Recognise, treat and prevent mange in dogs
Scabies is a skin disease caused by certain mites in dogs. It is highly contagious and can be fatal for affected dogs if left untreated.
The following sections explain how scabies develops in dogs, how the skin disease manifests itself and what measures must be taken during treatment.
Scabies in dogs: what is it?
Scabies is a parasitic skin disease that manifests itself, among other things, through papules on the skin and severe itching in dogs. It is caused by an infestation with certain types of mites and is highly contagious.
What causes mange in dogs?
There are several different mite species. In addition to comparatively harmless grass mites, dogs can also be attacked by the mange mites that are responsible for causing mange.
In most cases, this is the species Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis, which is specialised in dogs. However, the fox-specialized mange mites Sarcoptes scabiei var. vulpes can also cause mange in dogs.
Female mange mites dig small passages in the skin of their host. There they feed on keratin and tissue fluid and then finally lay their eggs. For this reason, mange mites are also known as grave mites.
Female grave mites lay about 50 eggs during their lifetime. The mite larvae hatch after only a few days and then, at least for the time being, also live in the ducts in the dog's skin. Male grave mites, on the other hand, live in shallow corridors or on the surface of the skin. After reproduction, they die.
The three developmental stages of the mange mite
The life cycle of the grave mite lasts about three weeks, during which the parasites go through all three stages of their development. First, they hatch from the eggs as larvae. Then they develop into nymphs and finally into adult mange mites.
In contrast to the grass mites, which are quite annoying at harvest time, where only the larvae live parasitically, the mange mites remain on the skin of the dog they infest throughout their development.
Dogs with mange are contagious
If a dog suffers from mange, it can very easily happen that the grave mites are transferred to a conspecific when playing together.
However, mange mites in fallen skin scales can also survive without a host for about three weeks. In some cases, therefore, the infection is also caused by grave mites that are found on surfaces in the dog's environment.
Can dogs infect humans with mange?
Occasionally, mange mites also infect humans. However, the respective species are not specialised in humans and therefore do not reproduce on them.
For this reason, there are normally only slight symptoms, which subside after about two weeks without the need for specific treatment.
How do you recognize mange in dogs?
Depending on the severity and duration of the infestation with grave mites, mange in affected dogs is manifested by various characteristic skin problems of varying severity.
If your dog suffers from scabies, this can manifest itself through the following symptoms:
- Redness
- Pustules
- Papules
- Crusts
- Cornification
- Hair Loss
- Shedding
Mostly it is mainly the area around the eyes, ears, elbows, belly and hocks where the symptoms mentioned above occur in dogs with mange. If no prompt treatment is given, however, it will not be long before the skin problems spread and the dog's general condition gradually worsens.
This is partly because scabies causes severe itching, and dogs with scabies often scratch and lick themselves, further exacerbating existing skin problems.
How is mange diagnosed in dogs?
A dog with suspected mange should be examined by a vet. When other possible triggers for the skin problems, such as allergies have been ruled out, the vet will take a skin sample. This can be examined for adult grave mites, larvae, nymphs, eggs and mite faeces.
As it is not always possible to make a clear diagnosis in this way, a blood test may also be necessary. However, it takes at least 14 days for the body of a dog suffering from mange to produce antibodies.
Also, not every dog develops antibodies against mange mites. It is therefore quite possible that no reliable diagnosis is possible and the veterinarian will treat the dog on suspicion of mange. Whether his suspicion was correct will then become apparent at the latest when the medication starts working as hoped.
How is mange treated in dogs?
There are many different remedies that can be used to treat mange in dogs. These include spot-ons with various active ingredients such as selamectin or moxidectin, injections of ivermectin or amitraz as a washing solution.
Depending on the severity of the itching caused by the mange, the veterinarian may also advise treating the dog with additional glucocorticoids.
Regardless of this, the treatment must be continued until the mange mites have been eliminated from the dog.
Treatment of all dogs living in the household
Since mange is highly infectious, it is not enough to limit the treatment measures to the affected dog. Also, all other four-legged friends living in the household must be treated to prevent transmission of the mange mites.
Apart from this, it is important to subject the dog's surroundings to a comprehensive basic cleaning. In particular, the care utensils as well as the sleeping place of the quadruped should be thoroughly cleaned. Otherwise, it is very likely that the dog will soon fall ill again with mange.
Is mange curable in dogs?
Normally, the treatment of mange in dogs is not too much of a problem. However, it is very important to counteract the mange mites as early as possible. Otherwise, the dog affected by mange will only suffer unnecessarily long and the symptoms associated with mite infestation will become increasingly difficult to eliminate.
Can mange be prevented in dogs?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to prevent scabies in dogs with one hundred percent certainty. Nevertheless, there are some things you can do to at least significantly reduce the likelihood of an infestation with grave mites.
You can reduce the risk of scabies in your dog by taking the following measures:
- When walking your dog, look out for dogs with noticeable skin lesions.
- Ensure that your dog does not come into contact with wild animals (especially foxes).
- Pay sufficient attention to the care of your dog's coat.
- Clean the sleeping area of your four-legged friend regularly, including the pillows and blankets.
Bellfor products for dogs with mange
In the Bellfor range, you will not only find high-quality dog food made from natural ingredients, but also a range of high-quality care products and food supplements that are useful for dogs with mange.
Bellfor Vermin Health Shampoo for Dogs
Bellfor Vermin Health is a natural dog shampoo with insect fat and margosa extract. Thanks to its special composition, the shampoo has a repellent (deterrent) effect on mites. In this way, Vermin Health can make a valuable contribution to counteracting parasites in your dog.
Get to know Bellfor Vermin Health.
Bellfor Immun strengthens the immune system
If a dog suffers from mange, this is a considerable strain on the four-legged friend's defences. A dietary supplement with Bellfor Immun can help to strengthen the dog's immune system naturally.
Bellfor Lying Callus Ointment for small wounds
Since dogs with mange often scratch themselves because of the strong itching, smaller wounds are not uncommon. With callus ointment from Bellfor you can treat them and support the healing of the stressed skin.
Our conclusion on the subject of mange in dogs
As you can see, mange is associated with extremely unpleasant symptoms for dogs. In addition, the mange mites, including their larvae and eggs, are very easily transmitted to other dogs and can also infect them.
Without suitable countermeasures, mange can even become life-threatening for dogs in the worst case. To counteract the massive skin changes that mange mites cause in dogs and to prevent further health consequences, it is therefore very important to start treatment as soon as possible.
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