help my 6 month old had mites

Question
QUESTION: I have a 6 month old with the case of mites. The vet said that she could have got it from her mom. She previosly had it when she was 5 months old and we went into treatment. They went away but like the vet says there might be a chance of it coming back.  And it did now that she is 6 months old.  We give her Ivermectin in syrup but this time it is taking a long time for it to go away. She itches alot and she get these little red bumps that spreads throught her back. Now she has even lost her hair in her back.  The vet said that it is going to take some time but i have seen in the web others ways that you can help your dog go trough this and help them heal faster.  Are there certain things i can feed her or shampoos that can help with the itching and how can i stop her from loosing her hair?  Please help me i really love my dog and hate seeing her this way. also what do you think of the nutro natural choice dog food?

ANSWER: I would stick with your vet's treatment.  Do you have her on a heartworm remedy?  Most of them such as the Heartgard+ and Revolution that I use, prevent mites and other worms too.  It is important to have a dog on heartworm remedy in most, but not all, parts of the USA.  If you have mosquitoes, and your vet hasn't suggested a heartworm check and remedy, perhaps you need another vet.  

The Nutro Natural Choice is a big favorite of those willing to spend what it takes for the best.  Unfortunately, I don't like some of the reports on the web, see http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/nutro.html  The web is a vast repository of disinformation about dogs, especially on chow.  I am sure much of it is written by somebody selling expensive chows such as the small distributors Nutro uses.  I trusted vets' word on chow more before they all started selling Science Diet.  We have an expert here that has a web site where she sells what she recommends.  I found the Woodhaven site years ago, and most of the material there is consistent with what I have learned places I know I can trust. When it comes to nutrition, they are one of the more balanced sites presenting both sides of controversies.  I find some of their material excessively occupied with ingredients.  Nutro avoids the ''bad'' ingredients, but I am seeing reports of dogs' coats falling off that eat it.  Pro Plan includes ''bad'' ingredients, but I personally have seen thousands of dogs thriving in it and very few with problems.  I also know of many doing fine on Iams and other regular dog chows.  I was seeing dogs thriving on Pro Plan in the 90's before there was all the garbage on the net about ingredients.  I can only conclude those claiming it has bad ingredients don't know what they are talking about or are lying.  I do not have the solid data I would like to have before I condemned Nutro.  Too many people have strong opinions based on a few anecdotes.  Many of them don't seem to understand what I am saying when I ask for real proof.   If I had a dog I was feeding Nutro and had a problem with its coat, I would switch to a more popular chow.

I seldom bathe a dog, and suggest avoiding it if it has a skin or coat problem.  Give it a brushing every day with a soft bristled brush.

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QUESTION: My vet says that she doesnt need the heartworm because the medicine that she is taking helps with the
worms so it is not needed while she is in it.  How can i get her hair to grow back any lotions?  what do you think of the aims for sensitive skin that supposevly hepls with the itching and shedding? what would be a good food for her.? thank you so much for your help

Answer
I would try treating the areas with an oil, perhaps plain liquid cooking oil.  Usually they are corn oil, harmless if she licks it of and a rich source of the linoleic acid dogs need.  

As for chow, I don't think you can go wrong feeding a regular dry chow such as Pro Plan, Iams, or even make your vet happy by feeding Science.