How can I tell if my dog has Mange?

If your pet develops skin hairless patches, thickening, sores, redness and itching, it is very important to start testing to reach a diagnosis.

First of all, let us define what mange is, because the term mange applies to all skin diseases in dogs caused by mites.

Mites are microscopic arachnids that can settle on our pet's skin and feed on debris, potentially causing skin conditions.

Consequently, many different types of problems with different types of therapies and with different prognoses fall under the same word - Mange.

Mites often cause problems in dogs with weakened immune systems, in young and elderly dogs, in malnourished ones or in those with other debilitating diseases. Mange problems are also common in dogs living in unsanitary, overcrowded conditions or in contact with other animals that carry it. 

Mites reproduce very quickly and the symptoms will only get worse if we do not take immediate action. 

The diagnosis should be made by a vet, taking into account the symptoms and carrying out a series of clinical tests to identify the mite responsible for the pet's health problems and to prescribe the best suitable treatment.

Symptoms:

• The most common symptoms of an animal with mange are:
• Itching, we often find the animal desperately scratching different parts of its body, even biting itself or seriously injuring itself out of desperation, something that will increase as the disease progresses.
• Presence of wounds due to persistent scratching
• Reddened and swollen skin, may feel warm to the touch.
• This inflamed skin evolves with the appearance of scabs, flaking and dehydrated or oozy skin.
• The afflicted skin may have a distinctive foul odour.
• The disease results in a weakening, dryness, splitting of the fur and the onset of alopecia.
• If the animal is not treated at an early stage, its health condition will deteriorate, leading to apathy and loss of appetite, as well as the possible development of behavioural changes.

Types of Mange: 

Demodectic:

It is not contagious from dog to dog or human to human and it is not contagious to other species.

The mite responsible is known as the Demodex canis. These are mites that are normally already present in the dogs' skin, but a weak immune system can cause them to overgrow and result in the mange symptomatology described above. It can be introduced in three different manners: 

• Localised demodicosis in a particular area, either the head or the paws. It usually occurs in the muzzle area, often showing alopecia and a lot of itching. This type is usually due to a temporary drop in immunity, as can happen in young animals, and can be overcome without treatment. However, when it affects the paws, it results in pododermatitis, which is characterised by a foul odour and is often difficult to treat and cure.
• Generalised demodicosis, this is the name we use when wounds appear on different areas of the body with alopecia. With appropriate treatment, and depending on how advanced the wounds are, healing is relatively straightforward in healthy animals.

Sarcoptic:

It is highly contagious from dog to dog, merely via contact or by sharing beds, kennels or play areas. This mite can also cause wounds in humans, albeit very mild, as they cannot develop on our skin in the same way as they do on dogs.

The mite that causes it is the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, which is why the disease is also known as scabies.

Signs of the disease mostly include terrible itching, with afflicted animals feeling terribly uncomfortable trying to scratch themselves against objects, with their paws and even biting the most affected areas of their body. On causing them such distress, they eventually develop serious dermal traumas and, in addition to the hairless patches, we may also find wounds and even secondary infections caused by bacterial colonisation of the damaged skin, resulting in bacterial dermatitis derived from the scabies.

As the disease progresses, the dog's state of health deteriorates as they are unable to get any rest due to the terrible itching and pain caused by the sores.

There are other mites that cause other less common types of mange such as the otodectic mange which is located in the ears and, despite being very contagious, treatment is quite simple, the cheylethyosis caused by a reddish mite that is easy to identify and which, while highly contagious, the anti-flea products are effective, or the notoedric mange, which affects dogs temporarily as its host are cats.

If you suspect that your little buddy suffers from any of these skin problems, please visit your trusted vet to have the necessary tests carried out. In skin problems, such tests are usually cytology or taking samples to check under the microscope and find out which mite is causing the problem, although other tests or analyses may be necessary. Once the disease is known, it is then time to prescribe appropriate treatment, which in the case of mange can range from administration of pipettes, oral medication or baths with specific shampoos.

María González Sola. Co-founder of Refugio la vida color Frambuesa and responsible for the vet consults VeggieAnimals.