What is Sarcoptes?

Sarcoptes (or sarcoptes mange) is a skin disease that primarily affects dogs. While dogs are the preferred host of the sarcoptes scabiei mite, it will also infect humans, foxes, ferrets and cats. Like spiders, sarcoptes scabiei are arthropods having an exoskeleton, jointed legs and segmented bodies. Sarcoptes scabiei are microscopic organisms undetectable on a dog by the naked eye.

  1. Life Cycle of A Sarcoptes Scabiei Mite

    • Mature Sarcoptes scabiei mites live 21 to 28 days. An adult female borrows into the dogs skin laying 3 to 4 eggs as she tunnels. In 3 to 10 days the larvae hatch returning to the skins surface. The six-legged larvae molts into a eight legged nymph and molts again, becoming a mature mite. The adults mate and the process begins again.

    How Sarcoptes Scabiei Mites Affect The Host

    • The movement of the mites both on the surface of the dogs skin irritates the skin causing it to feel itchy. In addition to the surface irritation, the the eggs and mites borrowing underneath the skin trigger an allergic response from within causing an even greater pruitus reaction within the dog's body.

    Symptoms

    • Mites prefer to infest areas of the dog's body that are without hair.They usually first infest the ear flaps, chest , belly,elbows and hocks . Untreated infestation can spread to the entire body causing darkening of the skin and enlarged lymph nodes.The mites directly cause hair loss and red scaly skin. Because of the dogs scratching in responds to the itchiness cause by Sarcoptes scabiei mites the dog may develop sores and infections from tearing of the skin.

    How Is The Infection Spread.

    • The mange is spread both by direct contact with an infected animal and by contact with an infected area. If a healthy dog comes in contact with an infected dog, the mites can be spread to the healthy animal. Mites can survive off a living host for up to 22 day in a cool environment. In a home environment they can survive off a host for 2 to 6 days. Because the mites can survive off a host for a period of time, a healthy dog can become infected if it comes in contact with an infected area as well as direct contact with an infected animal.

    Diagnosis and Treatment

    • Sarcoptes can be definitively confirmed by examining a scrapping of the dogs skin under a microscope. Unfortunately not seeing the mite does not rule out the possibility of infestation. In the case where the skin exam doesn't positively confirm a diagnosis of mange but the dog is exhibiting symptoms vets will often treat the dog for mange. If it responds to the treatment and symptoms of mange clear up then diagnosis is confirmed. Treatment options for mange include medicated dips and the topical insecticide Selamectin. Effective off label treatment (meaning not approved for this use by the FDA at this time) include ivermectin and milbemycin oxime. Treatment is dependent on the breed of dog and the degree of infection. Consult a vet before beginning any treatment for mange. Because sarcoptes is so infectious all dogs infected or not in the household should be treated. All the dogs bedding should be treated with an insecticide recommended by your vet. Due to the length of life cycle of the sarcoptes scabiei mite, treatment is for a minimum of 4 week.