# Puppy mange



## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

Dolly was at the vet's for her first checkup about 2 1/2 weeks ago. My vet said that Dolly had "puppy mange"...ie, the non-contagious, fairly common type. She gave us some ointment and told us to apply it once a day. She DID say it took a while to clear up, and to keep an eye open for new spots, esp. around her face. Right now she has a bad patch under her "elbow" and two small dots on her back.

Well, it's not getting any better! I know I need to call the vet, and I will on Monday, but I would love to hear anyone else's experience with this. Am I being too impatient? Is this a "worse before it gets better" thing? I think one spot is actually bigger than it was. I have not missed a day, and I really try to get that ointment down into her skin. I'm somewhat worried that it will suddenly spread and could be a problem. I can't find much about it on the net except about the mite that causes it, and that it IS hard to fight.

Also, I've read that good nutrition helps fight it. Right now she is on Puppy IAMS. Should I give her a supplement?

Thanks for any advice, "I've been there stories" or whatever you can tell me!


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## ~Jessie~ (Oct 30, 2005)

If I were you, I would switch out her dog food to something more nutricious. I have my puppies on Nutro Natural Choice, which is a really good food. I am actually planning on switching them to Innova, though, which is amazing. These foods have all natural ingredients in them with no fillers (Iams is made with corn, which is hard for dogs to digest). Nutro is sold in most pet stores such as Petsmart, and Innova is sold in some feed stores and specialty stores.


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

Thanks, yeah, I used Nutromax for my others dogs before we moved where there is NOT a store that sells it very close by. However, I think it might be worth the trip to Petsmart. I had heard that IAMS WAS good, although I was suspicious because we got it at Walmart (pricey, but available).

Ok, that's next on my list.


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## 2sparkly (Oct 11, 2005)

Spike had puppy mange, it did seem to get worse before it got better, but it only took a couple of days for the hair to stop breaking off and for new growth to start. 
After i took her to the vet and was told that the dips they had available might be overly toxic to my little girl (I found a new vet thereafter), I took her to the groomer, they had an all natural dip that they still diluted and then I bathed her for the next few days with Rotenone Shampoo, and I never had a problem again. Good luck, its hard to see them miserable.


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## peanutlover (Oct 8, 2005)

if your going to switch to nutro (which is definitely a step up from iams) switch to the new ultra. the natural choice doesnt have the stuff for the coat in it, and the food is only animal grade. 
ultra is supposably human grade (but its kinda between animal and human) it has a lot of good stuff in it for the coat. 
innova is a really good food, the only problem is if your switching from iams to innova, its a huge diff, and innova is known for causing diarria. just for like a week during the switch. 
so go with the ultra, innova, wellness, cal. ranch, or any other of the other human grade, no by-product containing brands, chis eat so little, the food lasts for so long, an extra 2 or 3 dollars every 2 or 3 months isnt a big deal.


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## ~Jessie~ (Oct 30, 2005)

I have to go and pick up some Innova this Monday. 

Even "pricey" food isn't bad when you have chihuahuas... they eat so little of it. My puppies take over a month to go through the smallest bag of food.


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

I'm definitely switching food. Thanks for the advice. I'm assuming all are available at Petsmart. I think I'll go with the Nutro Ultra because I don't want to deal with diarhhea at this point. I guess I'll mix them and make the gradual switch. She LOVES her Puppy IAMS, so this should be interesting!

I need to look into the dips as well. A friend told me that her puppy had puppy mange and the dips were $70 each time and she had to go four times! Yikes!


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

Koke has had Demodex 2 times.
My vet put her on liquid Ivermectin. It does take a while for it to get better. The dog has to stay on the Ivermectin for at least a month after a negative scraping.
You can also get a supplement for her coat that you put on her food that will help. I use Dermcaps.
Also you should get a shampoo that does folecular flushing. And wash her with it at least 2 times a week. The one I have is called Pyoben. You HAVE to leave it on for 10 minutes, then rinse it off. I washed her with it for about a month and then alternated between that and Epi-Soothe. Epi-Soothe if for itching. If your vet doesn't have the shampoos you can buy them online, it's probably cheaper to get them online anyway.
You have to get Ivermectin from your vet though. And during treatment you cannot put the regular flea treatment on or give the regular heartworm medicine. Ivermectin is the active ingreadient in the heartworm medicine, but for Demodex it's given in a higher dose.
The amount of Ivermectin is determined by the weight of the dog. 

See if your vet has internet access, she can find lots of information on how to treat with Ivermectin.
You can do a google search for Demodex and find lots of info too.

I hope she gets better soon. :wave:


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## peanutlover (Oct 8, 2005)

they dont all get diarria, and going from nutro natural choice to innova shouldnt be a problem at all. but from iams to innova i would probably be conserned about the diarria. they arent all availible at petsmart. but all the nutro stuff is. 
u have to go to an independant store or order online for innova and wellness. 
the good thing about petsmart is that if your dog doesnt like it they take it back
all the foods have good points and bad points. innova and wellness are really similiar except innova has cultured bacteria in it (good bacteria-like in yogart) and wellness uses a sweet potato in it instead of a whole potato like other foods. the sweet potato has a lot more nutrients and is easier on the stomach. 
ps the good food is a little more expenisive, but if they are on that, they shouldnt need any extra supplements except maybe one for their joints later in life. and i consider any food without by-products the good food. i think the ultra is a good choice.


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## MyTank (Sep 8, 2005)

my Chi Tank had demodectic mange, or whatever it's called lol. It's finally almost gone, but it took about 2 months to get this far. It looked pretty bad for awhile and it looks worse when you put on the ointment cuz you're removing all the dead hair caused by the mange. So at first it'll look bad and then worse, but it'll clear up after you're done with the ointment, at least it did with Tank. Good luck!


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## 2sparkly (Oct 11, 2005)

dolly'sgrandma said:


> I need to look into the dips as well. A friend told me that her puppy had puppy mange and the dips were $70 each time and she had to go four times! Yikes!


$70 is about the price the vet was gonna charge, but I guess i just lucked out with my groomer, cuz she only charged me $10 for the all natural dip.


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

Thank you all so much. This has been really informative. I will get the new food this weekend (Petsmart is 40 miles away) and I was glad to hear Tank's mom say it got worse before it got better (I didn't think about the hair loss) and also to learn from Sandy and Koke's mom about the Invermectin and shampoo. I do know that mange can "get away from you" and be a REAL problem, so I just want to get it while it is these few small spots. 

Meanwhile, my entire family met Dolly this weekend. She was the hit of the Thanksgiving gathering. My college age daughter might try to sneak her out of here when she goes! :lol:


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## cocopuff (Mar 27, 2004)

Ms_P said:


> Koke has had Demodex 2 times.
> My vet put her on liquid Ivermectin. It does take a while for it to get better. The dog has to stay on the Ivermectin for at least a month after a negative scraping.
> You have to get Ivermectin from your vet though. And during treatment you cannot put the regular flea treatment on or give the regular heartworm medicine. Ivermectin is the active ingreadient in the heartworm medicine, but for Demodex it's given in a higher dose.
> The amount of Ivermectin is determined by the weight of the dog.
> ...


CoCo had the same course of treatment. 42 days than skin scraping. That came back negative but she still had to do 42 more days of Ivermectin. I will always have to keep an eye on her for signs of it reaccuring.

I hope she feels better soon. =)


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

I ended up buying California Naturals...I think it's made by the same company that makes Innova. The guy at the store talked me into it. The good thing is that Dolly loves it. We are going 1/2 and 1/2 with the puppy IAMS and by the end of the week the switch will be made. So far, no tummy upsets.

I'm reading more and more about this darn mange and I find it really worrisome. I guess it's really a waiting game (I'm using Goodwinol ointment daily). I don't want to do the dips...very toxic. Dolly is a short-haired blondie and now I can't look at her without frantically wondering if every little dark spot is the mange. I pointed out a "new" one to my vet and she said it was a little cut (scar). I'm getting paranoid.

You guys have given me hope and I really have hope that the new food will help speed things along. Thanks!


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## LuvmySkippy (Oct 11, 2005)

Oh I know how you feel--Skippy was just diagnosed yesterday with demodectic (sp?) mange...The vet pointed it out---It didn't even register with me that the hair on her little head was getting thin...I thought it was lighter fur in that area.  We're also going the Goodwinol route. The vet did say it will look worse before it gets better. 
I hope your baby is better soon!


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

I'll be thinking of you too! And really, we should have a support group for this...it's starting to take over my life! I cannot wait till we have a clean bill of health. They are so tiny and sweet and precious.


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## smrabago (Nov 27, 2005)

Most dogs do not get diarrhea when switching foods. It is actually better to vary a dog's diet. Innova is good, but there are better ones on the market. Have you looked into a raw food diet?


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

I haven't looked into raw food. I had heard if you make a quick switch from food, the pup will have some tummy issues. SO far, we're doing well with the Innova. I guess I'll look into others when we finish this bag! The nearest Petsmart is 40 miles away, so I don't have as many opportunities to check out food.

She does like everything though. NOT a picky eater!


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

Innova is a good food. It's got the most Omega Fatty acids in it. Good for coat problems. If she likes it, let her eat it!


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

Actually, that's what the pet store guy told me. And she loves it. And she has made the switch with no tummy problems.

We'll see the vet next week. I hope, hope, hope that the vet sees a change for the better. I can't see it.


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

Does it look like it's getting worse or staying the same?


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

I would say it is staying the same. I really don't see improvement. Also, she is blonde, and has little "spots" here and there...the vet showed me one and said "this one is just a little scar from a cut". Well, I can't tell the difference and I panic if I see anything. I do think the food is helping her coat overall. It's nice and shiny.


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

As long as it's not getting worse, that's a good sign. It does take a good while for the hair to grow back. Hang in there!


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

Well, today I took a really good look at the small dots on her back. THEY seem worse. It's almost like they are running together. The hair grows over it, but it's sort of like a "comb-over"..if you look, there is bare skin underneath. The patch on her elbow (really no hair there...we thought it was scarring from an injury when we first got her), DOES look better. I think I can see some new hair growth there. The spots where it starts are so small, I can see why so many people are surprised when they are told it is mange.

I have not missed one day of her cream in three weeks and I'm the sort of person who forgets to finish my antibiotics or whatnot. I'm taking it all very seriously. Maybe that's why I am worried about no improvement.

Also, I read on the net that one vet calls Goodwinol cream (what I'm using) a "placebo". He says when there is improvement (80-90 percent of the time) it would have happened with no intervention.

But I keep trying!


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## Ms_P (Apr 25, 2004)

The dots you are seeing could be a bacterial infection starting.
Koke got it pretty bad and had to have several kinds of antibiotic before it went away. She also had a yeast infection in her skin.
Keep an eye on the bumps, if they get worse mention it to the vet and see if you can get an antibiotic.
The yeast infection makes their skin look kind of puffy and smells real musky. Hopefully your little girl won't get that.


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## dolly'sgrandma (Nov 8, 2005)

Right now it's more like small dark dots under her fur. I really wouldn't even notice them in a "normal" situation, but I'm paranoid. However, I agree that I need to watch them. I'm dying to go to the vet's sooner, but I've been on the phone with her and she isn't worried (having seen Dolly about 3 weeks ago). It's not like it's raging or anything. Just not getting better. Argh.


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