Hi All, i think my girl may have picked up a mite of some sort, she has been itching her face over the last week or so and has started to lose hair around her lip and under one eye. She is just over 7 weeks pregnant. Is there anything i can give her/put on it that will help??

TIA

Lucy

I may be hormonal. One of my girls loses fur on her face during pregnancy.

It would be a vet visit for me.

Could be that the stress of pregnancy and the partial suppression of the immune system that goes with it, has allowed the number of Demodex mites to increase.

Most dogs have this mite living in their skin, and it only causes issues if the immune system is not up to par.

this can be a general hereditary weakness, with in severe cases causing severe skin disease, or localised and transient.

It most often starts around the eyes.

On the other hand she could have picked up Sarcoptic mange often called  Fox mange, or rabbit mites (walking dandruff), as others have said a vet visit, make sure they knows she is likely in whelp.

Thank you ladies for your replies. We have been to the vets this morning and he wants me to put Frontline on her. I am rather concerned about doing this at this stage in her pregnancy. Would i be better to leave it for 10 days until puppies are here and then treat her?

Thanks

> It would be a vet visit for me.>

Me too if she's pregnant especially.   And before she whelps because if she has mites, you really need it diagnosed properly, and treated, depending what's available given her condition.

She'd surely need a skin scrape to identify exactly what she has.

And re your latest, I'd have to hope your vet knows what he's doing re treatment (did he find mites?) and for sure, again I'd want whatever she has sorted out BEFORE she whelps.

Brainless' answer - DEAD RIGHT.

> Would i be better to leave it for 10 days until puppies are here and then treat her?<br />

A definite and resounding NO!!!  As long as we are not talking about Frontline spot on, and you mean Frontline spray (prescription only) then you are totally safe.  I have used it on a pregnant bitch, like yours, late stage, and there were no issues at all.  I found a flea on my bitch and knew that Frontline spray had been tested and was the only recommended treatment for in whelp bitches.

Treat her - you will be glad you did. 

It IS the spot on treatment Jean which is why i am hesitant. He didn't do any skin scrapes, he just said ' yes looks like a mite', treat her with this Frontline. I queried it re safety in pregnancy and he said it was fine. In all honesty i got the impression he thought i was worried about nothing.

The hair loss around her lip is significant and she is scratching it like crazy and making herself sore. She definitely does not have fleas.

Lucy

He didn't do any skin scrapes, he just said ' yes looks like a mite', treat her with this Frontline. I queried it re safety in pregnancy and he said it was fine. In all honesty i got the impression he thought i was worried about nothing.

The hair loss around her lip is significant and she is scratching it like crazy and making herself sore. She definitely does not have fleas.

This makes no sense at all. It could be anything then! And whether it is some kind of parasite, or something fungal like ringworm (which can definitely show up around the lips), or something hormonal or a bacterial infection or an allergy or whatever, for most of the possibilities you want to have the problem sorted BEFORE the pups are born so it is not passed to them. So I'd say skin scrapings and lab tests were essential as otherwise it's just hit and miss, try everything possible, and waste time if it doesn't work.....

> The hair loss around her lip is significant and she is scratching it like crazy and making herself sore. She definitely does not have fleas.

Lucy it doesn't sound like fleas to me either.

I have made an appt with a different vet for this morning. I really want whatever it is sorted out before pups arrive. She is rubbing it and starting to make little scabs now, it looks sore,

Thanks

Lucy

It sounds like mange of one type or another

Lucy please come back and let us know how you get on.

I think u can now do blood tests for mange which is more reliable than scrapes

Vet suspects sarcoptic mange mite, skin scrapes and bloods have been taken. We live in a very highly populated fox area and quite often find fox poo in the garden and this bitch inparticular has a real passion for rubbing her face in it. Vet said it is quite mild compared to what he sees but she has made it worse and sore by scratching at it.

Now that we have an idea what it is i feel better that we can treat it.

Thanks for all your advice

Lucy

Sarcoptic or Fox mange is very contagious so it can BE PASSED TO YOURSELF TOO.  it definitely needs clearing before the pups are born if at all possible.

It is also very itchy.  It's why foxes die of it, because it gets infected from biting and scratching, the immune system can't keep up, and then they die.

Lucysmith.....we have a couple of working terriers and have had sarcoptic mange a few times. It has been fairly easily treated ....I used frontline spot on but they may be recommending something different now,this was a few years ago. As brainless says you can catch it but we never did and neither did our other dogs as we isolated the affected dogs and the mites live under the skin so close contact is needed or shared bedding.....hopefully you will be able to get her treated now and not have to treat the pups....that is what I would be aiming for.

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Bayer_plc/Advocate_Spot-on_Solution/-38247.html
Avocate would seem the best thing to use but there is no mention about safety in pregnancy, though I know it is used in mated bitches in the USA where they give monthly heartworm treatment.

As far as I am aware (after numerous discussions with vets last year), the best treatment for sarcoptic mange is Stronghold rather than Advocate.

Lucy
I'm glad that you now have some answers.  I always think that the not knowing is worse than anything.  I wish you well with her treatment and hope that she is soon feeling less itchy.  I can imagine how you have worried.

All I know is that Advocate treats Demodex which hardly anything else does, so if in doubt which mange is at issue, would be the one to go for, if it's appropriate.,