Mange Treatment
Comprehensive Information on
Diagnosis and Treatment of Mange in Dogs, Cats and Humans
Mange can be an awful skin
condition that causes a great deal of misery to cats and dogs and even to
people if left untreated. If you suspect your pet has one or another type of
mange, please take action to provide some relief, this is not an expensive
condition to treat if caught reasonably early. Don't wait until your pet
loses large clumps of hair and chews raw sores in his or her skin. Itching
to the degree these mange mites can cause borders on the verge of torture.
What is Mange?
The word Mange refers to a collection of skin conditions in dogs and cats
caused by tiny organisms called mites which dig into and under the skin,
feed and lay eggs. The eggs hatch in about ten days, feed on skin cells and
blood and grow to maturity at which time the whole cycle repeats itself. These mites can live on dogs and cats and can cause
intense itching, hair loss and rashes as well as a whole host of secondary
infections caused by the digging, scratching and biting the animal does to
relieve the itching and burning. In many cases these mites can be
transferred to human beings too.
The Different Types of Mange
There are several different types of mange, the most common of which, and
the ones we will deal with, are Demodectic Mange, Notoedric Mange, Sarcoptic
Mange, Ear Mites, and Cheyletiella Mange.
Demodectic Mange
Demodectic mange is also known as "demodicosis." The culprit is a
microscopic mite of the Demodex genus known as Demodex canis that lives
inside the hair follicles, and which makes them difficult to target with
topical preparations.
Read more about Demodectic Mange
Notoedric Mange
This condition causes a scabby skin disease
in cats resulting from
infection by the feline mite Notoedres cati. These mites appear to be
closely related to the Sarcoptic mange mites that infect dogs. The ears
of the cat first get itchy crusts along the edges of the ears and then progresses to the face and the rest of the body if the cat is left
untreated. When the skin is scraped, the resulting scrapings are
examined under a microscope. Notoedric mange can be transmitted to other
pets or to humans, the mites are spread by touch and they can passed on
to humans and other animals. The mites do not live more than a few days off
the host animal, so you almost always have to touch an infected animal
to contract it.
Read more about Notoedric Mange
Sarcoptic Mange
Sarcoptic mange is very contagious and can be spread easily through
contact with another dog or the environment where an infected dog has been.
This type of mange thrives in filthy conditions. Sarcoptic mites can be transferred to any animal, including human beings,
and people do pick up this condition by handling infected animals. Their
bite can cause intense itching and burning in both dogs and humans. Although
sarcoptic mange mites do not complete their life cycle on human beings,
unfortunately the infection is passed back and forth between human and
animal and will continue to itch and rash unless both pet and person are
treated along with their environment.
Read more about Sarcoptic Mange
Ear Mites
Ear mites are a relatively common parasite of both dogs and cats,
sometimes visible to the naked eye as a tiny white speck in the ear canal of
the animal. They are far more common in cats than in dogs. Their presence
causes a dark, dryish discharge made up of dried blood, skin oil and ear wax
that looks like used coffee grounds, along with itchy ears and a lot of head
shaking. Ear mites are easily spread from animal to animal, but don't easily
infect humans. Prolonged infestation by ear mites can cause secondary
infections of the ear and skin.
Read more about Ear Mites
Cheyletiella Mange
This type of mange is also known as Cheyletiellosis or Walking
Dandruff because when you look closely at the dog, you'll see white flakes
of what looks like dandruff, except they move. This movement is caused by
the mites moving around under the skin flakes.These Cheyletiella Mange mites
live on the skin surface and are the only mange mites that are actually
visible to the naked eye. The good news is that makes this particular skin
problem easy to diagnose.
Cheyletiella Mange occurs all
over the body of the animal and is extremely contagious, with a high level
of itch. People can be infected by handling dogs with Cheyletiellosis, and
just like with Sarcoptic mange, this can set up a cycle where the mites are
transferred back and forth, so it's very important to treat the environment
and all infected animals at the same. Mite eggs also fall off the dog
wherever he scratches, which means a large part of your surroundings can be
contaminated. Symptoms include intense itching, hair loss and loose
scaliness and lesions on the skin, most often along the backbone. Infected
people get many red, itchy bumps on the arms, body and buttocks, although if
you don't have any further contact with an infected animal or environment,
the mites will not usually live more than 3 weeks after which the symptoms
go away.
Read more about Cheyletiella Mange
Mange in Dogs
Mange in Cats
How Mange is Diagnosed
How Mange is Treated
Natural and Alternative Mange Treatments
What To Beware of if Your Pet Has Mange
Comparison Chart
Bibliography:
Wikipedia
Casey Fisher - Everyday Solutions Rx
