Ugh Mange

 Yup! Emma was a chronic demodex dog. She went completely bald, when she was 5 months! There are no photos, because I refuse to photograph my dogs when they're ill, like that. She was VERY sick. Callie has a lot of info, and Em reacted to the ivermectin the vet used to treat her, and she reacted to mitaban in small quantities, so we had to go the natural way. The vet read Callie's article, and fully supported me. He said it would work, as long as I was faithful about the baths and supplements. I was, and it did. She did break out, a few more times, over the years, but they were all less severe that the breakout before.

 Oh dear. o.o Simba's isn't that bad thank god. Apparently there's two treatments, if this is even what he has. A shot done by the vet and then us following up with oral medicine, or a bathing dip twice a week.

My dogs just can't be normal can they? :P

sl2crmeg

If it is demodectic, shoot me a PM - I have a TON of stuff (shampoos and essential oils) left from Tiki. It breaks my heart to see it in my bathroom so I'd be happy for Simba to get some use out of it.

Aw thank you! I definitely will pm ya if that's what we find it out to be. 

 The dip is mitaban. Look it up. It's extremely scary, and very toxic.

jennie_c_d

 The dip is mitaban. Look it up. It's extremely scary, and very toxic.

Seconded. Most vets don't even DO the dip anymore, I didn't think. Tiki got along just fine with frequent baths.

jennie_c_d

 The dip is mitaban. Look it up. It's extremely scary, and very toxic.

Wow. o.o Thanks for the heads up! I'll go look at this now and warn my mom.

Punkachica email me (don't PM -- **EMAIL** me) -- most of what Meg had for Tiki I helped her with cos demodex is something I know a ton about.  I will send you my article

 DON'T do the dips -- and honestly, don't use ivermectin either.  There are better ways to deal with it.  Between Meg and I we've not only "written the book" but we tote it around as well!  But what Meg doesn't have I do and I can help you with this. 

Essentially -- demodex is a genetically flawed immune system.  While they are young the immune system hasn't kicked in enough to keep the demodex mite under control.  So you can't just "kill" the mites -- they are everywhere (including on your face right now between your eyebrows and along the top of your nose).  Demodex mites are simply "normal" -- and the dog will encounter them for the rest of it's life.

1.  So you keep the mites under control with bathing JUST until you get the immune system to really functioning.

2.  You use some herbals to help boost the immune system and get it used TO doing what it needs to do

3.  You use some supplements and vitamins to help maximize the body so it can "be all it can be" -- help it function at it's peak.

All this takes time -- a couple of dips DO NOT usually do it.  And As Jennie says Mitaban is seriously  toxic.  If YOU, as the human, have diabetes you can't even HANDLE it (nor should you pet a dog that has been dipped in it). 

The dips AND ivermectin are really hard on the liver which can worsen the skin problems and make them not resolve.

Vets truly don't have a lot of things that work on demodex -- and it is VERY expensive to do what they give you.  The stuff Meg and I are talking about works -- it's work-intensive but it WORKS. 

Go opposite my name at the top of my post and click "contact" and then *email* me -- what I have to send you is an attachment and I can't do it with a PM.

calliecritturs

Punkachica email me (don't PM -- **EMAIL** me) -- most of what Meg had for Tiki I helped her with cos demodex is something I know a ton about. 

Exactly - I have half-ish of a bar of Pan-Oxyl 5% (which is probably worth it's weight in gold, I heard it was discontinued I think?) and then another half of the NEEM bar, and both lavender and tea tree oil, and the scrubby gloves (freshly washed, LOL). I have no problem throwing it all in a flat-rate box and sending it on to you, Andrea :)

Jason L

Ike just got a through a bout of mange. I mostly supplemented his diet with Vit B, Vit C, Vit E, and fish oil and that seemed to help. He is a month older than Simba. Sometimes pups just get them because of their immature or temporarily weaken immune systems.

It's more than that -- demodex IS genetic.

However -- when they are teething or when they are maturing (sexual maturation is THE biggest trigger for demodex) it can bring it back out.  But so can things like vaccines, or any stressor including the weather. 

Vitamins A & E are co-dependant in the body -- typically you supplement both.  C can be a double-edged sword - yes, by all means supplement it but it depends on the dog.  SOME dogs will get diarreha with 250 mg.  Some dogs can tolerate high doses.

Fish oil helps -- however *too much* will actually form free radicals in the body and turn against you. 

Suplements and vitamins are critical but take MONTHS to kick in -- but they change the body on a cellular level (which is a good thing) and help the body be better than it would otherwise be able to be.

 Interesting. I love all the information you guys give me! The vet said it might be dermatox, if that's even how its spelled. Simba is going through sexual maturation right now I'm sure, so that makes sense. I will email you callie, thanks!

 Didn't the shelter neuter him?

jennie_c_d

 Didn't the shelter neuter him?

Oh right. *Facepalm* I dunno why I thought he could still go through that.