Should I groom my pet before using mange shampoo? Will mites surface?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from the photos, it appears that the demodex is becoming less severe and the head is in the process of healing with all of the scabs present. If the hair does not grow back and it seems like the demodex is still there, I would try other medications such as Fluralaner (Bravecto) or Afoxolaner (Nexgard). If Tyson is not on an antibiotic right now, it might help him as well as washing him in a Benzoyl Peroxide shampoo twice weekly. I hope this helps and that Tyson recovers fully soon! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Twerp! If Twerp has demodex, it will not be a "one size fits all" treatment. Classically demodex was treated with oral ivermectin which is dosed based on the animals weight. It is a higher dose of ivermectin than is in heartgard and is off label use of the drug. It works well and the dog tends to be on it for several months until 2-3 negative skin scrapings. Now a days we have found that the oral flea and tick medications have an added "perk" of also killing demodex. You just give the monthly oral dose like it is labeled to give for flea and ticks and by 3 months the fur usually has grown back and the mites are gone. Nexgard, Simparica and Bravecto are the oral medication that can do this and again are based on the weight of the dog. I hope this helps and I wish Twerp the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Macie has been having skin issues. Itching like you are describing can have a variety of causes, including skin mites like you suspect, allergies, an infection (bacterial or fungal) or another underlying medical cause. She can be skin scraped to test for mites, but as they burrow in the skin sometimes they are hard to find to diagnose. If you are concerned about mites, you could talk to your veterinarian about some of the newer oral flea and tick preventatives that are available (such as nexgard or bravecto), which in addition to preventing flea and ticks also treat skin mites. If it isn’t mites, the. Your veterinarian can discuss what other treatment options may be available if the apoquel isn’t helping enough. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Usually with antibiotics as most of the time there is a secondary infection present. If your veterinarian suspects a secondary infection, they could prescribe antibiotics. You can also use an e-collar to prevent self trauma. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Congratulations on adopting a new dog. Is the mange currently being treated with an oral product such as Nexgard, Bravecto, Simparica or Credelio? Demodex mites are found on virtually all dogs, but it does take a suppressed immune system for them to overpopulate and cause an infection. If the mange is already being treated and your own dog is otherwise healthy, the risk *should* be fairly low. If you have any further questions or concerns I would recommend reaching to your regular veterinarian on how to proceed. Good luck!

Use an oatmeal type bath. This will help to moisturize the skin. You may also ask your veterinarian about using a special prescription shampoo which can help to clear out the pores and may be somewhat effective against the mites (though you need to continue your current treatment). I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.