Hiya, yes it is very confusing but I think that we have limited choices in what we can use to treat this condition with. We are literally placing all our trust and our animals lives in the hands of our vets. We discussed the shampoo/washs/dips etc and he felt, and I agreed, that they were to risky to use on 17 week old puppy. But what he didn't tell me is that the stronghold held the same risks! If you read the UK leaflet you will see that it lists *hairloss* as a *side effect* and that's about it. So why aren't the others listed? I know that many substances list *possible death* as a side effect, but it isn't mentioned on the UK leaflet in front of me.

I posted the above information after Paul drew it to my attention, and as I had mentioned on the forum that Stronghold appeared to be the only thing on the market that stopped animals getting mange, I thought I better share the further information that was found on this product too. This way people can make their own choices :-)

I am torn in two, because I know that we have to stop this as soon as possible and I had hoped that the Stronghold was going to do it. It still might after a second dose. The vet told me to take her back after a week if she was still scratching, but now it appears that the stronghold may be causing the hairloss and scratching and not the mange :rolleyes:

At the moment, her skin is clear. There are no open sores or dry skin/scales. Her coat is thinning and she is itchy, but not in the extreme. She is her normal manic self.

I just want our puppy to get better and not do any lasting damage.

Its a very good sign that her skin is clear, and no scales/sores:) This is only a suggestion, but prehaps before giving another dose, it would be worth taking her back to the vets and having a scrape done to see if there are still any living mites, or less per area (if you know what I mean), and then you will have a better idea on if the Stronghold has killed the mite, or if you need to administer another dose, especially as it is now hard to decide whether she's itchy with the mange mites, or itchy with the stronghold:( I'm sure you've seen the terrible cases of mange on the vet progs on tv, and some of those dogs are almost bald and look like they will be really scarred, and then you see an update of them rehomed,etc, with their coats completely back, looking in tiptop condition. Try not to worry too much:) I do hope your pup gets better soon, leigh. Julie:)

Hi Leigh, sorry to hear about your pup has mange. A bit late I know but here is a link for some alternative antihistamines for itch relief.

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_itch_relief.html

Hope you can clear it up soon.
Christine, Spain

I know how you feel Leigh, that the world and his wife can have success with a product but you end up thinking that sods law will prevail and the one dog in a thousand to react badly, will be yours. Please dont think I am trying to push the Stronghold - but just giving my experience of it. I do ALL my puppies at 6 weeks to the day with it as I still dread the thought of mange rearing its ugly head in my kennel again - and they have all been fine. A couple have had a thinning of the coat on the drop on site - but by the time they were 8 weeks it was growing back through and hardly noticeable - I dont think the hair loss is permanent. My feelings would be that its pretty impossible to tell whether the itchyness with your puppy is the Stronghold or the mange at this stage as they can appear free of it for a few days-even as long as a week or so and then another lesion appears and can keep scratching in between. I would probably carry on with it if she were mine - at least to have the second one, but have some preds handy. Although not ideal I have bathed young puppies - 10 weeks old , with Aludex or Vet Kem which were the "mange" shampoos I got from my vet then . Although the bottle said to bath fortnightly, I bathed them weekly and spot treated with saved solution every other day. After losing two dogs to it, my reasoning was that I just had to get rid of it or may lose more, as previously, bathing the dogs as directed didn't work - but doing it this way it did clear it in the others. Though with the two I lost to it - they must have had inefficient immune sysytems because we really did try everything - some just dont respond to treatment whatever you do and others are on the road to recovery with just one bath or Stronghold drop on. Its the most worrying, distressing and dreadful health problem I've had to deal with.