[IheartAllie]

Well well well... I have a 14 week old Lab/Beagle mix that I rescued about 4 weeks ago from a Rescue/Animal Shelter. At first, she had Kennel Cough which has GREATLY improved and we thought she was almost over (she is only coughing once in a while now)!

But, once one thing goes away... here comes another! She now has demodectic mange. Poor baby!! She's lost ALOT of hair on her face and a little bit on her hind legs and her armpits. The vet wanted to try a new med which is a flea & tick medication that has the same ingredients that the dips have. It's called Promeris. I've read several articles saying it has treated mange WONDERFULLY although it is not approved by the FDA to treat mange! I am aware that is going to get worse before it gets better and that it has... but still I want to be able to do something more before it permanently damages her skin/hair follicles. Anyways, I have to put some more medicine on her in about 2 1/2 weeks and then a week later, go back to the vet and have another skin scraping done.

It's obvious that her immune system was not up to par as she had been in the shelter eating cheap dog food and fairly bony. She came to us and has packed on some pounds! I am feeding her high protein food... Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's soul, as we have with all of our other labs.

For those of you not familiar with the food here at the Ingredients:
Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, ocean fish meal, cracked pearled barley, whole grain brown rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), white rice, oatmeal, millet, potatoes, egg product, tomato pomace, duck, salmon, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, salmon oil (source of DHA), choline chloride, dried chicory root, kelp, carrots, peas, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, L-carnitine, dried fermentation products of Enterococcus faecieum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Crude Protein 28%
Crude Fat 17%
Crude Fiber 3%
Moisture 10%
Sodium 0.3%
Zinc 180 mg/kg
Selenium 0.4 mg/kg
Vitamin E 300 IU/kg
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 3.3%
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.5%
DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) 0.05%


Okay, so my question is..... is there a good vitamin to give her to supplement what she is getting from her food? My main concern with her is... getting her the vitamins she needs to boost her immune system and induce hair growth when her skin is healed from the mange and from now on since she seems susceptible to so many ailments in her young 14 week old life!

PLEASE HELP!! THANKS!

[CorkyMax]

Treatment for the Signs of Dog Mange
Different treatments are used depending on the type of mange your dog has and the age of the dog.
For younger dogs the mange should heal itself in 6 to 8 weeks. Cases of several months are not unusual.

Canine Mange DipYou Veterinarian will often prescribe Paramite dip (an organophosphate), Mitaban dip (Amitraz) not available over the counter. Mitaban can be particularly toxic to animals. The disease typically resolves within one month to six months of application of treatments.

You may also use Dermisil for Pet Mange . This is a way to treat the mange outbreak without prescription. It mixes with your dog's normal shampoo making for easier application.

When using a dip such as Paramite or Mitaban wear gloves and only use in a place with good ventilation. Sponge on the dip for 10 minutes, allowing your dog’s feet to soak in the rinse. Let the dip dry on the dog. Repeat the process every 2 weeks (read the directions on the dip carefully). Keep your dog from getting wet between treatments.

Treatments should continue for 3 months. There are side effects (most often seen in puppies) such as tiredness, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and an odd walk or gait.

Antihistamine for Itching – Itching can be helped with antihistamines such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) with dosage based on your dog’s weight (1 to 3 milligrams per pound).

If you have more than one pet or dog, you should treat all animals in the house. Dog products usually cannot be used on cats so check all labels before using. Also, mites can jump to humans so wash after handling.


DO NOT use motor oil for Canine Mange. The oil can be toxic if licked by your pet. DO NOT use corticosteroids Also corticosteroids (cortisone) may control the itch, but actually lowers immunity to mites, allowing them to multiply faster. .

Supplements for signs of Dog Mange
Vitamins with fatty acids are good for canine skin disorders.


http://www.dermisil.com/products/pet.../pet_mange.asp

[CorkyMax]

About Supplements

By the way, that sounds like a pretty good dog food compared to a lot of the 'commercial crap' out there! But I have to say I don't feed commercial dog food at all---I feed raw and some home-cooked.

One thing I just thought of though---Is this puppy food or dog food?

You might go on the net or find a book at library to find out how much to give as far as supplements go---Pretty young puppy to give big doses of things! Too much can be more harmful than not enough!

[CorkyMax]

This was a question asked and here are a couple of the answers given by members of another forum:
D-mange is very easily treated without meds. D-mange is a sign of a stressed or compromised immune system. Simply feeding a quality diet, reducing all stress in the dogs life,using Goodwinol ointment on the affected spots and time should be all that is needed. Some meds vets prescribe often make things worse.
Sarcoptic mange is different and does require medication.




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[CorkyMax]

You didn't say how bad the demodectic mange is, how old the dog is, what breed or how long your dog has had mange. Most of the time if your pet is still a puppy you have a better chance for not only full recovery but possibly never having to deal with this mange problem again.
Most sources say a puppies' immune system is "set" by the time they are 9 months old. Others will extend that to around 18 months but obviously the younger, the better at this point since demodectic mange is an immune deficiency problem passed down from the mother. It's harder to establish and maintain a strong immune system if the dog is older but it's still not impossible.
The first thing you need to do is work on building the immune system! Check out the ingredients of your dog's food. Make sure the first 2-3 ingredients are meat...not corn or grains. Since dogs are carnivores (meat eaters), they have to have meat in their diet and dogs with demodectic mange have to have a lot of high protein meat with vital nutrients, minerals and supplements. If your dog is fairly young and only has a couple small areas of mange, sometimes just changing his food and adding vitamins/supplements will cure the mange problem.

Understand the meds from the vet most often prescribed for demodectic mange are poisons and insecticides which will only harm the immune system, especially if used long term. Usually flea medicine is prescribed for sarcoptic mange but some vets rely on the same meds for both demodectic and sarcoptic mange. They are definitely very different and have to treated differently. Demodectic mange is not contagious while sarcoptic is and requires treating the environment to prevent reinfestation.

Demodectic mange is sometimes triggered by stress so be sure to keep stress levels down to a minimum and although most dogs aren't itching insanely with demodectic mange, they are still miserable. It's a good idea to follow the same rules we as humans do when we get sick. Eat healthy, take vitamins and get a lot of rest. Remember you should be treating the problem (immune system) and the symptoms (bald or raw spots) will go away. Taking him for a walk to get some exercise is always a good idea, too. If your dog is older than 9 months and has a few spots larger than the size of a pencil eraser, topical treatment is definitely the answer. Try using a natural demodectic treatment instead of the poisons so while you are boosting the immune system, the treatment will work along with the healthier lifestyle instead of against it.

Remember too that it does sometime get worse before it gets better as the mites are going through their cycles. Demodectic mange did not happen overnight and cannot be cured overnight either but with a natural mange medication, you should see positive results within the first 48 hours.

To answer your question "what happens if you don't treat demodectic mange" that is going to rely on the the factors I asked about intially. The younger the dog, the amount of areas affected by mange mites, the length of time he's had mange, his breed, his overall health and his diet will greatly determine the outcome.
Source(s):
www.EverydaySolutionsRx.com/MangeThis doesn't work for me--at least it tell you where this article came from!

[Pet food store owner]

High dosages of vitamin c, specifically "ester" c has shown to be helpful in dealing with mange as it boosts the immune system. Omaga 3, 6, and 9 is also very good for helping the skin and coat. A good dog food is a must with out any fillers.