Demodectic Mange?!

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susanadana	Demodectic Mange?!		Lead	[-]
Posts: 13 06/29/2009 11:34 AM	Tags : None Hi! So my little (well, big) Finley is 12 weeks old now, and we recently began seeing little bald patches on his head, then neck, and some even on his body and limbs. I took him to the Vet on Saturday for his shots, well visit, and to talk about the hair loss. He isn't scratching, it isn't red, or infected looking...just bald. The Vet said that she thought it was just something to do with a suppressed immune system, and she prescribed a medicated shampoo for him to use for three weeks, and see if things get better. I did some reading on here, and various other sites, and found out what Demodectic Mange really is, and now I am wondering if this is what is going on with him!?!? The Vet did check him for Ringworm (negative), but when I mentioned Mange to her, she shrugged it off, and didn't seem concerned. She didn't offer to do a skin scraping, and she didn't want to prescribe antibiotics, because Finley was on some three weeks ago for puppy Impetigo. (UGH! He came from the breeder with that! Never again.) Anyways, the encounter with the Vet wasn't very helpful, and I feel like she didn't address the needs and concerns that I had. She also proceeded to educate me about Great Danes. (Annoying, because I did my research far before I made the decision to add one to my family.) Woke up this AM, and now he has some patches around his eyes. I have since decided to switch Vets, and he has another appointment tomorrow at 1130, and the Tech assured me that there would be a skin scraping. I would just like any advice, or words of wisdom that you may have! Thanks in advance! Susan Mom to furbabies... Beaufort the Choc LabHans the Black Lab X Dante the Ca And bringing home FINLEY the Great Dane in two weeks!
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bluedanemom		#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 776 06/29/2009 11:58 AM	It does sound like demodex. Demodex is genetic, so I would let your breeder know because those dogs should not continue to be bred. It stems from a weakened immune system and the body is not able to control the mites. I would start giving some Vitamin C to help boost the immune system. Good call on changing vets! Let us know how the appt goes. Leah & Witamy-Cabine' VonScheer's Color Me Cool, CGC :: Kiefer Witamy-Lexis Fireproof :: Poof
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susanadana		#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 15 06/29/2009 12:01 PM	bluedanemom wrote: It does sound like demodex. Demodex is genetic, so I would let your breeder know because those dogs should not continue to be bred. It stems from a weakened immune system and the body is not able to control the mites. I would start giving some Vitamin C to help boost the immune system. Good call on changing vets! Let us know how the appt goes. Great, thank you so much! I got Vitamin C last night, and ordered some probiotics for him too, just from reading on here. So much helpful information. I contacted the breeder last night, and explained to her that I had read it was related to Genetics. She did tell me that none of the other puppies from the same litter have had any issues so far. Does it come directly from the Mother and Father? Or could it be farther down in the bloodline? Thanks again for your help. Susan Mom to furbabies... Beaufort the Choc LabHans the Black Lab X Dante the Ca And bringing home FINLEY the Great Dane in two weeks!
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MrsHemcrow		#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 4 07/02/2009 5:45 PM	Hello! I'd like to offer some helpful advice (hopefully!). I recently ended a 4.5 year stent as an assistant at a veterinary clinic. We saw AT LEAST two cases of demodex per month. ALL, repeat ALL cases had extreme itching. (As in scratching all hair off and bleeding--but there could be exceptions to the rule.) Call me crazy, but to me they also had a distinct odor. Most of the hair loss issues we saw that had no itching involved were hormonal imbalances. So your vet did have a pretty good reason to think that it wasn't demodectic mange. However, 3 weeks is a long time to wait and see if shampooing a large dog is actually going to solve the problem. It is kind of strange that she didn't want to do a skin scrape. Here is my main advice: It's OK to research symptoms, but PLEASE don't be panicked by things you read about diseases and their symptoms. Think of it like this: if you go to WebMD's symptom checker and only select vomiting as a symptom, it gives you results of DKA (a serious diabetic issue) to ectopic pregnancy to food poisoning. All have very similar symptoms, but in reality, you could have gallstones. Do you see where I'm going with this? Try not to have a preconceived notion of what the problem is (unless you have SOLID evidence) because you could be working yourself up into a state of panic or anger over nothing serious. Good luck in getting the issue under control! Hopefully it is nothing.
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peter of the wilderness		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 293 07/02/2009 9:08 PM	I agree for the most part with MsHemCrow....but, IMHO a skin scrape is essential. I stand by my Vet for one main reason. He is thorough. His instincts are very good and they are almost always right, but he freely admits they are just guesses until he knows for sure. I also highly recommend research. This is a great site to start and go from there. A good Vet is always open to new or different ideas and sometimes he just misses something. BTW...I like medicated shampoo as a start. I don't like to pump drugs into Zeus unless absolutely necessary. Many times the shampoo will clear it up even if they can't pinpoint the exact cause.
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Duke01222008		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1653 07/02/2009 10:16 PM	How did the new vet visit went? Were they able to tell you anything about Finley's skin condition? Maya "Some people dream to hold angel in their arms all their life, I held one in my arms."
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susanadana		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 16 07/03/2009 8:42 AM	Thanks for all the thoughts, and opinions, I really appreciate it! We took Finley to the new Vet, and it was so nice there! They were all super helpful, and were really interested in getting to the bottom of his skin loss issues. They did a skin scraping from a few different areas (Fin was losing hair around his eyes, on his head, hind quarters, neck, and sides), and he DOES have Demodex. They put him on a script for Prevaris, and want to see him in two weeks for another dose of meds, a weight check, and a stool sample check. Then again in two more weeks, for another skin scraping to check and see if it was clearing up. MrsHemcrow, I totally understand what you're sdaying. I had been doing research on everything that it could be, and Demodex seemed the most logical, and the pictures look exactly like what he looked like. My Vet told me that a lot of cases of Demodex don't have the itching and redness...that actually comes from an underlying infection along with the Demodex. Either way, I wanted to switch Vets for many reasons, and the fact that they didn't launch head first into getting me answers is what bothered me the most. We have gone to this office for YEARS, but the Vet that started the practice recently had to retire due to health problems, and the replacements just aren't what I like in an animal doctor. Peter, I don't much care for medications either (for myself, kids, or fur kids), but I was more upset at the lack of finding an answer. Medicated shampoo for three weeks, when you haven't even searched for a cause is pointless IMHO. Anyways, thanks so much for the answers and support. I am really hoping that this clears everything up for Finley. In good news, he is (almost) 13 weeks, and he is 18.5 inches tall, and 37.2 pounds! Susan Mom to furbabies... Beaufort the Choc LabHans the Black Lab X Dante the Cat And Finley the Great Dane. <3
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