Why does my dog have recurring skin issues after demodex treatment?

The skin does look very sore and inflammed and in my opinion Tyson is receiving the right treatment. Amitraz is the medication that kills the parasite (so it is very important to carry on treatment as prescribed). As bacterial skin infection commonly complicates demodicosis your dog is also on antibiotic (Ceporex). Tyson skin will heal eventually but this is going to be a long process (2-3 months). Once fully healed, demodecosis could return but in many caoses it doesn't come back once the dog gets older.

Mara needs the medications to treat the mites. Some dogs do need lifetime treatment. The good news is that many dogs will respond to the new oral flea and tick medications such as Nexgard and bravecto which may clear or keep demodex in check. Mara should also be spayed- demodex has a genetic component so she should not have puppies but beyond this each heat cycle stresses her immune system and makes an outbreak more likely. Grain free is not necessary, while it shouldn't hurt her it is a marketing gimmick by food companies and not based on medical research. Please schedule her a veterinary visit asap to get her treated, the skin infections that accompany demodex are severely painful. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A

Very good information. Yes you are correct that topical shampoo with Benzoyl peroxide is a great addition to therapy to rid the mites. The next step would be to get her an oral treatment, which in my opinion the best and easiest way to treat Demodexx is to give her Bravecto or Nexgard. These are flea/tick preventatives, however they are also labeled for Demodexx treatment and can be given once very 1-2 months to treat Demodexx. The other way to treat Demodexx, which in my opinion is a lot more time consuming and costly, is daily Ivermectin 1%. Both these treatments will require a veterinary prescription first, so it is best to get Nu'u seen by a veterinarian if she hasn't already. It is also important to get repeat skin scrapes every 2-3 weeks during treatment to monitor her progression and also this helps you determine when she can go off her medication.

It isn't uncommon for dogs going through mange therapy to initially get itchier as the mites die and cause inflammation. However secondary infections are also very common with mange. It is common for a dog to be on antibiotics and perhaps an anti-itch medication in addition while being treated for the mange. You could call the veterinarian that prescribed the mange treatment to discuss antibiotics and/or medication to help with his itching. Sometimes a topical shampoo helps but often oral medications are needed.

Amitraz (Mitaban) is one of 3 recommended treatments for demodecosis. It is applied every other week for 6 to 8 weeks or until there are 2 consecutive negative skin scrapes. The other two treatments are ivermectin injectable or oral given daily and Interceptor preventative administered daily. Both are administered for 6-8 weeks as well or when there are 2 consecutive negative skin scrapes. Protecting him from excess sunlight, which may cause sunburn on bare skin, is indeed recommended. Keep him in the shade, indoors or limit outside activity. An essential fatty acid supplement, such as a fish oil, may promote healthy skin and coat. Demodex infection may take months to fully resolve.

HI and thank you for using PetCoach. Poor Tyson. I would recommend taking Tyson back to his veterinarian for a recheck. Often dogs with Demodex may develop secondary skin infections that require antibiotics to treat as well as treating the mites. There are some oral medications that may be used to treat Demodex mange as well, however I am not sure if they are availabe in your country. I would ask your veterinarian if there are any other options to treat Tyson if he is not improving. This article may give you a bit more information about Demodectic mange. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951505

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tyson. Poor guy! He does look uncomfortable. I would continue everything you are doing treatment wise. Is the benzoyl peroxide cream a shampoo? If not, I would a shampoo as bathing can help. This helps to flush the mites out of the hair follicles. He will likely need an antibiotic as I suspect that he has developed a secondary bacterial infection. This is common. This should help the skin heal as the mites are treated. Good luck!