Demodex Mites

Question
Thanks so much for your advice regarding my concern about my four month-old english bulldog's pink skin. I noticed a couple of small patches of missing hair on her head and neck so I brought her to the vet, who diagnosed her with a mild case of demodex mites. He prescribed an ointment to apply to the affected areas once a day for the next couple of weeks. I'm not sure how contagious this condition is, so should I not allow her to play with other dogs until her skin clears up? She absolutely loves going to the dog park so I would feel terrible about not letting her go if this mild case won't be harmful to other dogs. Thanks again for your help!

Answer
Demodex isn't contagious since all dogs carry the mites. It's a suppressed immune system that causes the mites to burrow in and cause the condition you're seeing now. This (the poor immune system) is a genetic defect and the dog should be spayed once the demodex is resolved.