My dog has sarcoptic mange. Can I catch it? What should I do?

Mites are species specific. This means human scabies mites cannot survive for long or breed on dogs. They may cross back and forth between you and your dog though. He may develop a rash from the mites. If he itches or chews, he could make it worse. Have him examined by your veterinarian to make sure Tripper doesn't need antibiotic treatment or medication to stop the itching.

Hi there. I would recommend washing your hands thoroughly after handling the puppy, and don't allow any close physical contact with your clothing, etc. if possible. Scabies mites do not survive very long off of the host, so there is likely not much risk of infecting your dogs by touching them when you get home - but if you want to be extra safe, you could take a shower and change your clothes before petting or snuggling with them. Alternatively, if your dogs are on an oral flea/tick medication like Nexgard or Bravecto, you shouldn't need to worry about sarcoptic mange at all because these meds will protect them against this.

Although dogs do get scabies, the species of skin mite that causes canine scabies is different from the one that causes human scabies. The mites are species-specific, so it's quite rare to see transmission from humans to dogs (or vice-versa) beyond a mild localized rash. But to be safe, I would suggest using a flea preventative such as Revolution or Advantage Multi on your dog that is effective against skin mites - this should ensure that you don't need to worry :)

Hello, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Ginger needs to be seen by a veterinarian for a diagnosis on what's going on with her skin, but if she is very itchy and if you have a rash that's similar to hers, I'd definitely recommend you both get that checked right away (you by your doctor, of course :-) ). There is a skin mite called sarcoptes that can infect a dog's skin and cause intense itching, and this mite can also be spread to people. Thankfully, if that's the case, it's easy to treat - but does require a prescription medication from the veterinarian. So, definitely have her checked as soon as possible. Hope this helps!

Sarcoptic mange is highly contagious to other pets and even humans. The treatment can take as long as six weeks for your puppy to respond completely and, until then, I recommend limiting your exposure to her and quarantining her away from any other pets until she is recovered.

Since there is a smell, severe pruritus (itch), and hair loss this is very suspicious for sarcoptic mange, especially since both your dogs are affected. You will need to take them to your vet for a skin scrape to verify that it is indeed mange. Mange is relatively easy to treat with an injection of an avermectin. Sometimes a second injection is needed. Unfortunately sarcoptic mange is contagious and if you have other pets (dogs, cats) they should all be treated. You will also need to watch out for itchy skin conditions as humans can also be affected.

A good bath followed by a sulfur lyme dip once a week should help speed things up. Sometimes dogs that have scabies also have a secondary bacterial and/or fungal infection. Systemic antibiotic and/or antifungal therapy is necessary to treat the skin if a secondary infection is present. Once treated appropriately, It usually takes 4-8 wks for all of the hair to grow back/mites gone. I would have a veterinarian look at his skin and prescribe you the appropriate treatment. Most veterinary clinics have the sulfur lyme dip as well. Hope this has helped. Good luck and thanks for using pet coach.