Mange: hair loss, crusty skin and itching
Mange is caused by mites. It looks frightening but usually clears up with the right treatment from a vet.
General guidance, awaiting review by a Guyanese vet. Always ask a vet about your own animal.
Mange is a skin disease caused by tiny mites. It is common in street dogs and in puppies, and it can be treated.
The two main kinds in dogs
- Sarcoptic mange (scabies) is very itchy and spreads easily between dogs. It can also cause an itchy rash on people who handle the dog, which clears once the dog is treated.
- Demodectic mange comes from mites that live in most dogs’ skin and only cause trouble when they multiply, usually in puppies or weak, sick or underfed dogs. It often starts as patches of hair loss around the eyes, face or legs, and it doesn’t spread to people.
Signs
Hair loss, red, crusty or thickened skin, scratching and chewing, sores, and a bad smell. The edges of the ears, elbows, face and belly are often affected first. Cats can get mange too; take them to a vet.
What to do
- See a vet. They can tell which kind it is, often from a skin scraping, and prescribe a treatment that works well. Some modern tablets treat mange, ticks and fleas together.
- For sarcoptic mange, treat every dog in the home at the same time and wash bedding in hot water.
- Never put engine oil, diesel, kerosene, bleach or farm chemicals on a dog’s skin. They burn the skin and can poison the dog.
- Good food, clean water, deworming and tick and flea control help the skin heal.
A dog with mange can grow a full, healthy coat again. If you see a stray with mange, a rescue group in the directory may be able to help.