Indy B's Mom
Boxer Insane
I'm sorry to hear about Kadie! Ty and I are sending lots of good vibes to your girl and hope she is feeling better real soon!!
bad news on kadie, had to leave her at the vet. (needs some healing vibes)
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No, I wouldn't even consider dipping her until I'd exhausted all other treatments. Those chemicals are incredibly harsh, they really hammer the immune system. It poisons the dog, not just the mites.
The first thing is boosting the immune system - that's very important. A lot of puppies get demodectic mange, precisely because their developing immune systems aren't strong enough and the mites (which *all* dogs have naturally) can get out of hand. That's what demodex is.
The second thing you can try is topical application of goodwinol ointment. *If* that doesn't help, then ivomectin orally is the next thing to try. It is very effective, and immeasurably less harsh than the dips.
It really is only if all those things fail that you should even consider mitaban dips. A lot of vets won't even use that stuff any more - it's nasty.
If you do a search of the forums here, using the term "demodex" or "demodectic mange" you'll find many many previous threads and others' experiences. In these, you can read about the success others have had through boosting the immune system and less harsh treatments than dipping. Please do - IMO it is very much in your pup's better interests.
The first thing is boosting the immune system - that's very important. A lot of puppies get demodectic mange, precisely because their developing immune systems aren't strong enough and the mites (which *all* dogs have naturally) can get out of hand. That's what demodex is.
The second thing you can try is topical application of goodwinol ointment. *If* that doesn't help, then ivomectin orally is the next thing to try. It is very effective, and immeasurably less harsh than the dips.
It really is only if all those things fail that you should even consider mitaban dips. A lot of vets won't even use that stuff any more - it's nasty.
If you do a search of the forums here, using the term "demodex" or "demodectic mange" you'll find many many previous threads and others' experiences. In these, you can read about the success others have had through boosting the immune system and less harsh treatments than dipping. Please do - IMO it is very much in your pup's better interests.
fordraceing_
Super Boxer
well
she is at the vet now getting her first dip, would it be ok to let her do one? then today i will call around to different vets offices?
she is at the vet now getting her first dip, would it be ok to let her do one? then today i will call around to different vets offices?
courtney323
Energetic Moderator<br><img src="/forums/images/mo
This article has some great information on Demodectic Mange: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1589&articleid=729
Keep in mind the following points:
I think the best thing you can do is ensure that she is being fed a very good quality diet. That is to say, a diet with very little grain (no corn, no wheat, no beet pulp, no by-products) and a food with several meat sources within the top 5 ingredients.
www.boxerworld.com/feeding has some great information on what to look for (and avoid!) in kibble. You may want to reference that page, when analyzing the food your Vet prescribed.
Keep in mind the following points:
I think the best thing you can do is ensure that she is being fed a very good quality diet. That is to say, a diet with very little grain (no corn, no wheat, no beet pulp, no by-products) and a food with several meat sources within the top 5 ingredients.
www.boxerworld.com/feeding has some great information on what to look for (and avoid!) in kibble. You may want to reference that page, when analyzing the food your Vet prescribed.
fordraceing_
Super Boxer
food
well she has always been ok chicken soup, i buy that at the vets, now the vet has her on wysong.
is wysong good?
well she has always been ok chicken soup, i buy that at the vets, now the vet has her on wysong.
is wysong good?
BeckyNC
Boxer Insane
Joe--I would not have her dipped at all, if it's not too late. Mitaban is really toxic. I would get a recommendation from a coworker, neighbor or relative for a new vet and make an appointment. Kadie will be fine if it takes a couple days to get her in. The mange won't consume her or anything. Both types of mange are curable for the most part, though in some cases, they are managed throughout the dog's life with meds. That said, I'm not sure where Kadie had patches (of mange), but it doesn't sound like it was generalized (she would have looked pretty bad), which is good news. Tae had it last summer and we first tried to boost the immune system. That didn't work, so my vet put her in ivermectin for about 8 weeks. I didn't like it, but it did the job.
I'm not sure where your vet gets his info about immune systems and white Boxers. That's just absurd. Definitely find a new vet!
Keep us posted.
Becky
I just noted your post re Wysong. I tried to find a list of ingredients on line, but was unsuccessful. The website, though, indicates it's a holistic food (good!) and they use organic products (good again!), and it's meant to boost a dog's immune system. This is all positive, though I'd be curious to see the ingredients...
I'm not sure where your vet gets his info about immune systems and white Boxers. That's just absurd. Definitely find a new vet!
Keep us posted.
Becky
I just noted your post re Wysong. I tried to find a list of ingredients on line, but was unsuccessful. The website, though, indicates it's a holistic food (good!) and they use organic products (good again!), and it's meant to boost a dog's immune system. This is all positive, though I'd be curious to see the ingredients...
LOL - well, if she's getting it now... 
One dip isn't the end of the world. I really would look into alternative treatments though. They're very often much more effective as well as being less harsh.
I note you said that the vet had said it was the "worst" kind of mange... Does that mean it is generalised (affecting most of her body) or is it just a few patches so far? If it's the latter, you should know that 90% of pups will actually recover on their own (with a bit of an immune system boost, of course). It is only 10% of pups that would go on to develop generalised mange.
One dip isn't the end of the world. I really would look into alternative treatments though. They're very often much more effective as well as being less harsh.
I note you said that the vet had said it was the "worst" kind of mange... Does that mean it is generalised (affecting most of her body) or is it just a few patches so far? If it's the latter, you should know that 90% of pups will actually recover on their own (with a bit of an immune system boost, of course). It is only 10% of pups that would go on to develop generalised mange.
fordraceing_
Super Boxer
well
she has it around one eye, and also a big patch on her side and once she started showing me more and shaving it a bit more it was actually a really big patch,
you are 100 percent sure that i shouldn't do these dips???
she has it around one eye, and also a big patch on her side and once she started showing me more and shaving it a bit more it was actually a really big patch,
you are 100 percent sure that i shouldn't do these dips???
Well, that sounds a little as though she's on her way to generalised mange :(
I still would try the goodwinol/ivermectin first though. They are often more effective, and they don't hammer the immune system the way the dips do. You see, the biggest problem with the dips is that they make the underlying cause of the problem worse. She's got mange because she has an underdeveloped or weakened immune system. Dips may kill the mites, but will compromise that immune system further, thus leaving her vulnerable to recurrance or developing other conditions.
By all means though, call around some other vets and get their opinions. And do take a look through previous threads - there are a lot of cases where people have used the dips as well as people who've used other treatments (including diet alone).
I still would try the goodwinol/ivermectin first though. They are often more effective, and they don't hammer the immune system the way the dips do. You see, the biggest problem with the dips is that they make the underlying cause of the problem worse. She's got mange because she has an underdeveloped or weakened immune system. Dips may kill the mites, but will compromise that immune system further, thus leaving her vulnerable to recurrance or developing other conditions.
By all means though, call around some other vets and get their opinions. And do take a look through previous threads - there are a lot of cases where people have used the dips as well as people who've used other treatments (including diet alone).
had the mange
Samson also had Demodex mange. His was becoming generalized - he had a spot the size of a quarter on his cheek, one or two smaller spots on his front "shoulder" and a small spot on a back hip. The hair on top of his head was also starting to thin a bit. We did the mitaban dips, but the day after the second one Samson had a seizure, which never happened before or since, so I quit the dips and started him on oral ivermectin (which you can order online or buy at a cattle suppy store cheap - much cheaper than the dips!) I also use a Benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo on him a couple times a month, it is OxyDex, and vet prescribed. During this I also switched to raw food, which I credit for most of the healing and some needed weight gain.
I only gave the ivermectin for 2-3 weeks, because Samson had clear scrapings. Actually, it was very hard to find a live mite after the two dips.
The dip is so toxic, please try other things before sticking with that. One dip is okay if already done - maybe it will start the killing of the mites, but you've really got to focus on getting the dog's immune system working.
Find another vet for a second opinion if your vet won't work you on this. Also, limit the number of times they take a "scraping" from your dog. Often the scraped spots look so much worse than the actual mange spots! Good Luck
Samson also had Demodex mange. His was becoming generalized - he had a spot the size of a quarter on his cheek, one or two smaller spots on his front "shoulder" and a small spot on a back hip. The hair on top of his head was also starting to thin a bit. We did the mitaban dips, but the day after the second one Samson had a seizure, which never happened before or since, so I quit the dips and started him on oral ivermectin (which you can order online or buy at a cattle suppy store cheap - much cheaper than the dips!) I also use a Benzoyl Peroxide Shampoo on him a couple times a month, it is OxyDex, and vet prescribed. During this I also switched to raw food, which I credit for most of the healing and some needed weight gain.
I only gave the ivermectin for 2-3 weeks, because Samson had clear scrapings. Actually, it was very hard to find a live mite after the two dips.
The dip is so toxic, please try other things before sticking with that. One dip is okay if already done - maybe it will start the killing of the mites, but you've really got to focus on getting the dog's immune system working.
Find another vet for a second opinion if your vet won't work you on this. Also, limit the number of times they take a "scraping" from your dog. Often the scraped spots look so much worse than the actual mange spots! Good Luck
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