Treating a collie dog with early mange

ddogsbollix

i have a dog at home and this is the second time he has got mange just early signs at the moment just scratching! however the vet thinks its mange i dont! any treatments available as he hates the smell of the stuff i got him and im finding it hard to wash him.

boomerang

Do you know what kind of mange it is? There's sarcoptic mange and demodectic mange. Any of the treatments I know of are prescription-only, so I'd go with your vet's advice on this one. If it's recurring and you're having to bathe him, I'm guessing it's demodectic?

Has your vet done a skin scrape to confirm his diagnosis? There are a lot of things it could be, but a skin scrape will rule them out if mites are found under the microscope.

maggiepip

My dog Oscar had demodectic mange a few years back, which is the type of mange caused by the dogs immune system not coping too well and the skin mites take over (basically!)

He got treatment from the vet (1 spot on treatment a week for 4 weeks) but alongside that I used Neem Oil (you will get this in any healthfood shop) I diluted it as a rinse in his bath and also dabbed a diluted solution onto his bald spots every day. Google "Neem Oil for dogs with mange " for fuller info - it worked brilliantly - even the vet was highly impressed with how well he did.

I also wondered why his immune system was down (he gets great food, commercial and fresh meat) so started him on 1000 mg of Salmon Oil daily in his food to boost his immune system. He never looked back - (and he still gets his salmon oil!)

ddogsbollix

what sort of signs was he showing that he had it. cause my dog is only scratching under his belly??

maggiepip

He started losing hair around his eyes and had 2 small bald patches on his face. He was scratching a good bit all over as far as I can remember.

What treatment did your vet give your dog? or what did he say to do?

Toulouse

First things first. Has the vet ever done a skin scrape on this dog to diagnose mange or how did he come to the conclusion that it is mange?

Discodog

I would get some Advocate spot on from a Vet. They may recommend other brands but I would insist on Advocate as a study did show it as being effective against dermodectic mange.

My youngster had real problems with what seemed to be Collie Nose. My Vet put him on antibiotics & steroid cream & it wouldn't clear. An an experiment I tried Advocate & there was a huge improvement. He was totally clear within a couple of weeks.

If he has not had a spot on treatment then you have nothing to lose by trying the Advocate. Get the Vet nurse to apply it if you are unsure how to.

ddogsbollix

the vet just said he did! but as you said there yours was loosing hair around his eyes and mine only has it under his belly. no skin sample was taken. i just took his word for it. the vet gave me some poisonous wash solution but it came back after i used it..?
could it be anything else??

Toulouse

You either need to go back and insist that a skin scrape is done to diagnose which type of mange it is or else find another vets.

maggiepip

Toulouse is right you need to go back to the vet or go to another vet.

Yes your dog could have an allergy. I really dont see how your vet can say its mange when the dog has no hairloss and he hasnt done a skin scrape.

Salmon oil in the dogs food is brilliant for all skin complaints allergies etc - you should start adding it anyway as it will boost the dogs immune system and prevent lots of problems.

maggiepip

I just reread your post and Im confused now:

Does your dog have bald spots on his belly or is he just itchy?

If he has hairloss on his belly and he has had mange before it probably is mange as your vet is saying. But if you feel he is wrong you need to go to another vet. (sarcoptic mange mites will present more in areas with less hair i.e belly area)

How do you mean "it came back" after you used the wash? The itch came back? If your dog has mange it can take a good while to clear up and you must be vigilant with treatment.

Also, apparently, vets dont always do skin scrapes as they are not always accurate but you need to ask him some questions.

Mange, or any constant itching is very distressing for a dog so talk to your vet again or get a second opinion.

ddogsbollix

ya he has hair loss and small red spot he has a small bit of hair loss but when i said he got it again he did but i dont think he had mange in the beginning so gonna try another vet

Irishchick

The vet is right, its mange. The classic signs are balding around the eyes. A skin scrape is not a reliable way of diagnosing mange as the scrape often doesn't go down deep enough and just because there is no mites in that certain area does not mean the dog is mange free.

Allot of vets don't use it as its not that reliable and it causes unnecessary pain to the dog if there are other signs that mange is present.

Just go with the treatment you have been given and if it doesnt have an effect within the prescribed period if time then go back to the vet and discuss and alternative.