lime sulfur dips

Question
QUESTION: my dog is being treated with the lime sulfur dips. once a week for six weeks. i was just wondering if i could bathe him normally in between each weekly treatment because of the horrible sulfur smell. any advice would be helpful. thank you

ANSWER:
Hi Justine,

Unfortunately, the lime sulfur has a smell like rotten eggs, and I sort of doubt if anything, including another shampoo, would remove the smell.

You didn't say what condition your dog is bring treated for. If it's Sarcoptic mange, you should know that there are several medicines that can be used to kill the mites. Besides using dips, there are also oral and injectable medications. So, you might want to talk this over with your vet.

A dog's skin has a different pH than our human skin, and it dries out easier. I think the extra baths you're considering to remove the smell of the Lime Sulfur Dip would be too drying, which could cause itching, and dandruff. Additional itching from dry skin would be counter productive in treating whatever condition your dog already has. Have you tried spraying your dog with your favorite perfume? Don't spray it on his face, but it's as good a solution as any.

Best of luck,

Patti



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

QUESTION: he is being treated for suspected scabies. My vet gave me some options but im limited in funds and my dog would have needed blood work to determine if heartworm positive or not before he could be treated with oral or injection medications. The smell is just making my whole house smell horrible since he's a indoor pom. I did try trimming his hair to see if that helps but its hard to tell. since the baths he seems to be itching more. since he never tested positive for scabies they assumed and treated him for it, i am thinking he was misdiagnosed and may just have very dry skin or an allergy. Any other thoughts from you on this would be so helpful. thanks.

ANSWER:
Hi Justine,

Scabies in dogs in called Mange, and you say your dog is being treated for scabies, but there are three different forms.  Treatments vary depending on which kind of scabies mites are present. I just wanted to confirm that your dog has Sarcoptic mange.

Assuming your dog does indeed have the  Sarcoptic form of mange, Amitraz and Mitaban dips (shampoos) are the other two treatments other than  lime sulfur dips and oral and injectable medications (which require a heartworm test). A prescription is required for Amitraz and Mitaban. Shampooing  a dog with either Amitraz and Mitaban is a labor intensive process which has largely been replaced by the oral and injectable medications.

In addition to treating your dog, the environment such as the dog's bedding (or your bedding if that's where your dog sleeps!) should be treated with an insecticide that contains Permethrin. Since Sarcoptes are easily transmitted between animals, if any other dogs come in contact with an your dog, they should also be treated. Because of the length of the life cycle and ability of the mite to live off of the animal, treatment must continue for a minimum of 4 weeks.

Your dog should be tested for heartworms, if not now, then when you have the money. Heartworms can kill a dog, and those that are not killed suffer damage to their hearts.  The seasonal preventative medication for heartworms is just about 100% effective, the same medication also prevents intestinal parasites, such as roundworms and whipworms.

If the Lime Sulfur Dip isn't working, you need to report this back to your vet. It's possible your dog was misdiagnosed, or maybe you're not leaving the dip on for the required length of time, or bathing your dog as often as is needed. I can't say. Trying to get a diagnosis for Sarcoptic mange can be very frustrating. The standard method is to perform a skin scraping and then identify the mite under the microscope. Unfortunately, on average, only twenty percent of the infected dogs will show Sarcoptes mites on any given scraping. Therefore, if a dog has a positive skin scraping, the diagnosis is confirmed but a negative scraping does not rule out sarcoptic mange.  It's also possible the mites are re-infecting your dog, if you haven't applied an insecticide everyplace your dog spends time.

When a dog has a bad enough case of Saroptic Mange, it's possible for it to develop a "secondary pyoderma", or a bacterial infection of the skin. This would require separate treatment, an antibiotic is sometimes needed.

Dealing with the foul smell of the Lime Sulfur dip is an unfortunate by-product of the the least expensive treatment, I'm afraid.

Best of luck,
Patti



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

QUESTION: i know ur not a vet but the reason the vet gave me that he had scabies was cause i tested positive for it & the vet said he'll get it, but i did reseach and found that scabies on humans is different than the type on dogs, we cant pass it to dogs and they cant to us. just wondering if you knew that or not. he shows no other signs of having scabies like hair loss or loss of weight or even severe itching. he just itches couple of times a day but im thinking it just dry skin from the recent colder weather. i really appreciate all your help and any advice. thanks

Answer

Hello again!

Dogs are infected by different types of mites than those which infect humans. The scabies mite a human could have can't live in an animal such as a dog.

If your dog only scratches occasionally, and you aren't seeing broken skin lesions, hair loss, or severe intense itching especially on the elbows, ears, armpits, lower legs, chest, and belly, chances are your dog does not have mange. The mites prefer to live on areas of the skin that have less hair. As the infection worsens it can spread over the entire body, where small red pimples that are filled with puss can develop, along with yellowish crusty skin.

As you've noted, I am not a veterinarian, so you shouldn't take my word as gospel on this. At the All Experts site they a section where you can ask a veterinarian question, you might want to try asking one of them if dogs can catch Sarcoptic mange from people:

http://www.allexperts.com/el/Ask-Veterinarian/

The first doctor listed at the web site above (Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf) is a veterinary dermatologist, he's the perfect person to ask.

Dogs can get itchy from over bathing, so if you've done a few of the lime sulfur baths that might contribute to itching. You should check your dog for fleas- fall is the time of year dogs can catch fleas. You might not see fleas, look for tiny dark flecks that look like pepper on your dog's skin. This is called "flea dirt" and it's the waste product fleas leave behind. You might also consider his diet as the source of itching, if he gets a diet that has a lot corn or wheat in it (in the first 5 ingredients listed on the dog food package). I don't know what size dog you have, but adding a little bit of olive oil to his food can help with dry skin, which might help with the itching. Add a quarter teaspoon for a small dog and up to a teaspoon for a large dog. Use a light sprinkling of olive oil mixed into his food two or three times a week. Don't go overboard with the oil, too much can lead to an upset stomach or looser bowels.


I hope this helps!
Good luck!
Patti