Advice sought about possible Mange in a Staffy

[Mollys_mum]

Lol! I wasn't sure whether or not to post this here or in general health; Mange is Mange I guess, whatever the breed, but here goes.

I got an email from my mum this morning and she mentioned that her 1 year old dog still has mange. I asked her what the vet was treating it with since I was aware of the dog having a skin condition many, many months ago, so it surprised me to hear that it is still ongoing.

After a couple of replies to my emails, I asked her to post me some pic's and write a brief history so that I could post it on here. TBH, I haven't seen Mange in over 20 years, and the treatment for it, as I recall, was a chemical in a large plastic container that was mixed with water and then used to bath the dog in. I have not heard of flea treatment being used for Mange. In short, I can't advise her, so I wondered if someone here might be able to look at the pic's and see what they think?

She has written a bit of history to it all which I have copied from an email and pasted below:

"Hello, hope some one can advise me about my Staffy, Lilly.

Last October I went away for a week and left Lilly with a relative. When I got back and took Lily home she would not stop scratching her ears and face , previous to going away Lilly had been having frontline, but just as a flea treatment and had not had any problems with it.

I took Lilly to the vets and they told me to treat her with stronghold as she had mange and strong hold was the only thing that would treat it. After about 3 months it started to clear up; her hair was growing back on her ears and so on. I did think that it might have been puppy mange originally and wondered if she’d got it from her mother but I went away again last March for a week again , and 3 of those days Lilly spent with my relative. (Lilly was still on her treatment with strong hold at the time.)

When I got Lilly home she would not stop scratching again. I phoned the vet and they said not to worry as the stronghold was working, so since then Lilly has had stronghold every month - but it does not work! She has scratched so much that her ears bleed. We saw the vet 3 weeks ago and she looked in her ears (they are clear) , and was told to keep up with the strong hold. I have tried Lemon wash and also wipes with tea tree oils, plus wipes with aloe and oatmeal: they do help a little with the itching.

I’m now at a loss as what to do for Lilly. I find it hard to keep going to the vets as I am only on a pension. I do have access to the PDSA but the vet said that the PDSA will not pay for flea treatment. Surely Lilly’s condition wouldn’t count as flea treatment, would it?

Going back to Lilly staying with my relative, she has 3 cats and I believe one of them had mange so I am pretty sure now that is were Lilly got it from.

I have put up some photos of Lilly so that you can all see the problem.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give to me.

Kind regards from a concerned lover of dogs. "

[Mollys_mum]

Bump! Anyone?

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Is it definitely mange? I've heard ov dogs having reactions to flea treatments so could it be that? Has the dog had a skin scrape / tests to rule things out??

Eta dogs can also be allergic to fleas aswell does your mum deflea the house too?

Sent from my ST18i using Forum Runner

[Emma]

Might be worth getting a second opinion from either the PDSA or a different vets clinic.

Edit: Forgot to ask if it was just affecting the ears as my staffy has had ongoing problems with 'ear canker' for the last 3 years or so. Her ear passage gets dry and swollen, the skin dries out on the back of her ear and the fur comes off a little. She shakes her head and scratches her ears alot (had to have a blood swelling removed once where she over scratched). It's treated with either surolan or some other new drug that works quite well but eventually (after 6 months usually), we have to go back as it's flared up again.

Edited June 10, 2012 by emma1979

[Ron Tao&Sky]

have a read of this............Ron

Mange[h=3]The mystery of mange[/h]

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• Introduction
  
• Demodectic
  
• Cheyletiella
  
• Sarcoptic
  

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[h=3]Introduction[/h]Mangy mutt! is a curse uttered when Fido steals the roast or eats the garage door, or it's a sad lament over the condition of a dog whose skin is a mess. Kids are cautioned not to touch a mangy dog for fear that the mange will ooze from the hapless pooch to the child and cause his skin to rot and his hair to fall out.

These myths about mange reach gigantic proportions causing fear to strike in the hearts of dog owners. Mange? Not my dog!

But it could well be your dog.

Mange comes in three varieties: Demodectic, Cheyletiella and Sarcoptic. It is caused by different species of mites, tiny eight-legged critters related to spiders.

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[h=3]Demodectic Mange[/h]Demodectic mange is caused by Demodex canis, a tiny mite that cannot be seen without the aid of a microscope. This mange strikes puppies from three to 12 months old.

The demodex mite is commonly present in the pores of puppy skin and usually does not cause symptoms, and it not at all certain what causes them to activate. The mites can produce a substance that lowers the dog's resistance to them and make use of an opportunity to multiply.

It's also possible that some lines of purebred dogs carry lowered resistance to the mites, and that stress can trigger an active infestation. In any case, demodectic mange symptoms include thinning of the hair around the eyes and mouth and on the front legs that evolves into patches of hair loss approximately one inch in diameter. This mange may correct itself within three months or may require treatment.

However, demodectic mange can also begin as a localized infestation and develop into a generalized case with multiple hair-loss sites on the dog's head, legs, and body. This is a far more serious condition and requires veterinary attention. The dog's skin is sore, crusty, and oozing; the hair follicles are clogged with mites and debris. Treatment is extended and requires bathing in medicated shampoo and application of an insecticide to kill the mites.

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[h=3]Cheyletiella mange[/h]Cheyletiella mange is also known as walking dandruff. It affects puppies and is caused by a large reddish mite that can be seen under a magnifying glass. This mange is identified by the dandruff dusting that occurs over the dog's head, neck, and back.

Walking dandruff is highly contagious but short-lived. It causes mild itching. The mite that causes the mange dies a short time after leaving the host.

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[h=3]Sarcoptic mange[/h]Sarcoptic mange, also known as scabies, is caused by a microscopic mite. The female mite causes the characteristic intense itching as they burrow under the skin to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch in a few days, develop into adults, and begin laying their own eggs in less than three weeks.

Dogs with scabies dig and bite at themselves with great ferocity. Their skin reacts with oozing sores, and secondary infection may set in, requiring treatment with an antibiotic in addition to treatment for the mites. Unfortunately, the sarcoptic mange mite can be difficult to find in skin scrapings, and unless the veterinarian parts the hair and carefully examines the bare skin for the characteristic pin-point bite marks, diagnosis is difficult. Furthermore, the presence of a secondary skin infection can hamper the search for the mite bite marks.

Telltale signs of sarcoptic mange are crusty ear tips, fierce itching, and hair loss, particularly on the ears, elbows, legs, and face in the early stages. Later on, the hair loss spreads throughout the body.

Sarcoptic mange is contagious to canines and humans. If the dogs share sleeping places or if the infected dog sleeps on beds or furniture, everyone will begin scratching. It is not unheard of for the family dog to infest the kids, the kids to infest their playmates, and the playmates to infest their pets and parents with scabies. Fortunately scabies in humans is self-limiting, that is the mite can burrow under the skin and cause itching, but cannot complete its life cycle on humans and dies within a few weeks.

Veterinarians now use Ivermectin in two doses, two weeks apart, to kill the mites. They may also prescribe steroids for short-term use to relieve the itching until the mites begin to die off and give the dog some relief. Itching usually begins to subside within a few days of the first dose of Ivermectin.

Canine skin damaged by sarcoptic mange and secondary skin infections can take weeks or months to recover, depending on the scope of the problems. Frequent medicated baths may be necessary to soothe irritated skin.

Mange damage can mimic that caused by other skin conditions, including autoimmune diseases, bacterial infections secondary to flea allergies, and contact dermatitis, making it impossible for the pet owner to diagnose with any success. If your dog suffers from irritated, itchy skin, make an appointment with the veterinarian. Early diagnosis of any of these problems will give you a head start on a cure and will be less uncomfortable for the dog and your wallet.

[h=5]Norma Bennett Woolf[/h]

[Mollys_mum]

Many thanks for the replies all. I'll copy this thread link to her so that she can have a read of your replies.

Sadly, the PDSA will not even look at 'flea' prob's - yes, you read that correctly; this condition falls under the umbrella of routine treatments.

Nix - no skin scrapings were done. Most odd, however, is using a flea treatment to cure Mange. I've never heard of it. I might be wrong, but everything I read on the net yesterday pointed in the direction of medicated baths etc.

[mydiamond]

I don't know anything about mange but I do know that you need to do a skin scraping to see if it's really a mange or not and how bad is it. Any other vet around? time for a second opinion I guess flea treatment won't work.

[Stranger]

I would advise, if not already doing so, getting a Cone for her to wear, this will stop her from scratching and making it sore, and transfering whatever it is to other areas of her body.

this may also help clear it up, as when things heal they tend to itch.