Medicine Bath

Question
I have a 5.5 month old American Builldog/Terrier mix. I saw a sore spot on his back where his fur was missing and took him to the vet.  The vet stated he had (demodex?) mange; the hereditary kind in the hair follicles; and he needed a medicine bath.  I asked the vet if there were other less invasive treatments and if Doc needed antibiotics.  The vet told me there was no other way and that the medicine bath will only make my dog sleepy, not harm him.  I picked him up from his second bath and he was not able to use his back legs. He has vomitted and had diarrhea for an entire day and he keeps trying to sleep in the corners.  My husband is taking him to the vet today and we gave him an oatmeal bath to get the chemicals off of him, but, is there anything else we can do to try to stabilize him?    *For the record, had I been informed what the chemical bath was, I NEVER would have agreed to it**

Answer
Hi Lindsay,

If your dog is still have side effects from his bath, you need to contact your vet.

Bathing or "dipping" occasionally yields mild sedation as a side effect. Very small dogs may become highly sedated and require an antidote but this is unusual. It sounds like whomever bathed your dog, didn't use the correct amount of the medicated shampoo, which more often than not is Amitraz (Mitaban).  Keep in mind, of the overwhelming number of dogs and puppies treated with Mitaban, most do not suffer any ill effects. Just as in people, there are individual dogs who are more sensitive than others, and have a bad reaction medication which is considered safe and effective (assuming the correct amount of Mitaban was used).

Mitaban is the only FDA approved treatment for demodex mange. That said, many vets use Ivermectin (the same drug used to prevent Hearworms)  by injection or orally.  Another drug, Milbemycin Oxime (Interceptor), has also been given daily and been shown to be effective on up to 50% of the dogs that did not respond to Mitaban dips. You could talk to your vet about the Ivermectin and Interceptor options.

Antibiotics are great when you're treating an infection, but do nothing when treating parasites, such as the Demodex mite.

Demodectic mange is not a disease of poorly kept or dirty kennels, or an inherited condition. It is generally a disease of young dogs that have inadequate or poorly developed immune systems.
All puppies receive these mites from their mothers, but only a few have ineffective immune systems and develop the mange. This sensitivity can be passed genetically through generations. Individuals that have a history of demodectic mange, and their parents and siblings, should not be bred. If you haven't already done so, you should have oyur puppy spayed or neutered. Keep in mind that female dogs get the most health benefits when they are spayed before the onset of their first heat cycle.

You should be feeding your puppy a premium quality puppy food. Brands to consider are Canidae, Natural Balance, Solid Gold, California Natural, Wellness, Wysong, Newman's Own, Innova, and Flint River Ranch.

Best of luck,

Patti