Dogs that have been attacked by Demodetic mites will show extreme hair
loss and weakened immune systems. This is because of the mites
burrowing three to five layers deep in the dog's skin and attacking the
hair follicles.
These microscopic pests typically appear in all puppies
but mostly attack puppies from the age of six weeks to just over a year
old.
These bloodsuckers have eight legs and appear in the
pores. This causes a localized infection at first. If it's not treated
immediately, it spreads and is very hard to treat then. It can take
months of costly veterinarian visits and medical treatments to get rid
of them once it spreads.
A characteristic symptom of Demodetic
Mange is described as a wet puppy dog odor. Veterinarians can typically
tell by looking when a dog has demodex, but will perform a skin
scraping to be sure. There may or may not be intense itching involved
with this infestation, but frequently the demodex causes acute
secondary bacterial infections. These come from infected pores as well
as from the dog scratching so intensely and abusing his skin.
Demodex
causing mites don't bite and exist on the blood of the dog, nor do they
consume any blood. They reside in the pores of the skin and hair
follicles. Their food comes from the skin and hair oil found there.
These
mites look quite similar to Narcotic Mange mites. While notoedres cati
is the primary mange causing culprit in cats, it can also infect dogs.
However, it won't complete a full life cycle on humans. It will just
cause itching and a rash. This is also known as "face mange" because it
starts at the top of the ears and moves over the face and body. If your
cat is itching really badly and has hair loss on her head and neck, you
may want to have her checked for neoteric mange.
Female mites
burrow into the skin and lay eggs as she goes. Once she lays the eggs,
she dies. The eggs hatch larvae in three to five days. These grow into
nymphs and then adults. This entire life cycle takes two to three weeks.
Summary
Knowing
more about the mites that cause Demodetic Mange in your pets can help
you spot the symptoms quickly and get help that much faster.