Pet Mange And How To Diagnose It

Mange is an unpleasant infection that can be very traumatic, and harmful for pets. It is not rare and is present in otherwise healthy animals, not just those that are poorly looked after. Mange spreads extremely rapidly and is highly contagious, but can be treated successfully and in good time and with full recovery the expected outcome.


Once diagnosed, mange should be treated straight away with the prescribed method, and the routine adhered to until due time has passed. Treating mange when it is yet to spread is the right way to keep the mites to a minimum and to ensure the pet does not suffer unnecessarily.


Read all the available advice that can be unearthed in order to make the correct choice and mange should cease to be a concern in a short time. You can make the difference in the life of your pet by getting the right help.


Mange Mites are the Cause


The requirements of knowing how mange is contracted cannot be stressed too highly.

Mange is caused by very small mites that live in the pet s fur, and the female mange mite will eat into the skin of the animal in order to lay her eggs. This can cause an unnatural reaction in the dog or cat, and leads to persistent itching and rashes as well as other symptoms that we will look at later.

The mites themselves have a life span of a short period but they increase in numbers at a rapid rate. It is when the number of mites increases without hindrance that the pet can become open to mange.

Simple Steps to Identify Mange Infestation


Recognizing mange is relatively easy as the signs are easy to see and not usual. The first thing that may be noticed is frequent scratching, primarily in areas where the hair is at its shortest these are where the mange mite chooses to live and this may be accompanied by loss of hair in these areas.

While in small areas in the first instance it is occasionally the case that mange spreads and in the worst cases can cover the body of the animal severely. Further symptoms can include poor sleep patterns, unusual behavior and red areas on the skin so called red mange that are painful and present great trouble for the animal.

If mange is detected it is best to commence treatment straight away, as keeping the infection under control is vital to removing the condition. Mange is rarely fatal but can be dangerous if allowed to get out of control. It is also very distressing for the animal, whose well-being should be considered at all times.

Mange in Humans? Yes it is Possible

Instances of mange transferring from any animals to humans are known to have occurred and the most frequently contracted form of mange known as sarcoptic mange is very contagious and occurs in humans as scabies.

It is so that mange mites are specific to different species a dog mite will live best on dogs only, a cat mite on cats but they can continue to breed for short periods on other than their chosen host. For this reason it is best to keep uninfected pets at a distance from those with the mange to be safe and sound.

The Process of Treating Mange

Treating mange is not difficult although there are a selection of alternative methods. The right one for a individual animal may depend on the species, on the health and on the age, and some breeds of dog, for instance, take better to certain treatments than others.

Advice is available from many places, and it may be that the best course of action involves using a lotion or cream, or sometimes a spray, to the area of the animal concerned. This concoction will eradicate the mites and, crucially, neutralize any eggs thus halting the breeding process quickly.

In unusual cases particularly those that are more severe a dip or bath may be the best treatment, and this involves immersing the animal in a solution thus giving it an all over body wash. This is, of course, a tricky procedure where cats are the infected animal although less so with smaller dogs.

All treatments for mange involve some form of pharmaceutical application and once the right approach has been decided on it is important that it is carried out quickly in order to control the spread of the infection.