Dog Mange: a Rather Sore Subject

The word 'mange' has its etymological root in the French word 'mangene' which translates into English to mean 'itching'.

Dogs with mange tend to exhibit the symptoms of continual itching combined with hair loss, restlessness, irritation and inflammation of the skin - hence the terminology.

What Causes Dog Mange?

Dog mange is caused by parasitic mites that live on your dog's body and, in some cases, burrow down into your dog's skin, resulting in considerable irritation.

The best way that you can observe the potential presence of mange mites on your dog will be by monitoring your pet's need to continually itch and scratch.

If you notice that your dog is scratching a lot more than usual then it is advisable to take your dog along to the vet to be examined and accurately diagnosed. If dog mange is left to go untreated, then this can cause serious long-term health problems for your dog.

What Will the Vet Do?

Your vet is most likely to carry out a skin scraping on your dog or may need to perform a biopsy so as to be able to determine exactly what type of skin disorder is affecting your dog.

After your initial consultation with your vet it is likely that your dog will be prescribed with a particular pharmaceutical product designed to treat the affliction that your dog is suffering from. This is a cost that, unfortunately, is a necessity in the initial stages of diagnosing and treating your dog.

Repeat Prescriptions

However, if it comes to a point where you need a repeat prescription of your dog's medication then you are well within your consumer rights to purchase a similar product online without the need for an expensive prescription.

In an instance such as this, you will either need to ask your vet what the active medicinal ingredients are in the product that your dog has previously been subscribed or consult with an online retailer who may be able to provide you with a medically identical product at a fraction of the previous cost.

Treatments for dog mange tend to include active ingredients such as amitraz, ivermectin and selamectin and in the majority of cases these treatments can be administered to your dog by means of a shampoo or lotion.

Alternative Dog Mange Therapies

Alternatively, you may wish to attempt to cure dog mange with a natural remedy, in which instance some of the more favoured methods include using garlic, oatmeal and lavender oil.

Garlic is considered to be a very effective natural remedy against dog mange due to the fact that it contains compounds of sulphur which help to repel mites. This course of treatment can be applied by hand using garlic oil or by slicing thins strips of garlic into your dog's food.

Any natural pet shampoo that includes oatmeal has proven to be beneficial at reducing itching in dogs, whilst topical solutions that include ingredients such as lavender oil, aloe vera, almond oil and neem oil are also deemed to be effective in soothing your dog's affected areas.

Whether you decide to opt for a natural remedy or a medically-identical, non-prescription product you stand to save yourself a considerable amount of money in veterinarian fees in the long run.

If you are looking to treat dog mange with medicinally identical, over the counter products then you would be well advised to consult with an online specialist who deals in canine health care products.