My dog is itching, losing hair, has black spots. Is it mange or can I treat at home?

The spot on the cheek looks like a "hot spot". The rest looks like a flea allergy. Mange is not impossible in a dog her age but really unlikely unless she is immunocompromised. The hot spot on the cheek is basically a bacterial skin infection. She probably compromised the skin in that area due to scratching at the ears if she has an ear infection. You really need to get her to a vet to get everything she has going on under control. She needs an anti-inflammatory injection to the get the scratching under control, she needs to have oral antibiotics to clear up the hot spot, if there is an ear infection that needs to be treated and of course, the fleas need to get under control with a GOOD flea medication that she stays on continuously. A flea bath is very temporary and is not going to fix the problem. An ear infection will not clear up with over the counter ear cleaners - she needs an actual medication to clear it up. Please get her to your vet as soon as you can. Some things cannot be fixed with home treatment once they become too advanced. Best wishes.

I'm sorry to hear that Bubblu is having this problem! Skin issues like this can be very frustrating to deal with. Unfortunately, it's hard to suggest any specific treatment options that might be helpful without a diagnosis - different types of skin disease require different treatment, so it's important to find out what the problem is first. I'm wondering if your vet has ever done any testing to help determine what is causing Bubblu's skin problems - things like a skin scrape, skin cytology, bacterial or fungal skin cultures, allergy testing, or blood work. If so, it would be helpful to know the results. If not, the next step at this point would definitely be to have some testing done to help diagnose the problem - if your current vet has not suggested or recommended this, I would seek a second opinion from another local vet or request referral to a veterinary dermatologist. In the meantime, you could certainly try something like a medicated bath with aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo to help soothe his skin a bit - this will not treat the underlying problem, but may at least help to make him a little more comfortable until you can get a diagnosis and a more definitive treatment plan.

Poor Chiko! There are many different things that could cause itching, scabs, and hair loss like this. Some common possibilities would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so it's important to get a diagnosis first. Because of this, I would recommend taking Chiko to the vet tomorrow for an exam. He/she can do some simple skin tests if needed to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it. In the meantime, you can try bathing him in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo if you want to - this will not treat the underying problem causing his symptoms, but may help to soothe his skin and make him a bit more comfortable until you are able to see the vet.

First, you need to make sure this is mange. There are 2 types of mange....Demodectic mange is typically found in young puppies or adult dogs with seriously compromised immune systems. Sarcoptic mange can be found in dogs of any age, but is more common in dogs that live outdoors. It is extremely itchy and typically has patterns of hair loss and rash on the edges of the ears, along extremities. The photos you included are not a clear suggestion of either type of mange. There are no successful over the counter remedies for mange. It would be best to see your vet for a proper diagnosis. Your pet may be suffering from allergies, a skin infection, or other issues. Once you know if your dog has mange and which type....they are treated with different medications... or if your dog has something else.. .your veterinarian can get you started off on the right treatment plan.

Hot spots are small usually individual areas of superficial infection and tend to be moist and smell horrendous. Bathing and topical antiseptics are usually sufficient. Mange is an infestation of mites which crawl through the inner layers of the skin causing inflammation, itch and often hair loss, these damaged areas may then become infected with bacteria or yeast also. There are numerous mite treatments which can be effective from washes, spot ons and tablets; generally 3-months tresatment is required to eliminate the mites

It is hard to treat with that extent without seeing a vet. He would need a skin scraping to diagnose it. The best thing at home is a weekly bath in a shampoo that has benzoyl peroxide as the active ingredient as this flushes the hair follicle. A vet can prescribe a monthly or once every 3 month medication to help get the mange under control if that is what they see

It's possible your pet is experiencing symptoms of a bacterial infection due to mange mite infestation. You'll want to be sure to visit your local Veterinarian as soon as possible and request a skin scraping examination. This will allow your doctor to identify the underlying cause of your pets discomfort. You're doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to help stop the infection and mite/mange treatment if needed.