QuestionHi, i believe my pit bull female who is about to turn 1 yr. old may have mange.
She has 2 bald spots on her thigh area, and then a bit of hair missing on her tail. It is not alot of hair missing, but enough to notice. She is not itching or biting the area, the skin looks fine. Actually on her thigh area it looks like she has been shaved, and it was completly bald, but you can tell the hair looks like its coming back.
ANyway, the pet store here has nothing for Mange, and My vet is out until next week, and I really do not have the money for some of the area vets here (they charge and arm and a leg) BUT, I love my baby and I dont want her to be uncomfortable, or anything. Is there any home remedies, or lotions you can reccomend? Does this sound like mange to you? Also, isnt this contagious? My other pit is fine, no missing hair, and they are very very close. I mean sleep beside and even on top of one another lol.
I appreciate any info, and also want to tell you i love your pic of your pit.........beautiful:) And, I love your comments as well, and I am glad there are people out there like you to educate all of the misinformed about APBT!!
Thanks
AnswerAngela,
Thank you so much for your sweet comments! I appreciate them a lot. That made my day!
Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure whether or not your dog has mange is to take her to the vet and have a skin scraping done. When the vet does this, it will determine two things- 1)whether or not the dog actually has mange and 2)if she does have mange, what kind of mange it is.
Mange is caused by mites that live on and in the skin. There are two main kinds- demodex and sarcoptes. The vet can tell which type of mite is causing the problem (if that is the problem) by the shape of the mites and also the effect they are having on your dog's skin. *Demodex mites are cigar-shaped, sarcoptes are more round.
The demodex mites are the most common. They usually cause a little bit of patchy hair loss and maybe even some red scaly skin. However, they are not "contagious" in the strictest sense of the word. Demodex mites can be found just about anywhere outside. Your other dog likely has them, as well, they just don't bother him/her. What causes the reaction that some dogs have to the mites is most likely nothing more than an underdeveloped immune system. I believe that is why this form of mange is most common in puppies...dogs under 1 year old.
You will hear a lot of people say that demodex mange is hereditary...I myself have to question this. How can a mite be passed in utero from one generation to the next? It can't. I think the problem actually lies in the fact that, as puppies, dogs' immune systems are not quite up to speed yet. Yes, it is possible that a mother could have them and then, through skin to skin contact with her pups, pass them on. That doesn't equate to "hereditary", though.
I'm sorry. I'm rambling.
The sarcoptes mites, however, are an entirely different story. (*Sometimes these mites are called scabies) These are usually the ones that cause the major problems. These mites actually burrow into the dog's skin, causing the dog to scratch and bite, and leaving bald spots and nasty sores. If it goes untreated, it is possible that the dog could actually develop bacterial infections from all of the open sores.
This form of mange is the highly contagious one. If your dog is found to have this type, it should be isolated.
Usually, the method of treatment for mites prescribed by veterinarians involves dips and specialized shampoos, but sometimes they will also add onto that antibiotics (to treat any related bacterial infections) or even steroids (to help with the itching). As far as I know, there is not an "over the counter" alternative to these particular treatments.
Many times it is suggested that a weak immune system is one of the leading factors in whether or not a dog will develop mange. With that in mind, it may be beneficial for you to try to boost your dog's immune system a little. This can be done through changing her food to a "high-grade", more balanced food or by giving her supplements with her food.
With that said, let me tell you this:
When I got my first dog (the one in the picture that you liked), he was VERY sick. And he had mange. My vet diagnosed his mange through a skin scraping, and told me that he had the type caused by the demodex mites. He said that the demodex mites are usually harmless, UNLESS a dog's body cannot fight them off...that's when you start getting the red skin and hair loss.
The vet recommended dips. Those didn't help. He gave me some kind of funky cream to put on my dog. That didn't help. He was trying to give me topical treatments for a problem that was, at least in my dog's case, a systemic problem. He had a weak immune system and all the creams and baths in the world can't fix that.
I went to an all-natural pet food store and talked to the owner about an alternative "cure" for my dog's problem. She recommended a different food, some dietary supplements, and then told me that if I could get his immune system up a bit, his problem would likely go away. I was really skeptical, but tried it anyway. Within about a week, I could already see that his skin wasn't red and that his hair was starting to grow back. Within a couple of weeks, you couldn't even see where his bald spots once were. That was over two years ago, and we haven't had a problem since.
I know it sounds weird at first, but you would be surprised at how common that scenario actually is.
I'm not a vet. I'm not going to pretend like I am. The only person that is going to be able to give you a sure diagnosis for your dog is a vet. Talk to your vet when they get back in town. Ask them to do a skin test to see if your dog has mange. See what kind of treatment they recommend. And then see what they say about the food and dietary supplements.
I wish I could help you more, I really do. But, at this point, until you have a positive diagnosis, that is the best I can do for you. Good luck.
