Ozzy has mange NOW WHAT?

[Jaclyn]

Alright I just found out yesterday that my 4 month old baby has demodex <~~~ Sp?? Mange. My vet said to give him a bath every week in baby shampoo first and then follow that with a medicated shampoo. He also gave us this ointment to rub on the spots (its thick and a orange kind of color). After doing some reasearch on here I have found that this is pretty common and they usually get it from their mother. Also it may be caused by an immature immune syatem or stress. My question is can I "fix" this problem on my own with no antibiotics? Is there something that I can give him to boost his immune system so this will take care of itself? Thanks for any reply!

 

[JulieM]

They don't get the mange from their mother, they get the mites from their mother. Just wanted to clarify All dogs have the mites, but in times of stress they can "take over" and cause the mange. At Ozzy's age, he's probably teething, which is a stress to the immune system. Keep searching the forums because there have been several long discussions on demodex, including ways to boost the immune system (Actually, I just responded to another thread in this forum so you can visit it for slightly more in-depth info - my fingers are getting tired! ) Vitamin C, garlic, echinacea, goldenseal are all good immune boosters. IMO you do not need antibiotics or even the Goodwinol ointment - it is best to give the immune system a chance to overcome the mange on it's own (perhaps with some nutritional support) - otherwise how will you even know if the immune system is functioning properly?

 

[kay85]

Be very very careful with this. My baby came with with mange also after being spayed early because of female problems. Stress caused it to take off, but she also had a cyst on the top of her head before and they took it off when they spayed her. Much later we found out, after sending it in, that the cyst was full of mange. She started off with just one or two spots, and my first vet said it was allergies and gave me special stuff to put on her. It gradually got worse and worse and I took her to another vet and by then it was so bad they didn't know if she would get rid of it. Don't wait too long, if it doesn't get better fairly quickly, get dips or oral treatment going immediatley. My vet preferred the dips, and luckily it worked well for her, but then again, she had a very very severe case. I learned the hard way, follow your insticts. I knew that something was wrong with her, and I should have got a second opinion instead of listening to what my first vet told me. Good luck with it.

Kay
Mother of Roxie, 1 1/2 old brindle female

 

[susan fulcher]

I agree with Julie. You can also give him colostrum, Symbiotics is a good brand. Colostrum is the first milk from a cow, good immune booster.Also neem shampoo kills mites and a feww drops of lavender oil mixed with a carrier oil can be rubbed on the bald spots works great. many years ago i used the goodwinol ointment from the vet, today i use neem shampoo and lavender and it works .There is also a enzyme that kills fleas and mites called bug Arrest, it's natural and it can be sprayed on the mite area and rinsed off it works too. you don't want to bombard your pup with to much chemicals at such a young age.So boosting the immune system is very important.

 

[Ram&LexisMom]

susan,
What is neem shampoo and where can you get it?

 

[susan fulcher]

neem

Kristen

Neem is the oil from this tree, like melaluca. It's good for itchie skin and it kills fleas. There is a company that most dog groomers use thier shampoo. the company is "Nature's Specialties" they have natural shampoo. Their shampoos are highly concentrated so they go a long way. The phone # is 1-800-551-SOAP. They may ship out or can tell you where you can get their shampoo. They also have a concentrated neem dip, which can be srayed on dogs if you are going to a flea or tick area. I really like the oatmeal shampoo too.

 

[catcompany]

Neem is an old ayurvedic stuff----the neem tree has various uses....Neem leaf is very bitter and is very good for health---as a kid we were forced to have neem leaves (cooked)...and now I kind of like it (acquired taste)....Back home in India we have it almost everyday. Neem shampoo and soap helps against itching, and neem toothpaste is fab. If you want good and authentic neem, go to any Indian grocery store (there are quite a few all over the US) and you will find it.

 

[trmoore]

When mywhite boxer as 6 months she got mange. Although, we tied the Neem, the only thing that really worked was the medicated dips and meds we have her. She finally got over it and has never had it since (she is now 4). Good luck,