Q: Puppy w/mange

Answered by lykanthropy on 5/12/2005, 10:19 pm

A: Puppy w/mange

> I found a puppy that has mange. I just paid a very high vet
> bill for my GSD and I can not afford another bill right now.
> Is thers anything I can do to help this poor guy out? How
> about Sulfur & Vasoline? I have heard this works but not so
> sure. Can anyone help with this? This little guy is so sweet
> and I cant even think about taking him to the shelter where
> they will put him down. This is treatable I know! Right now
> I have him Quaratined away from my GSD & my kids. I use
> gloves to hold him and I have given him a bath but he just
> itches so bad! Help if you can!!!!

The way to provide correct, safe treatment is for a vet to perform a skin scraping on the dog. Slides are done to determine what kind of mange is present.

Demodectic mange is mange that all dogs have, but this normally is not a problem. It becomes a problem when the dog does not have a strong immunity for the mange and thus cannot fight the mites.

Sacoptes(scabes) This is highly contagious to animals. These mites prefer a specific host(in otherwords, your dogs). Even if you quarentee your dog away from your shepherd, there is a chance that your shepherd can catch this mange.

Treatments for Demodectic and Sarcoptes mange can only be done by your vet, and do not always work.Treatment also depends on if it is localized(in one area) or Generalized(entire body).

Demodectic mange treaments include a medicated dip(commonly of Amitraz) and/or oral medication. Since this mange is in all dogs, it will not go away completely, but can be supressed.

Sarcoptes mange treatments require an anti-mite injection. This is done until the skin scrapings are negative and can last for up to one month or more, with tests everyweek(more or less frequently depending on severity).

As for releif, you can purchase the following herbs in a liquid form.

You can mix a combination of one part Lavendar oil with one part Neem oil, and 9 parts almond oil. Apply this twice a day to sores and affected areas twice daily. This will relieve the dog of the itching.

As for sulfer and Vasoline, you need to talk to a vet to get the proper answer, as I have not heard (yet) of sulfer and correct usage of it. Vasoline is greasy, and that will clog the pores of your dogs skin, causing oil gland problems.

I recommend you get this dog to a vet asap for proper diagnosis and treatment. Since you are keeping this puppy in your home, it has become your responibility regardless if it was a stray or not.

Its basically like if you were to have head lice. It is itchy, unhealthy and can cause health problems. You wouldn't wait to get treatment for yourself, even if you couldn't afford it. It shouldn't be any different for any animal.

The animal is miserable, and from scratching, can open up the skin causing more pain and possible infection, thus resulting in a higher vet bill.

If you cannot afford to properly take care of this animal, please find a home that will, and INFORM them of the mange condition prior to giving them the dog. The new owners need to understand that this puppy has mange and needs treatment. People do not really like adopting an animal that has health problems that have not been treated by a vet, so if anyone is interested in this dog, they need to be sure they will properly have this dog treated by a vet and follow up with all care that will be needed throughout the life of the dog, wether it is mange problems or other issues.

If this is not an option, find a no-kill shelter. They may treat her, they may not. Again it depends on the severity of this mange. Please do not let this dog suffer with this problem.
>