Mange - Treatment and Identification in Dogs

Just like humans, dogs can feel the adverse effects that cause hair issues. While these can include things like their natural environment, getting dandruff in the cold weather, or things like stress causing flaking skin or disease, there are things that you can do to check your lovable pet for mange.

Mange is usually found as a rash, sore spots, hair loss or all of those issues at the same time. While you should have your vet check to make sure that it is mange and not some other environmental issue, there are things that you can do to check for yourself.

There are two types of common mange that you should keep an eye out for. The first is Sarcoptic mange, and usually starts with the head and ears. It will then spread to the tail and work its way under the front legs. The skin will look like it has small burns or red spots all over the affected area and can be treated with medication and shampoos. If you start to notice these issues on your dog, check with your vet to make sure it's not a common allergy first. Then proceed with the shampoo to see if it helps any.

The second type of mange is Demodetic mange and is the result of mites most commonly found on puppies. These mites will attack the hair follicles and you will notice a rash and loss of hair. If this type of mange is not treated right away, the mites will cause it to grow faster as they continue to reproduce. If they are left untreated, these mites can infect the whole of your dog's body and cause it much unneeded and unwanted pain. On top of this, the constant scratching will cause an unpleasant musty odor and infection can set in.

Either case of mange is treatable with medications and anti-fungal shampoos. You might have to administer iodine as well to help clear up the infections. Mange is noncontagious so you don't have to worry about any other dogs in the house catching it from one that is infected. You should also take into consideration what your dog's life style is like, such as outdoor or indoor, and highly active or not. These will help determine how your dog has caught manage and some ways you can change things so that it doesn't catch mange again in the future.