Mange - Treatment

Treatment

Dogs affected with demodectic mange do not need to be isolated from other dogs. Demodectic mange is generally only contagious from mother to pup during suckling; it is not contagious after weaning. Many puppies will grow out of demodectic mange as their immune systems mature, but it can recur if the immune system is compromised, such as after steroid treatment or other immunocompromising illness. In cases of sarcoptic mange, affected dogs need to be isolated from other dogs and their bedding, and places they have occupied must be thoroughly cleaned. Other dogs in contact with a diagnosed case should be evaluated and treated.

A number of parasitical treatments are useful in treating canine scabies. Sulfurated lime (a mixture of calcium polysulfides) rinses applied weekly or biweekly are effective (the concentrated form for use on plants as a fungicide must be diluted 1:16 or 1:32 for use on animal skin).

Selamectin is licensed for treatment in dogs by veterinary prescription in several countries; it is applied as a dose directly to the skin, once per month (the drug does not wash off). A related and older drug ivermectin is also effective and can be given by mouth for two to four weekly treatments or until two negative skin scrapings are achieved. Oral ivermectim is not safe to use on some collie-like herding dogs, however, due to possible homozygous MDR1 (P-glycoprotein) mutations that increase its toxicity by allowing it into the brain. Ivermectin injections are also effective and given in either weekly or every two weeks in one to four doses, although the same MDR1 dog restrictions apply.

Topical 0.01% ivermectin in oil (Acarexx) has been reported to be effective in humans, and all mite infections in many types of animals (especially in ear mite infections where the animal cannot lick the treated area), and is so poorly absorbed that systemic toxicity is less likely in these sites. Nevertheless, topical ivermectin has not been well enough tested to be approved for this use in dogs, and is theoretically much more dangerous in zones where the animal can potentially lick the treated area. Selamectin applied to the skin (i.e., topically) has some of the same theoretical problems in collies and MDR1 dogs as ivermectim, but it has nevertheless been approved for use for all dogs provided that the animal can be observed for 8 hours after the first monthly treatment.

Similar treatments, including monthly selamectin, are used in cats with mange. A notable difference for cat treatment is that permethrin, which can be used in both dogs and humans with this condition, cannot be used in cats. The differences in cat and dog treatment are not due to differences in the mites so much as the mitocides which are poisonous to the host.

For treatment of sarcoptic infection in humans, see scabies. For demodetic infection in humans, which is not as severe as it is in animals with thicker coats (such as dogs), see Demodex folliculorum.