Dear Dr. Forsythe: My six-month-old Bulldog puppy has a weird skin condition I wanted to ask you about. Over the last two months she has developed areas on her face, feet and legs that are essentially small bald patches. Other than the lack of hair, it doesn’t seem too bad. (There is no rash or irritated looking areas). A veterinarian I met while walking her in the city suggested she has mange. I was so horrified to think my dog might have mange – after all I got her from a top breeder and expected her to at least get through her adolescence before she needed medical help. What does it mean if she has mange? And what is the best way to diagnose it?
– Claire M, Daly City
Dear Claire: What you are describing does in fact make me highly suspicious of mange, specifically, Demodectic mange. Mange mites are microscopically tiny cigar shaped mites that live normally in the skin of dogs (in very low numbers that don’t cause problems). In pets that have a slightly suppressed immune system, quite often around six months of age when puberty sets in, the “normal” population of mites can grow very high in number and take over the pet’s skin. These pesty little parasites cause some itchiness and hair loss. If the bald spots are on more than two different areas of the body, (such as a front leg and back foot) then it is considered “generalized demotic” and this is more serious. In cases where a pet has one small little area of hair loss due to demodex, this is considered “localized” mange and carries with it a much better prognosis.
The best way to make a diagnosis is to have your veterinarian perform a skin scraping and microscopic exam. It should be done on SEVERAL of the bald areas and then looked at under the microscope. The presence of living mites (crawling around on the slide) and the number of organisms counted “per low power field” will confirm the diagnosis of demodex and give insight into the severity of the case.
Treatment consists of giving the pet oral Ivermectin, a potent liquid insecticide that is also used in Heartgard to prevent heartworm disease. In addition, many doctors treat generalized demodex with a series of medicated baths using a noxious medication called Mitaban. This gasoline-smelling medicine is diluted down and literally poured over the dog in a bath, then the pet must slowly drip dry. Typically, a mitaban dip is given to the pet every two weeks until subsequent skin scrapings show no more mites in the skin. This usually takes one to two months.
It is important to know that most veterinarians would seriously discourage you from breeding your girl because it is believed that the severe cases are transmitted genetically. At least the tendency for a sub-par immune system that favors the development of severe demodex is known to be genetic, so it would be a wise choice to have your puppy spayed soon.
Although serious, the disease is not life-threatening and treatment is rather straightforward. Good luck getting this problem cleared up in you dog. I hope she has a full coat of hair again very soon. – Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My dog Julius eats all kinds of strange, non-food items on a regular basis. In just his first three years he has eaten pencils, crayons, and even had to have a surgery two times to remove things from his stomach: first a pair of panty hose and then just three months after that, he ate a large piece of sandpaper and nearly died. My husband says if Julius eats one more eraser, small rubber ball, or anything else that causes him to get sick, we will have to give him to another home. I just don’t know what to do about this. Julius grabs things up very quickly before I even notice what is happening and our toddler tends to drop things that Julius finds very interesting. I can’t seem to teach him to ignore this, so I’m afraid giving him away is becoming more likely. Do you have any suggestions? – Danielle P., Napa
Dear Danielle: Yes, I have a simple suggestion, based on the idea that pets who cannot get access to dangerous items generally don’t HAVE much trouble. Since all the things you mentioned Julius has eaten are items that tend to be left around in a “normal” home, I suggest you go on a tidying frenzy and get rid of or put out of reach all the things he seems so fond of. I know it isn’t realistic to expect anyone with a toddler to keep a “museum” house, but in your case, an ounce of prevention will lower the veterinary bills, keep Julius safer, and probably lower your husband’s blood pressure considerably. Even though you have a toddler, eliminating the offending items by keeping them out of the dog’s reach seems like a basic place to start. If after “clearing the decks”, Julius continues to eat things he shouldn’t, consider enlisting the help of a good animal trainer who may be able to redirect his behavior and keep him safer. Good luck with this challenge. – Dr. F
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