Mitaban Dip

Question
My two 5 mo. old, 3 lb. papillons have been diagnosed with Demodex and have been dipped with Mitaban.  One of my little girls reacted with an aggressive change of personality and complete loss of appetite and was sedentary for three days.  The other just loss of appetite along with being sedentary.  They are supposed to be dipped every week for the next three or four weeks before being spayed.  I do trust my Vet., but I admit this scares me.  My Vet did, however, say she would reduce the dosage next time.  What would you do if my little ones were yours?

Answer
I do not like Mitaban at all because of it's potential toxicity. The standard protocol for treating Demodex is by using oral Ivermectin daily at a dose of 300-400 micrograms per kg of weight. The treatment is tolerated very well and has no apparent side effects. The treatment is continued one month beyond a negative skin scrape so the puppies may be on it for several months. There are certain breeds that cannot take Ivermectin due to a genetic sensitivity to the drug. These breeds include collies, shelties, australian cattle dogs, australian shep., etc. Papillons are not one of the breeds that I get concerned with having a reaction. For sensitive breeds the drug of choice is Milbemycin(Interceptor). Ivermectin and Interceptor are meds used for heart worm prevention that also can be used to treat Demodex. Please talk to your vet about these other options as Mitaban is very nasty stuff.
Dr. Gifford