Deodex Mites

[Jumabaar]

I am guessing this has started to become an expensive endeavour with treatments and trips to the vet etc. Perhaps a trip to a veterinary dermatologist to get the best information would be a cheaper solution in the long run?

Do you live in Victoria? If you give us a location there may be some DOLers who can recommend a veterinary dermatologist for you to see.

[staffy2]

May have missed it, but what colour is your Staffy.

She is black brindle

[Sandra777]

I am guessing this has started to become an expensive endeavour with treatments and trips to the vet etc. Perhaps a trip to a veterinary dermatologist to get the best information would be a cheaper solution in the long run?

Do you live in Victoria? If you give us a location there may be some DOLers who can recommend a veterinary dermatologist for you to see.

Hope they don't live in Victoria with an unregistered pet shop Stafford :cry:

[staffy2]

I am guessing this has started to become an expensive endeavour with treatments and trips to the vet etc. Perhaps a trip to a veterinary dermatologist to get the best information would be a cheaper solution in the long run?

Do you live in Victoria? If you give us a location there may be some DOLers who can recommend a veterinary dermatologist for you to see.

It has become expensive but with that being said thats not the issue.

The issue is her health she is such a happy girl and I just hate seeing her like this she does not show that it bothers her but it has to be bothering her.

As for location I'm in north Victoria

[staffy2]

I am guessing this has started to become an expensive endeavour with treatments and trips to the vet etc. Perhaps a trip to a veterinary dermatologist to get the best information would be a cheaper solution in the long run?

Do you live in Victoria? If you give us a location there may be some DOLers who can recommend a veterinary dermatologist for you to see.

Hope they don't live in Victoria with an unregistered pet shop Stafford :cry:

The petshop owner sourced them through a registered breeder, the owner of the pet shop has sinced spoken to the breeder and he says his dam has never had demodex yet my vet did the litters vac and pre purchase inspection and she is now treating 4 pups out of a litter of 6.

I have also spoken to my local pound and they were sending the ranger out to find out more I know some might not argee with this but this is not the first little this dam has had and I just dont want anyone else to go through what we are going through as my vet has told me some people do not treat and this is just plain cruel to the pups

[oakway]

May have missed it, but what colour is your Staffy.

She is black brindle

Well it's not the blue dilute problem so that can be crossed off the list.

Other than continuing the Ivomec I have no answers.

[WreckitWhippet]

I'm just going to quote myself rather than type again

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.

Malaseb is useless and the Advocate takes time. It often appears worse before it gets better and many a vet and owner hit the panic button and resort to an aggressive approach.

[tdierikx]

An old farmer's trick for all types of mange is sulfur powder... you can get it from your chemist.

Mix the sulfur powder with some oil and rub it into the hairless spots.

We used it on our farm house dog when he had mange as a pup, and we had the hair growing back within a week.

It's worth a try, seeing as the expensive and chemically intrusive methods haven't worked very well.

T.

[persephone]

One of our geriatrics developed shocking demodex during a false pregnancy

It took me several weeks ..BUT she was eventually all clear :)..my guess is dropping hormone levels helped :)

Malawash SCRUB every week ....only on affected areas

anti histamines to help with any itching ...

DIET change.

An egg every day, LOTS of fresh raw meat , calcium ascorbate powder , Ironcyclen2,and a multivitamin

[staffy2]

I'm just going to quote myself rather than type again

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.

Malaseb is useless and the Advocate takes time. It often appears worse before it gets better and many a vet and owner hit the panic button and resort to an aggressive approach.

What is demodex rinse and where can I buy it from ????

[persephone]

please do NOT use any chemical rinses etc while this poor pupis still on flea prevention spot ons, and/or ivomec etc.

They are all poisons ..she is still a puppy ..and there is a risk .

Demodex mites are tricky because of the depth in teh skin that they use ..... and as the immune system is allowing the spread.. fixing from the inside out is most times the best fix, IMO.

[Alyosha]

Sulphur is useless on Demodex. It is a traditional treatment for Sarcoptes mites.

Yes she has inherited it. No it will not infect a wound and yes she should be speyed rather then risk her getting pregnant. And I think possibly you should seek a second vet opinion. Going through a season will alter her system again due to hormonal fluctuations.

If she came from a petshop but was bred by a breeder registered with Dogs Vic then that breeder is in breach of the Code of Ethics.

If she has been on Ivermectin for 11 weeks (which sounds pretty strange and full-on), how has it been given? As far as I can recall, at the clinic I used to work at - one injection of Ivermectin was given, and a further skin scraping taken several months later. A repeat injection was given sometimes.

[staffy2]

Sulphur is useless on Demodex. It is a traditional treatment for Sarcoptes mites.

Yes she has inherited it. No it will not infect a wound and yes she should be speyed rather then risk her getting pregnant. And I think possibly you should seek a second vet opinion. Going through a season will alter her system again due to hormonal fluctuations.

If she came from a petshop but was bred by a breeder registered with Dogs Vic then that breeder is in breach of the Code of Ethics.

If she has been on Ivermectin for 11 weeks (which sounds pretty strange and full-on), how has it been given? As far as I can recall, at the clinic I used to work at - one injection of Ivermectin was given, and a further skin scraping taken several months later. A repeat injection was given sometimes.

The ivermectin is not being injected it is been giving to her orally the does rate is only 3.8 mls every morning

[WreckitWhippet]

Personally if she were mine, I'd stop the chemcial assault, go all raw with the diet, cut out all grains, colours and preservatives, not put any chemicals on or in her and give her poor body a rest. The immune systems needs time to recover and strengthen to fight off the mites.

Desexing and a GA will place further stress on an already stressed body.

Demadex wash is available from vets

[Alyosha]

Second vet sounds like the go. A long course of oral ivermectin for that long doesn't sound quite right - and may be affecting her immune system. In my experience larger doses less frequently have been used.

[karly101]

My advice would be to seek specialist dermatology opinion - melbvet.com.au I recommend Dr. Greg Burton. All you need to do is ask your current vet for a referral and ring and book an appointment. In terms of cost I saved much more by going to a specialist than repeated vet visits with no resolution.

My boys demodex mites resolved through 2 weekly Advocate treatments, he also had regular skin scapings to see how the mites where going. Unfortunately he later developed atopic dermatitis but has been under Gregs care since he was a pup and is now doing very well.

[persephone]

Personally if she were mine, I'd stop the chemcial assault, go all raw with the diet, cut out all grains, colours and preservatives, not put any chemicals on or in her and give her poor body a rest. The immune systems needs time to recover and strengthen to fight off the mites.

Desexing and a GA will place further stress on an already stressed body.

Demadex wash is available from vets

Seconded. Poor baby ......

[staffy2]

Personally if she were mine, I'd stop the chemcial assault, go all raw with the diet, cut out all grains, colours and preservatives, not put any chemicals on or in her and give her poor body a rest. The immune systems needs time to recover and strengthen to fight off the mites.

Desexing and a GA will place further stress on an already stressed body.

Demadex wash is available from vets

Seconded. Poor baby ......

Ok I get where you guys are coming from with stopping the treatment but if we were to stop and there were set backs and giving seeing what it did to her before treatment she would of been in a great deal of pain so yes I'd love to stop treatment and see how she goes but I would find that cruel and yes I do agree also the continuing treatment is also cruel with these chemicals. So I have just got of the phone to the vet to do a skin scraping and we will take it from there I guess.

Like I stated at the start of this topic I just want this over and done with for my baby!!!!

[persephone]

Make sure the skin scraping is DEEP ..those little buggers hide ..and they are also not present in huge numbers ....

[Sandra777]

I have had a fair number of rescues with very severe Demodex (a couple a few years ago were incurable, virtually bald and were PTS they were that bad) - none of them have acted in any way that suggests it is a painful condition. Obviously having not had it myself I couldn't say for sure, but I've never seen any sign that the dogs are bothered by it. Secondary infections, absolutely, but these are covered by antibiotics.

It isn't something that will necessarily go away in a hurry and by piling more and more and more chemicals on it might have the effect of suppressing her immune system even more so actually prolonging the 'fight'.

I would seriously look at a second opinion because a lot of what you have written suggests your vet is not working from a position of extensive experience with the condition.