A diagnosis of mange by your veterinarian is never fun. The treatment for dog mange can be long and looking at the bald patches on your dog can be heartbreaking.

Demodectic Mange: Demodex or demodectic mange is most commonly diagnosed in puppies between the ages of 3 months to one year. Demodex mites live their entire life cycle on most dogs and some cats. When the animals immune system is doing it's job the number of mites are kept in check but if the immune system is for some reason depressed the number of mites get out of control and symptoms of mange start to develop.

Symptoms include, but are not limited to: hair loss - usually on face around eyes, ears, and mouth, forelegs and occasionally trunk. Patches of red and crusty skin. Not usually pruritic or itchy. The generalized form of demodectic mange is less common but more serious then the localized form. Dogs diagnosed with the generalized form will show their entire bodies involved with hair loss and redness, suffer with a secondary bacterial infection, and usually be feverish.

Additional information: Demodectic mange is not contagious to humans or other animals. Treatment will not completely eliminate the mites, the goal in treatment is to decrease the number of mites. Infected or previously infected dogs should not be used for breeding because heredity seems to be a factor. Treatment for demodex maybe long and the generalized form can be fatal.

Sarcoptic Mange: This type of mange is contagious. The female mite burrows deep into the skin to lay eggs which makes the animal very itchy. Sarcoptic mange is also known as "Scabies" and can infect dogs of any age, breed, or sex. Humans may develop lesions, red papules, from the the mite and should call their doctor if signs develop.

Symptoms include, but are not limited to: Red, crusty lesions on ears, elbows, and elsewhere on trunk. Lesions are pruritic, or itchy. A secondary bacterial infection can develop due to self-trauma from all the itching. This form of mange can become progressively more severe.

Additional information: This form of mange is highly contagious and humans should call their doctor immediately if lesions develop but mites will not remain on humans for more then a few hours.

Diagnosis For Demodectic and Sarcoptic Mange: Diagnosis by a veterinarian is usually made with a test known as a skin scraping. The veterinarian uses a blade to scape the skin, he/she then transfers the sample to a microscope slide. The slide is checked under the microscope for the mite.

Treatment For Demodectic and Sarcoptic Mange: The most common treatment for mange is Ivermectin. Ivermectin is a commonly used large animal dewormer but it has been used to treat mites in dogs for several years now. Ivermectin treatment is generally given orally, usually mixed with something that tastes good, but the drug can also be injected under the skin.

The use of Ivermectin to treat mites in dogs has not been approved by the FDA, but it is safe if the correct dose is given. Some herding breeds, like collies and shelties, are more sensitive to this drug and extra care should be given when treating these breeds, be sure to discuss this with your veterinarian.

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