demodex in puppy and proper diet

Question
My 6 month old Llasa poo just was diagnosed with demodex.  The vet gave me an ointment Good...something to use for 10 days.  I want to give him a diet to boost his immune system.  Please give me an example of what to feed or give him to help him.  I have read different things on this ointment that it really doesn't work and it just takes time for the puppy to get older and stronger immune system. He only has it on his one leg but it is getting to be a larger area of baldness.  I am not familiar with some things previously mentioned.  So please spell it out like "demodex diet for dummies" .  Thanks so much for your help.  I also tried putting olive oil on him and wrapped his leg in plastic wrap.  We did this when my child got head lice.  Do you think this could work for this parasite?
I am so desperate to help him.

Answer
Demodex puppies have weakened immune systems which they inherited from their parents, while the mites came from their mother (these are common critters on all dogs); thus these dogs should never be bred. Many do outgrow this as their immune systems strengthen over time.

There are several types of treatments that can be effective for demodex.... medications such as ivermectin and interceptor, weekly dips (amitraz), and insecticidal ointments such as Goodwinol. Antibacterial gels are also sometimes used to prevent secondary bacterial infections.

Personally, I would rather be giving a treatment to the dog which would kill ALL the mites on the puppy, not just what are located on his balding leg. My guess is that your vet went with the least invasive treatment possible, and I am not sure I agree with that. I don't know about your olive oil treatment, but I would think that it would interfer with the Goodwinol ointment. When my kids had head lice, I went with a well-known insecticidal treatment specifically made for dealing with head lice, and I got so paranoid that I used it on myself, too<G>

Whatever you use, it should be something that is done with your vet's approval. You might go for a second opinion, also. Ten days on Goodwinol just doesn't seem enough to me. The dog should be rechecked after a few weeks to see if the treatment was successful.

All dogs should be on premium diets. Some great ones are Eagle Pet Products (which I have used for over 25 years), Canidae, Natural Balance, Solid Gold, California Natural, Wellness, Wysong, Newman's Own, Innova, and Flint River Ranch.

Here are some links about demodex:
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_demodectic_mange.html
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1589&articleid=729
http://www.petshealth.com/dr_library/dmang.html  
http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/demodecticmange.html

Karen