Can you tell if my puppy has demodectic mange just by looking?

Sarcoptic mange mites can be seen under the microscope however they can be difficult to find in deep skin scrapes, best results can be obtained from ear margins, hocks, elbows. The clinical symptoms and the appearance of pruritic alopecia aid diagnosis so sometimes vets prefer to treat it as sarcoptic mange even when negative skin scrapes are found. I hope it makes sense !

Without seeing it in person, I can't say if it's mange or ringworm for sure. Ringworm is typically a circular lesion that is red in color. Mange can be demodex or sarcoptic, but again without seeing him in person, I don't know which type it is. At the vet, they will likely use a Wood's lamp to see if the spot is ringworm, as infected hairs can fluoresce under the ultraviolet light. Not all cases of ringworm will do this, so a fungal culture may be needed. To diagnose mange, the vet takes skin scrapings, and looks at the sample under a microscope. The demodex mite is typically easily seen with a skin scraping, while it can take several skin scrapings to find the sarcoptic mite. Once the cause is found, the vet can discuss treatment with you. Good luck at the vet's tomorrow!

Hi and thanks for your post. Demodex mite infection can be occur in younger dogs and may spontaneously resolve as their immune system becomes more mature. Demodex mange is not typically itchy but sarcoptic mange is. The area of hair loss around the eye in the picture does look suspicious of demodex mange but you will want to get this confirmed with your veterinarian first. A skin test in needed to accurately diagnosis demodex manage in dogs. If it is demodex, unfortunately, there is nothing over the counter at tractor supply you can purchase for this. You veterinarian may give you a prescription medication for the mange if necessary. Either types of manage (demodex or sarcoptic) typically is not fatal unless there is a more serious underlying condition at play. Both types are treatable.

The only way to definitively diagnose mange (Demodex) is by skin scrapings which should be repeated every 2-3 weeks during treatment until 2 negative skin scrapings are found. Make sure that the flea and tick medication prescribed will also treat mites (milbemycin or moxidectin) and keep in mind that the dosage frequency is different for mite treatment than it is for flea preventative. Treatment needs to continue for 1-2 months after there is a negative skin scraping. Steroids are usually contraindicated in treatment of Demodex. Demodex mites are not contagious to other animals so your other dogs may not be affected.

I recommend to have a skin scrape to check for mange. This is an easy test which will generally yield results. Some vets will also use an oral flea prevention product off label once the pet is old enough. Puppies will commonly get eye infections as well although a scratch on the cornea or other eye condition could also be the cause of the infection. I recommend to have Jimmy examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. Cocoa may have sarcoptic or demodectic mange, both common in puppies & very itchy. Your veterinarian can diagnose this very quickly with a simple skin scrape & once a diagnosis is made, appropriate treatment started. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Mange is caused by mites. There are two types of mange, sarcoptic mange and demodex mange, each caused by a different mite. Sarcoptic mange is highly contagious to other animals and humans, while demodex mange is not. The symptoms depend on what type of mite is presents. Yes a skin allergy could potentially look like mange, but a vet will be able to diagnose the underlying cause. You will need to take Mister Brown into the vet. Best of luck.