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In an
ongoing series on the four types of mange in dogs today
we will look at sarcoptic mange, caused by the mite
Sarcoptes scabiei (variety canis).
Sarcoptic
mange, also called scabies, is primarily a disease of
dogs. If a person comes in close contact with an
infected dog, people may suffer severe itchiness. While
this is usually a self-limiting problem, most people
seek treatment because of the intensity of itchiness.
Sarcoptes
scabiei (variety canis), like most parasites, is
host-specific, meaning they like to live on the host(s)
they are best adapted for. They thrive poorly, if at
all, on other hosts or off things such as bedding.
An
interesting side note: My sister brought home a puppy
years ago that was carrying the scabies mite and our
entire family had to have treatment. Fortunately, I was
grown and no longer living at home then.
While
scabies is typically a disease transmitted from dogs to
people, there also is a human scabies mite that can
infect dogs. In cases affecting both people and dogs
where people are exceptionally itchy, the variety of
scabies mite may need investigation.
The
effect of the scabies mite on dogs is also intense
itchiness. Many board-certified veterinary
dermatologists say there are only two things that will
cause a dog to be so itchy he can't eat: scabies and
food allergy.
In
moderately advanced cases of scabies there will be a
typical pattern of hair loss that affects the entire
body except for the very top of the back. This
"Mohawk stripe" on a very itchy, usually young
dog will make any veterinarian think first of scabies.
There are
rarely complications in scabies cases (if people are not
infected), and most pets recover quickly with treatment.
Like
demodicosis — a type of mange dogs only acquire
shortly after birth — treatment is aimed at killing
the mites. Unlike demodicosis, these patients can be
cured of scabies and make a full recovery.
Like
demodicosis, there are a variety of treatments your
pet's doctor may use. Avoid home remedies which may not
only make your pet's skin condition worse but can even
be fatal in some cases.
———
Dr.
Jim Randolph
, a veterinarian at
Animal General Hospital
in
Long Beach, Miss.
, can be reached at
South Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association
,
20005 Pineville Road
,
Long Beach, MS
39560. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
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