Vets Advice:

Click Here to return to the Vets Advice search page.

	Dog with Red Mange Q: Our dog has red mange. We took him to the vet ( he is huge 125lbs.) and they gave us a dip. We dipped him three times and I went away. It has come back and we do not have the money for the vets visits at this time. Is there anything we can put on him that will stop this with out another huge expense?Please answer as we are really worried about him!

A: I think that your "red mange" is demodectic mange and will answer your question with this in mind. How old is your affected dog? Do you have other dogs? Demodex motes live in the skin normally (in the hair follicles)and only lead to signs of skin disease under very specific circumstances.
These are basically twofold. In young animals, demodex may flare up if
there is a problem with the body's normal immune mechanism which keeps the number of mites limited. In these cases treatment is only indicated if the mange affects a large proportion of the body. If it is very localised it will tend resolve on its own in time. In older animals demodectic mange
develops when there is a separate medical problem affecting the immune systems' ability to control the mites and so if an older animal shows signs of demodex, another cause should always be suspected and looked for. Treatment for demodectic mange if very specific and you cannot treat without
using the correct washes I'm afraid. It sounds as though the problem was not completely resolved before (you should wash weekly until three weeks after the signs have resolved) and this is why it has recurred. If it was truly resolved and has recurred then this raises concerns about an
underlying cause, especially if your dog is an older dog ( I assume from his weight that he is not a growing puppy). I think you should consult your vet again... Angela Bodey MRCVS (Vet for PetPlanet)

Similar Questions