ruthless Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 My foster pup has demodectic mange. We caught it early and he's being treated with weekly injections at the vet. Is there anything holistic I can give him to help boost his immune system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) If you caught it early, then you could have treated him less naturally or less aggressively. Most times the demodex will simply resolve itself by boosting the immune system. You could give him board certified aloe juice morning and night, keep him on an all natural diet but it's pretty poitnless once you;ve gone down the road of injecting him with Ivermectin or Dectomax. I'll drag up the list of options , I just need to find it again ETA: the list Localised demodex usually clears up by itself. It is a common occurance around teething time for some of the bull breeds and it often occurs around the 8-9 month mark as well. There are a few options when it comes to treating the dog, if it's localised. 1. do nothing 2. switch to all raw diet, use aloe juice and suppport the immune system with supplements. By supporting the body, this enables the dog to get over the mites on it's own. 3. use a collar ( like the flea tick collars ) that covers mites as well 4. use Advocate , studies have found ( from memory ) that 90% ( it could be more but I'd have to go and look it up ) of dogs can overcome the mite with two or three treatments. 5. use demodex rinse, it's bloody nasty stuff 5. the use of ivermectin or dectomax injections Going straight to the bottom of the list is in my opinion a very aggressive approach to what in most cases is a fairly minor problem. The mites can still get out of control and can become generalised ( like some of the dogs you see on Animal rescue and the like ) but you have a happy healthy , well fed dog that is just having a bit of a hard time teething. Edited September 28, 2011 by Pav Lova Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 I didn't know that and the vet never mentioned it :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 If the treatment has already been started does it need to be finished? He's only had one jab. He's approx 6mos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I didn't know that and the vet never mentioned it :/ It's something that I find really frustrating , as it's very common in the SBT's and the Amstaffs. I think that owners often panic and the vets response is, let's get rid of it quickly, when the truth is, you can ride out most cases. It often gets worse before it gets better but unless the dog has developed itching and a secondary infection, it's not as bad as it seems. I can't for the life think of why vets do not start with the less aggressive form of treaments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 If the treatment has already been started does it need to be finished? He's only had one jab. He's approx 6mos. Nope, it's not like he's having a course of chemo or something like that, it's just a chemical being injected into the body. How bad is the pup ? is it localised and limited to his head ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Black Obsession Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) My foster pup has demodectic mange. We caught it early and he's being treated with weekly injections at the vet. Is there anything holistic I can give him to help boost his immune system? Yes, Blackmore's ACE Plus Zinc, to boost his immune system, and Schuessler's Tissue Salts to clean his blood and heal his liver. You will need to read up about Tissue Salts to decide which ones he needs. He may need a combination of two. There is also a very gentle Homeopathic formula called Traumeel, which Naturopaths use on babies. It comes in tablets and a cream. I would also recommend some Bach Flower Remedies. He could also have some Vitamin B if his mood is a bit low. These products are all available from health food shops and some chemists. You can also ring the Blackmore's Hotline and talk *live* with a Naturopath for free. ETA Sorry, it's called Blackmore's Echinacea ACE Plus Zinc. And remember that his immune system will be too weak at the moment to cope with vaccinations. Edited September 28, 2011 by Black Obsession Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 He is itching. He's on Phenergen for that and post-surgery antibiotics for his leg. That's why I want to give him something natural to help. He's on a mostly raw diet, but he has some grain free kibble too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Something that is not on my list, that I forget to mention, is that we also give them weekly shots of a B complex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 My foster pup has demodectic mange. We caught it early and he's being treated with weekly injections at the vet. Is there anything holistic I can give him to help boost his immune system? Yes, Blackmore's ACE Plus Zinc, to boost his immune system, and Schuessler's Tissue Salts to clean his blood and heal his liver. You wil need to read up about Tissue Salts to decide which ones he needs. He may need a combination of two. There is also a very gentle Homeopathic formula called Traumeel, which Naturopaths use on babies. It comes in tablets and a cream. I would also recommend some Bach Flower Remedies. He could also have some Vitamin B if his mood is a bit low. These products are all available from health food shops and some chemists. You can also ring the Blackmore's Hotline and talk *live* with a Naturopath for free. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 Something that is not on my list, that I forget to mention, is that we also give them weekly shots of a B complex. But, it's too late for your list now I've gone down the injections route? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 He is itching. He's on Phenergen for that and post-surgery antibiotics for his leg. That's why I want to give him something natural to help. He's on a mostly raw diet, but he has some grain free kibble too. The poor bugger. When he's finished the AB's start him on protexin or you can use natural yogurt. You need to start from the inside. Was he desexed recently as well ? Stress from teething, stress from surgery, stress from having a GA, plus whatever he's been through in his short life, growing rapidly, it's no wonder he's succumb to the mites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Something that is not on my list, that I forget to mention, is that we also give them weekly shots of a B complex. But, it's too late for your list now I've gone down the injections route? You could always opt to use Advocate for a couple of months. It's still a chemical but it's a much less aggressive approach, rather than going straight to what would be a last resort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 If the treatment has already been started does it need to be finished? He's only had one jab. He's approx 6mos. Nope, it's not like he's having a course of chemo or something like that, it's just a chemical being injected into the body. How bad is the pup ? is it localised and limited to his head ? Sorry, I missed this. He's very pink on his legs and feet as well as face, neck and mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 He is itching. He's on Phenergen for that and post-surgery antibiotics for his leg. That's why I want to give him something natural to help. He's on a mostly raw diet, but he has some grain free kibble too. The poor bugger. When he's finished the AB's start him on protexin or you can use natural yogurt. You need to start from the inside. Was he desexed recently as well ? Stress from teething, stress from surgery, stress from having a GA, plus whatever he's been through in his short life, growing rapidly, it's no wonder he's succumb to the mites Yeah, he was desexed about 6wks ago I think. Before he came to me. I've been giving him natural yoghurt most days. Where do you get Protexin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 He is itching. He's on Phenergen for that and post-surgery antibiotics for his leg. That's why I want to give him something natural to help. He's on a mostly raw diet, but he has some grain free kibble too. The poor bugger. When he's finished the AB's start him on protexin or you can use natural yogurt. You need to start from the inside. Was he desexed recently as well ? Stress from teething, stress from surgery, stress from having a GA, plus whatever he's been through in his short life, growing rapidly, it's no wonder he's succumb to the mites Yeah, he was desexed about 6wks ago I think. Before he came to me. I've been giving him natural yoghurt most days. Where do you get Protexin? Wait until he's done with the AB's and then give him the yogurt, it will do the same thing as the protexin anyway in terms of gut flora . So no need to spend extra money on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 Ok, thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Can you PM me, I wanted to have a chat with you and call you if that's OK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Black Obsession Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 My foster pup has demodectic mange. We caught it early and he's being treated with weekly injections at the vet. Is there anything holistic I can give him to help boost his immune system? Yes, Blackmore's ACE Plus Zinc, to boost his immune system, and Schuessler's Tissue Salts to clean his blood and heal his liver. You wil need to read up about Tissue Salts to decide which ones he needs. He may need a combination of two. There is also a very gentle Homeopathic formula called Traumeel, which Naturopaths use on babies. It comes in tablets and a cream. I would also recommend some Bach Flower Remedies. He could also have some Vitamin B if his mood is a bit low. These products are all available from health food shops and some chemists. You can also ring the Blackmore's Hotline and talk *live* with a Naturopath for free. Thanks No worries And some Blackmore's Acidophillus might be helpful, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 Can you PM me, I wanted to have a chat with you and call you if that's OK I can't PM you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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