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Sarcoptic Mange and Inexpensive Treatment

Sarcoptic mite infestation on a dog's face Sarcoptic mange, commonly

known as canine scabies is caused by the external parasite Sarcoptes scabiei.

These microscopic mites can invade the skin of healthy dogs or puppies and

create a variety of skin problems, the most common of which is hair loss and

severe itching. While they will infect all types of animals and even humans,

they are a particular nuisance for dogs. Sarcoptic mange mites are extremely

easy for any dog to catch, but also, they are very easy to get rid off. In this

article, I will provide a very effective and inexpensive way to treat and rid

your dog of this pesky parasite.

Red Fox with advanced Sarcoptic Mange Mites Sarcoptic mange can infect

all ages and breeds of dogs. This particular mite infects all types of farm

animals, cats, dogs, foxes, coyotes, and all other types of warm-blooded, fur

bearing mammals and even infects humans. Their are several species of sarcoptic

mites and each species of mite prefers one specific kind of host (e.g.; dog),

but will also infect all other species within the animal kingdom. Since all of

these species of mites have a similar life cycle and respond to the same

treatment, I will assume that the vast majority of dog infections are caused by

the mite Sarcoptes scabiei and I will explain how to treat accordingly.

The mites usually spend their entire life on a dog. The female mite

burrows into the skin and lays eggs several times as she continues burrowing.

These tunnels can actually reach the length of several centimeters. After she

deposits the eggs, the female mite dies. In 3-8 days, the eggs hatch into larvae

which have 6 legs. The larvae mature into nymphs which have 8 legs. The nymph

then molts into an adult while it is still in the burrow. The adults mate, and

the process continues. The entire life cycle requires 2-3 weeks.

Sarcoptic Mange MiteSarcoptes Mite Greatly Magnified The mites prefer to

live on the dog, but will live for several days off of the host in the

environment; thus, sarcoptic mange mites are an environmental problem and not a

genetic problem like with demodectic mange mites (aka red mange). In cool moist

environments, sarcoptic mites can live for up to 22 days in the environment and

not on a host. At normal room temperature in a home, they will live from 2 to 6

days. Because of the mite's ability to survive off the host, dogs can become

infected without ever coming into direct contact with another infected dog.

The symptoms are varied but usually include hair loss and severe itching

on the top of the head, elbows, ears, armpits, hocks, chest, and ventral abdomen

(belly). The mites prefer to live on areas of the skin that have less hair. As

the infection worsens it can spread over the entire body. Small red pustules

often develop along with yellow crust on the skin. Because of the severe itching

and resultant scratching from the dog, the skin soon becomes traumatized and a

variety of sores and infections can develop as a result. The itching seems to be

much worse in warm conditions such as indoors or near a stove or heat vent. If

the infection goes on untreated or is mistakenly treated as an allergy (#1

misdiagnosis by Vets), the skin may darken due to the constant irritation, and

the surrounding lymph nodes may become enlarged.

Sarcoptic mange is an extremely common infection and many cases have

often been misdiagnosed as severe allergy to a certain type of dog food or

environmental plants. In many parts of the US and Canada including all of North

and South America, there are more dogs with sarcoptic mange than their are with

ticks, fleas, lice, or even ear mites. For these reasons, any time I see a dog

with severe itching, and no fleas or ticks are seen on the dog's skin, I have to

automatically suspect sarcoptic mange as the culprit.

Sarcoptes Mite The intense itching caused by the sarcoptic mite is

actually thought to be caused from a severe allergic reaction to the mite. When

dogs are initially infected with Sarcoptes they do not develop itching for

several weeks. If the animals are treated and then reinfected at a later time,

severe itching starts almost immediately, which indicates the itching may be due

to an allergic reaction. However, the standard treatments for allergies

generally will not decrease the symptoms of scabies, and will do nothing to cure

the disease. This is again the exact reason to always assume scabies and treat

accordingly.

Trying to get a diagnosis for scabies can be very frustrating to say the least.

The standard method that a Vet will use is to perform a skin scraping and then

identify the organism under the microscope. Unfortunately, on average, only

twenty (20%) percent of the infected dogs will show Sarcoptes mites on any given

scraping. Therefore, if a dog has a positive skin scraping the diagnosis is

confirmed, but a negative scraping does not rule out sarcoptic mange. Therefore,

most diagnoses are made based on history and response to treatment for scabies.

Also, many Vets are now charging as much as $50 or more to perform a skin

scraping. Therefore, it is easier and less expensive to simply be proactive and

treat for sarcoptic mites rather than to pay for an office visit, skin scraping,

and prescription Vet treatments.

Sarcoptes Life Cycle in a Dog There are several ways to treat scabies,

and in this and the next paragraph, I will tell you how Vets treat the problem;

then I will tell you how I treat the problem much more effectively and

inexpensively. When I was a kid growing up on a farm in Illinois, the best

treatment for all types of external parasites in all types of animals was

Dursban (Chlorpyrifos), but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has since

banned this effective and inexpensive product. After the banning of Dursban, the

next most effective treatment had been to clip the dog if it had long hair,

bathe it with a benzoyl peroxide shampoo to cleanse the skin, and then apply an

organophosphate dip (Paramite). Amitraz dips and Mitaban (also

organophosphates), and lime sulfur dips (Lymdip) have also been used

effectively. The animals are usually dipped once every two weeks for two to

three times. While effective, these dips are very messy to apply and unpleasant

for both the owner and the dog. Because the dip must come in contact with the

mites and many mites live on the face and ears of dogs, great care must be

exercised when applying these dips to these sensitive areas. The dips can be

toxic to humans and are not suitable for very young, old, or debilitated

animals. In addition, there are some reported cases of resistance to these dips

in some cases of mange.

Fortunately, there are several other products that have been extremely

effective, safe, and convenient in treating sarcoptic mange. Selamectin

(Revolution) is a newer product, which is a topical solution that is applied

once a month and provides heartworm prevention, flea control, some tick

protection and protection against Sarcoptic mange. Liquid ivermectin is another

alternative that is sometimes used. It is used at much higher concentrations

that are found in heartworm preventives (e.g., Heartgard). Ivermectin should not

be used in Collies or Shetland sheep dogs and should be used with caution in the

herding breeds. In dogs that are sensitive to ivermectin, some veterinarians

have been having success using milbemycin oxime (Interceptor) at an off-label

dose. In addition to treating the dog, the environment can be treated with a

residual insecticide (e.g.; permethrin).

The cost to effectively keep sarcoptic mange mite infestations out of your

Beagles may be entirely too much if you take your dog(s) to a Veterinarian. As

already stated, a Vet will charge you for an office visit plus the cost of skin

scrapings, and prescription Amitraz solutions like Paramite and Mitaban. The

cost for the Veterinarian treatments along with the cost of the office visits

will add up to a lot of money per year, especially if you have more than one

Beagle. Once again, I want to remind everyone that I am not a Veterinarian, but

rather a long time Beagle kennel owner. I'll tell you what I use and do, you can

use your own judgment whether you want to follow in my footsteps. This article

is presented only as a documentation of how I treat sarcoptic mange mite

(scabies) infestations in the Beagles that I own at a fraction of the cost that

a Veterinarian will charge you.

Prolate®/Lintox®-HD

What I do is buy Prolate®/Lintox®-HD from Lambert Vet Supply without a

prescription and for a lot less money. Prolate is an extremely effective,

topical insecticide that works just as good or even better than prescription

Amitraz products such as Paramite® (topical) and Mitaban® (oral). Prolate is

bottled and labeled for use as a topical insecticide for livestock use such as

cows, pigs, horses, etc. I buy the one-gallon size jug of the Prolate solution

for $50.95 (accurate price as of 04/27/2008) per gallon. Simply click on the

picture to the left of this paragraph and order a gallon jug of Prolate today.

(NOTE: Lambert Vet Supply is not a sponsor of BEAGLES UNLIMITED and we do not

make a cent by referring them to you. They do have the absolute lowest prices

available to help all of us keep our Beagles in great health while we save

hundreds of dollars each and every year. Here is more information about Lambert

Vet Supply.)

This one gallon jug of Prolate is enough topical insecticide to use off-label

and treat a huge kennel full of Beagles for several months or even years. If you

have more than one Beagle to treat with a topical insecticide for a sarcoptic

mange mite outbreak, I highly recommend you follow in my footsteps and buy and

use the one gallon size jug of this medication and then you can make a solution

just like the expensive, prescription dips you get from the Vet.

All you have to do is mix 1 ounce (1 oz.) of Prolate per 1 gallon of water.

You can then place the highly effective mix in a dipping barrel, a commercial

sprayer, or even a small household spray bottle. You then simply dip or spray

down your dogs being careful not to get it in the eyes or mouth of you or your

dog. You can also use the spray as a kennel spray to eliminate all mites located

in the kennels, dog runs, dog houses, or other sleeping areas. I directly put

the Prolate on each and every dog/pup three (03) times per week for about two

(02) weeks in a row. This assures that you kill any mites that are on the outer

skin or hair of your dog(s). The mites that are buried under the skin will not

be affected by the spray and that is why the multiple treatments, so that you

kill all the mites as they come to the outer skin and hair.

This one gallon jug of prolate is enough topical insecticide to make 128

gallons of topical insecticide dip or spray with the exact same effectiveness as

the Paramite or Mitaban that a Vet will prescribe at a tremendous cost savings.

The Vets are currently prescribing Mitaban (oral medication) at the cost of

$22.25 or more for a lousy 10.6 ml vial; often times, one oral treatment is not

enough to work 100% effectively. If you only have 2 or 3 Beagles, you can buy

the Prolate in a 1 quart (1 qt.) size for $18.31 (accurate price as of

04/27/2008) and that would make you 32 gallons of the mix. The Prolate dip/spray

works wonders on sarcoptic mites, ear mites, lice, and even ticks. The mix will

be a milky white color and it will smell like common household bug sprays such

as Black Flag or Raid. Make sure you always stir dips and shake sprays to get a

good mixture before each use. When dipping a dog, dip the entire body from the

tail up to the base of the ears and then use a rag that is saturated in the

solution to rub the face around eyes and mouth. If you are using a sprayer, make

sure to saturate all hair loss areas and all healthy hair/skin for several

inches around the hair loss areas and then spray regularly all over the rest of

the body.

No matter how you treat your Beagle(s) for sarcoptic mange mites, the main

thing is to do the treatment and follow ups correctly and in a timely manner. If

done correctly and in a timely manner, you will definitely see the mange spots

healing up with hair growing back into the hair loss areas. At this point you

can discontinue the treatments and only start them again if you see another

episode of mange developing. The Prolate dip/spray treatments are only designed

to kill the mites and thus stop the hair loss and bacterial skin infections. The

dog will look healthy and feel much better with no hair loss, skin infections,

or itching. REMEMBER, sarcoptic mange mites are an environmental problem and

these parasites are both very easy to catch from the environment or from any

kind of warm-blooded, mammals, but they are also very easy to exterminate from

your dog(s) and/or kennel.

Beagle Health Information

BEAGLES UNLIMITED

http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_sarcopticmange.htm