#1
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Demodex Issues
Hey there.
I was reading the post here: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=60642 ... and I had a similar but different situation. My dog Zail is newly adopted. She comes from the perfect storm of experiences for her mange outbreak. - She came from an abused home. - The vet at the shelter did a skin scrape on a 3cm bald spot on her head and diagnosed her with demodex mange - This same vet the spayed her - And also vaccinated her. So.. basically all the things you are not supposed to do. Regardless, I took her to my local vet at the soonest available time (three days after adoption) by then the 3cm spot now covered most of the right side of her face. He put her on ivermectin. The concentration was mixed into a 3mg/ml solution. We started at 0.15cc and have progressed up to 0.61cc. (the math here gets weird for those used to the 1% solution) She has been at the 0.61 dose for about a week now. And is supposed to progress up to 0.91cc in the first week of January if the mange is not cleared. She weighs about 10lbs (4.5kg). Here is where I am worried. - Her mange has gotten worse. What was once a small localized patch on her forehead is now covering her whole forehead, front neck, chest, right side, and patches of her legs. I am wondering if the ivermectin I got was expired, exposed to sunlight, or diluted incorrectly. I feel like the mange should have stopped spreading by now. Thoughts? Help? Also feel free to ask me any questions.. I may be a bit slow to respond as I am often away from my computer. Thanks! - - - - - - - - - - - - - First Adopted: Soon after: Today: |
#2
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Aw, your poor little dear! She looks like such a cutie!
Have you checked back with the vet for more suggestions? Maybe there's a topical you can add to the treatment? It can be a slow, long haul to get the mange under control, though. Hopefully by the time January rolls around you'll be seeing some improvement!
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." |
#3
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Thanks for the reply.
Yes, I did talk with my vet. He wasn't too confident. He said it was the worst demodex he'd ever seen. He admitted to feeling a bit uncertain. His recommendation was just to keep with it according to the original plan. It makes me anxious to wait so long when things are not improving. I guess my question is: Is this normal? Should the mange have stopped spreading by now. My vet didn't have a firm answer to this and did not suggest any other things to do. I said I might try an herbal bath or something to soothe the itching and he was not opposed, but did not have any specific suggestions. So, is it normal to continue spreading? Any recommendations for baths? I grew up around large outdoor work dogs so giving a dog a bath is new territory for me, but I am open to try. Edit: (since I missed a question you asked) My vet did not want to add an anti mite topical because he was concerned about an overdose as he would not able to control how the dosing was being absorbed. (since it may compound with the ivermectin.) And in case anyone is asking, I have her on a grain free diet. Orijen, which I really liked when my cat was on it. I got the version with a bit more omegas in it since the vet had suggested it early on to help her skin. Last edited by Zail; December 18th, 2014 at 11:29 PM. |
#4
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Not sure where you are, but given that your vet was not overly confident, I think I'd check to see if there are any veterinary dermatologists in your area. If there's a veterinary teaching hospital within a half-day's drive, that might also be a good option. Specialists and teaching hospital staff might be pricey, but they do see a lot more stubborn cases that the general practice vet and might have a more effective protocol to suggest. Ask your vet if he'll give you a referral.
And in response to your question--no, demodectic mange doesn't usually spread extensively if the treatment is working. Has the vet done any more scrapings to see if the number of mites is decreasing?
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"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." |
#5
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I was also going to recommend a doggie derm - there could be a secondary infection or something. My dog had something similar and it was a doggie staph infection. You can search for one here: https://www.acvd.org/
For the demodex, there are a number of things you can do to build up their system - there are a lot of holistic type ideas here: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum...reatments.html |
#6
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Oh, for a doggie bath, I love the zymox shampoos. For a particular condition, there might be prescription shampoos that work better, but this stuff works well for my sensitive girl.
http://www.entirelypets.com/zymox-re...-d3-12-oz.html I also use their ear products if my dog has an ear issue... She looks like a real cutie - she'll look great when she gets that full coat of hair |
#7
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Thank you again for all the replies. In my short time here I have found these boards to be a very informative resource.
I spoke to my vet. He was fine with giving a derm referral, but noted that it would probably be very expensive and he was afraid they would tell me the same thing he was. My vet is conservative and realistic which is one of the reasons I picked him. As for another scrape, he wanted to wait until he saw clinical signs of improvement first. As for bacterial infection. I am watching her scratches closely for any redness or swelling. So far the areas around the scratches have stayed very skin tone. That's one benefit of being hairless.. easy to see signs of infection. Anyway, so here is my plan going forward: - I repurchased the ivermectin. (Call me crazy, but my gut still says I got a old/bad batch of medicine) I plan to start this tomorrow with the lower dose than what I am using now (in case she is sensitive) and work back up to the prescribed dose. Essentially stepping back one phase in what was prescribed. If I don't see a halt in the spread within a few days of a therapeutic treatment level then I will take my vet up on the derm referral. - Per vet recommendation I am also giving her a low dose of benadryl to help control the itching. - Baths. I gave her a bath tonight and that seemed to really help the excess itching... also, she smells nice. - Use more distraction this weekend! I find that so long as she is playing, working on a puzzle, or otherwise occupied, she seems to scratch less. I will keep you guys posted as things progress or as I learn anything new. Thanks! Mini-update: It just occurred to me. My vet mixed some fake sugar in with the ivermectin. I wonder if that could have thrown off the dosing. There is enough added to make it a very very cloudy solution when shaken up. When the bottle has settled there is a clear 'float' layer of about 1/4 the bottle with the rest remaining cloudy white.... hmmm.... Not sure if this is a normal practice. I'll keep you all posted with how the new bottle (sans sugar) works. Last edited by Zail; December 20th, 2014 at 12:19 AM. Reason: Update info. |
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