An article from a qualified veterinary surgeon. Sarcoptic Mange Scabies In The Dog, Diagnosis and Treatment.
Cause: This highly contagious disease is caused by a mite called sarcoptes scabei, { See the above photo } this mite is microscopic and it has a life cycle of about 30 days, it spends all of this life cycle on the dog. It is a burrowing mite, the female burrows into the skin to lay her eggs. Sarcoptes scabei usually spreads by direct contact between dogs, it can spread by indirect contact, that is a dog being in an area where an infected dog has recently been, but this form of contact would be less common. In the UK and other countries there is a reservoir of infection in wildlife such as foxes and coyotes, spread by indirect contact may be more important in these cases.
Diagnosis: A definitive diagnosis can be made by carrying out a deep skin scrape on a suspect area of skin and then examining it under the microscope for the distinctive mite, however the mites can be very hard to find on skin scrapes. Some vets would diagnose on clinical signs alone plus a history of contact with an affected animal, if you own a number of dogs and only one is affected with a skin condition it is unlikely to be sarcoptic mange. An aid to diagnosis is the Pedal Pinna Reflex, [ Foot Ear Reflex ] which is where the dog moves one of its hind legs in a scratching motion as the ear is being scratched gently. This works because the mites are present on the ear margins in nearly all cases. In some countries, a serological test is available that may be useful in diagnosis, and skin biopsies may point to this condition as well.
Clinical Signs: The cardinal signs of this disease are marked itching and the appearance of obvious hair loss and skin disease, after a while chronic cases may lose condition and become debilitated. Hair loss and skin disease frequently appears first on elbows and ears but can spread over the whole body. Secondary skin damage can then occur from the dog’s intense scratching and biting and secondary skin infection is common, in chronic cases the lymph nodes may be enlarged.
Treatment: This condition can be readily treated but you have to be on your guard for a recurrence if you have not been thorough. Drugs which have been used to treat this condition include sulfurated lime rinses applied weekly or bi-weekly, selamectin is licensed for treatment of sarcoptic mange by in several countries; it is applied as a spot-on directly to the skin. I found that ivermectin though it is unlicensed, was very very effective given by injection for two to four weekly treatments; this drug is said not to be safe in border collies or collie crosses. Ivermectin also works orally and can be put in food let out for infected foxes. There is little scope for the owner to self treat here, go to your vet and get the most effective treatment. You should frequently clean the bedding of infected dogs and make sure their environment is clean during treatment to prevent reinfection.
Prevention: There is no effective prevention, you should keep your dog away from animals known to affected, and from areas where such animals have recently been including foxes and coyotes.
Sarcoptic mange is a condition which causes a lot of discomfort and distress to affected dogs, it can on occasion mildly affect people who have been in contact with infected dogs but this is rare.
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How long is the sarcoptic mange infectious for, in terms of days and/or weeks.
Thank you
Hello Karen,
Thanks for dropping by.
1. Untreated mange is a progressive disease which will always be infectious.
2. Treated mange will cease to be infectious when the dog stops scratching, the skin looks normal, and hair growth starts again. The time for this to occur will be variable as it will depend on how severe the infection was and what treatment option you are using. Usually though you would be looking at two to three weeks after treatment was started.
If I have not covered your question fully enough or you would like to ask more please feel free to post a further question.
Regards,
Scott
Hi, we have a border collie who is being treated for the vet called “scabies mite mange” he is on a 4 week treatment of intercepter. Do you know how long he would be contagious taking this medication, its been three weeks and he has almost stopped itching completely? Also, he is in need of a bath, do you have any suggestions on how soon I could bath him without being infected myself? Any help would be appreciated as so many people have different comments as well as our Dr friends and the vet?
Thanks much,
Katie
Hello Katie,
Thanks for dropping by …
I would have said that sarcoptic mange would not be infectious when the itching has gone, the skin looks its normal colour without any inflammation and you are seeing positive signs of hair regrowth.
You can wash your dog at any point, if, taking the above points into account you still think your dog might be infectious you could wear rubber gloves and wash them thoroughly afterwards. This disease is not that contagious to humans.
If I have not covered your question fully enough or you would like to ask more please feel free to post a further question.
Regards,
Scott
hi,
my dog has been diagnosed with scabies but has no contact with other dogs and we have no foxes visiting our garden. Could my cat have given him the disease? ( the cat has no signs of scratching).
many thanks
Dee
Hello Dee,
Scabies can be suspected, but a definitive diagnosis can only come with taking a skin scraping and actually seeing the mite so unless your vet has done this there would always be room for doubt that your dog actually has mange.
Cats do not contract the same sort of mange as dogs so it cannot be passed that way. It can only have come from contact with an infected animal, usually a dog or fox.
If I have not covered your question fully enough or you would like to ask more please feel free to post a further question.
Regards,
Scott
hi
im doing an essay on sarcoptic mange i have to find 3 diffrent ways in which this disease can be transmitted between animals
hope you can help
Hi,
I have a 2 month old lab/rottie x she has been diagnosed with scarpotic mange and is about to strat treatment for it. i was wondering what would be the best thing to clean the house in? she cam from a rehoming centre she has not been in contact with any other dog’s i have let them know about my pup as she had the hair loss in the centre. should they let they other people know about this as i know it is contagious and she 1 in a litter off 8?
also i was wondering is it safe for us to keep her in the home untill this clears up?
my wee 8 week old puppy has been diagnosed with sarcoptic mange!!! i have also got it now and its a nightmare she is living in a play pen at the moment with plenty of food and water and a bed with a few toys she looks so sad and crys to get out it breaks my heart that i cant lift her
she is getting treated by her vet he has said there is no way yet of knowing how long this will last. in the space i’ve only had her 2 weeks (1 of which i didnt know she had it ) i have passed this on to my friends 2 children and my own daughter i feel awful passing this on to other people we have been given lycrear and done it twice like i’ve been told and i still have the blizter like spots and new ones keep appearing how long will this last and does anyone know of any other treatment that might help. and when will should she no longer be contagious. this is driving my family mad and the poor wee dog 
i clean my whole house from top to bottom every day wash bed clothes duvet and pillow and hoover all the beds i have honestly done everything i dont want this itchy we mite in my home with my family and dogs… the dog is in a playpen with no contact to anyone a part from me and its only to clean her playpen and feed her and i wear gloves..
Hi I live in Germany and my 7 yr old black cocker spaniel was diagnosed by my local vet as having sarcoptic mange. I have bathed him in a potent wash (think it was sulphur) as directed by the vet and he is also having Advocate spot on applied every 4 weeks but it keeps coming back. I’m at my wits end. His hair loss on his chest area has improved recently but now his stomach is red and he is itching and gnawing at it. I was thinking of clipping his fur short for the summer, thinking it might help with the irritation. I also have 2 cats, but they don’t seem to be scratching. I also use a homeopathic food supplement, that I purchased from a fox sanctuary, on his food everyday. Is there anything else I can do. My vet is German and I’m sure she thinks I don’t care about my dog, and told me she would have put him to sleep if he had been younger! She also told me that he will never get rid of it out of his sytem, it will just keep flaring up. But ive read conflicting ideas whilst researching it. Is there anything else that you could recommend? I don’t want to lose him, and want him to improve. Please help.