Demodex

[buhlue]

I feel so overwhelmed with Maddie's Demodex. I feel fine sometimes, but then others, I read more info on it about dogs that can't recover from it. Her bacterial infection is pretty bad, and has spread to her legs and under her chin. It used to just be on her belly - when I first brought her to the vet and she said it would go away on its own.

Anyone else feel completely distraught in the first few days after diagnosis? I feel so bad for her - I cannot stand to watch her scratch her eyes raw. I just want to hold her and make it go away, but I know she has a long road ahead of her.

I can't stop thinking about what if this bacterial infection overwhelms her and I've put her through torture the last days of her life, GOD FORBID.

I have such a heavy heart. :( Any words of advice on how YOU dealt with it?

 

[Gretchen B]

When I got Tess from the shelter almost 2 years ago, she was still on meds for mange, just finishing up her doses. I never saw her with mange, but my friend at the shelter told me when they found her, she was so bloody and crusty they wondered if she had been used for fighting dog bait! Isn't that awful! But now I have had people tell me how beautiful she is and how beautiful her coat is. We've had no reoccurrences yet. Good luck with your baby. Tess and I send healing vibes!

 

[buhlue]

Wow! That's helpful. I don't think Maddie has it too bad - it IS generalized, but it is mostly on her eye where it's bad. I'm just worried she's going to get further infected from scratching it so much.

She does have some patches on her little body, but none of them are bloody YET. These meds are driving her nuts, though, and I'm sure that's coming soon.

Is Benadryl considered a cortisteroid? I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be giving it to her since you're not supposed to give those while doing the Mitaban thing.

 

[BoxerLoverNC]

dear buhleu

I was so worried for Rowdy that I started to have daily panic attacks. I would cry because I was so overwhelmed. I just did not know what to do. After his treatments started he got worse before he got better. I thought he was going to die about 3 different nights. I couldnt sleep and I couldnt consintrate at work. I worried about how much money it would cost (it bled me dry) i worried about it coming back. Everything. Now, everytime one of my boxers has a thin place of hair i automatically go into the "OMG" mode. But it always turns out to be a little dry skin or a flee got on them and they scratched at it. It has affected me in a way I really can't describe. Maybe I'm just not strong enough to deal with situations like that. With a good vet, this is beatable. You WILL see her healthy again. This WILL go away as long as you do what they tell you and stay strong for her because thats what she needs you to do. Without you - where would she be? And two years from now you'll be writing a thread to someone else who is panicking about this. I know it seems like it's taking forever. But this time next year it will only be a memory. Just remember - It does take time and there are thousands out there who have been right where you are now and have beaten this. Oh yeah, Rowdy was so bald and his skin was so covered with sores that I was convinced when they did get rid of the mange that he would be bald the rest of his life due to all the scars. WRONG! # months later, he had a full coat of hair - everywhere!


Audrey

 

[buhlue]

You sound like me now! Thanks for the info. I feel better today after Maddie was running around like a crazy dog and wearing herself out. Her eye is also not nearly as swollen as it was last night. Yay

 

[sashamom]

Sasha was diagnosed with demodex at 4 months old...but after a lot of research and discussion on here,,,,we chose not to do the dips as they are so lethal and harmful....not to mention it has been taken off the market. Through much advice we chose to treat her on our own with lots of vitamin E and C and tried to boost her immune system with good food and some mixins with her food...Lucky for us she is 10 months now and just fine.....We were fortunate enough to have a vet who said 90% of dogs grow out of it on their own! Best of luck to you and your baby!!
Sasha, Telmar and Lisa