and itching on him and be aware of symptoms that the mange is spreading to you.

  1. Bites

    • The bite of the mite will cause a welt similar to a mosquito bite. Your skin will become inflamed and reddened. The mite burrows a short distance under your skin but does not live long enough to cause the long, red welts associated with scabies, nor will the mite be able to do the damage to your skin that he can do to your dog's skin.

    Rash

    • If you have several bites, the welts may resemble a rash. However, the bites should begin to clear up on their own within 3 weeks after their appearance. With scabies the rash is usually found between your fingers as well as on your wrist and elbow. A rash of welts caused by mites you catch from your dog will not be localized like this.

    Itching

    • Even though the mite can only live about 3 weeks, once he has infected you, if your dog continues untreated, she can continue passing fresh mites to you for the entire time she is infested. Intense itchiness will accompany the bites and rash and may continue as long as your dog has mange.