Posted on March 16, 2010 by: WayCoolDogs

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Sarcoptic dog mange is the most contagious parasite condition a dog can get throughout his life. Caused by tiny “spider-like mites” who live under the dog’s skin, they are transmitted from one dog to another through direct contact, kennels and contaminated grooming equipment. Considered the most annoying skin disease of all, sarcoptic dog mange causes the dog to scratch and scratch until he is almost half crazy…sometimes leading to death if the condition is left untreated.

With spring right around the corner and winter coats of dogs being groomed right and left, this is the time when these little guys will make themselves known…while rapidly spreading to every dog in the house along with their human owners.

However, because mites of  Sarcoptic dog mange are usually spread by direct contact from host to host, they can live off of a host for days to weeks—depending on their life stage. They are only infective for 36 hours, which means that environmental decontamination is generally not necessary—along with a little over-reacting by the pet owner!

Symptoms of Sarcoptic Mange in Dogs

• Characterized by crusty ear tips, hair loss, oily skin and formation of scabs, the onset will begin with scratching, hair loss and inflamed skin.

• Once an infections starts, it occurs on the dog’s ears, elbows, hocks, and the underside of the chest and face.

• The skin of a seriously infected dog will become thick, crusted, scaly and darkly pigmented.

• Lesions will eventually develop to the skin, caused by parasite excretions and allergic responses of the dog (host).

• The lesions are usually covered by thick fur, especially during the winter months.  Once the mite begins its activity, the dog will begin to lose hair in characteristic patterns.

• The dog’s skin that is affected will become extremely irritated and itchy, with trauma in developing over time.

• Dogs who are severely infected will show poor body conditions and extreme listlessness. Coyotes and other mangy wild canids will become so listless they can easily be approached by people.

• Severely affected animals will eventually die from complications if not treated due to  mange infections, hair loss in winter conditions,  increased digging and scratching down to the bare skin, etc.

The official diagnosis of scabies or Sarcoptic dog mange is made by skin scrapings under the vet’s microscope with treatments under their supervision. People who get scabies from their dog will get an itchy rash, typically at the belt line or on the hands and arms where they have been in contact with the dog. However, the scabies mite cannot live on humans over three weeks in duration. If the itching continues, there is probably another problem to diagnose.

Treatment of Sarcoptic Mange or Scabies

REMEMBER, ALL DOGS IN A HOUSEHOLD WHERE SARCOPTIC MANGE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED SHOULD BE TREATED!

NOTES: (1) Corticosteroids are known to relieve the itching for the first two to three days of treatment. (2) Interceptor is very popular and works for dogs that cannot use Ivermectin. (3) Once a week dog dips for six consecutive weeks can be done with Mitaban and LymDyp. LymDyp is FDA approved for scabies treatments in dogs but can discolor the fur of white dogs and it stinks to high heaven of rotten eggs!

Traditional treatments from Veterinary Partner:

Ivermectin – (This is the one I have used for over 11 years with no problem for many skin issues) This is one of the most effective treatments against Sarcoptes scabiei yet it is off-label as far as the FDA is concerned. There are several protocols because of the long activity of this drug in the body. Typically an injection is given either weekly or every two weeks in one to four doses.

In most cases this treatment is safe and effective but some individuals have a mutation that makes ivermectin toxic at the doses used to kill mites. These individuals are usually of the Collie family: Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, and Australian Shepherds are classically affected. There is now a test that can determine if any dog has the mutation that makes ivermectin use dangerous. An additional caution comes from an interaction with the relatively new flea control product Comfortis® (spinosad). Relatively high doses of ivermectin are needed to treat sarcoptic mange and if Comfortis® is used concurrently, ivermectin side effects are more likely to occur. While ivermectin is a prototype compound upon which most other sarcoptic mange treatments are based, it may be worth using a product that has actually been approved for the treatment of sarcoptic mange.

Selamectin (Revolution®) – Selamectin is an ivermectin derivative recently marketed for dogs for the control of fleas, ticks, heartworm, ear mites, and sarcoptic mange mites. Normal monthly use of this product should prevent a sarcoptic mange problem but to reliably clear an actual infection studies show an extra dose is usually needed after 2 weeks. This product is probably the best choice for Collie or Australian shepherd breeds.

See more information from the manufacturer on Revolution.

Moxidectin (Advantage Multi®) – Moxidectin is yet another ivermectin derivative. In Advantage Multi, it is combined with imidacloprid, a flea killing topical, to create a product used against heartworm, hookworm, roundworm, whipworm, and fleas. In the U.S. this product is not FDA labeled for sarcoptic mange but it is in other countries and should still be effective even though technically it is off-label.

See more information from the manufacturer on Advantage Multi.

Milbemycin Oxime (Interceptor® or Sentinel®) – Milbemycin oxime is approved for heartworm prevention as a monthly oral treatment (as either Interceptor® or Sentinel®). Happily, it also has activity against sarcoptic mange and several protocols have been recommended by different dermatologists. This is another medication that one might find recommended.

See more information on Interceptor from the manufacturer, and see their page for Sentinel.

Dipping – Anti-bacterial or anti-itch shampoos precede one of several anti-mite dips. Mitaban dips (Amitraz) or lime-sulfur dips given weekly are usually effective. Disease typically resolves within one month.  Dipping is labor intensive and rarely done any more as the other products are easier and more rapidly effective. We mention dipping since it has been a standard mange treatment for decades prior to the introduction of ivermectin.

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