Mites on 5 week old Bassets

Question
QUESTION: Why do my 5 week old Basset babies have mites, or something from momma Molly??  What can I safely use on my precious babys??  They stay inside for now untill they receive their first set of shots.  I sure would appreciate a bit of wisdom on this very troubling matter.  Thank you.

ANSWER: Hi Alice,

Calm down, take a breath =)  Demodex mites live everywhere.  On dogs, on us, etc.  They live in the hair folicle on dogs and are passed from mother to puppy when nursing.  The good news is that only cause problems if the mother's immunities (which are passed to the puppy through milk) are low and/or the puppy hasn't received or had a chance to build up immunities.  If you've not had a problem with your bitch and mange, chances are good that the puppies won't either.

Scarcoptic mites, on the other hand, are more worrisome.  They are spread more readily from animal to animal.  

You're about a week from your first set of shots, correct?  Tell your vet what is going on and he/she may want to do a skin scraping and look at the mites under a microscope to confirm that they are of the Demodex variety.

There should be no need for treatment at this time.  Only when the puppy begins to lose hair, has itching, etc. is mange diagnosed and treatment warranted.

If your vet raises concern after doing scrapings, you must be sure to tell the prospective parents/guardians of the puppies that they need to watch for mange.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: First of all let me thank you for friendly, prompt service, and great wisdom, I do believe Momma Molly did pass something to babies, again, is there something I can do until I get them to the vet??  Thank you again Nicole.  Alice

Answer
Hi, you're welcome.  :)

There's really nothing to do unless it's just making you absolutely crazy.  If that's the case, you can bathe them with a diluted puppy shampoo or human baby shampoo.  That won't get rid of them completely but should help a bit.  :)

Just make sure to bring it up at the vet and ask about a skin scraping so you can be sure they're the 'good' mites.  ;)