I am visiting the site for information. Jacquie Flint posted a message about a stray she found with advanced demodex. We found a adult male stray in terrible shape, starving, hairless, limp and listless, and wandering around a country road in the pouring rain. He is truly heartbreaking to look at. He looks like a little alien from another planet. We took him home and I took him to a vet near us who diagnosed advanced demodex, said it was not contagious (we have 7 dogs) and said the treatment was a dipping product called mitaban which is off the market, but he would try to get some from another local vet on Monday. He also prescribed a form of amoxicillin twice a day and had me bathe the dog with a soap called malasab. I did that yesterday and am supposed to do it again Monday before I dip him if we can get the mitaban. But the more I observe the dog, the more concerned I am becoming. I have some questions. I am considering taking him to a full-fledged animal hospital today, Sunday, because he is burning up, and seems to be hanging on to life by a thread. The vet yesterday said I had the choice between putting him to sleep or trying to treat. I have not had him near my other dogs but he has been in the house and I've been changing towels for him and washing my clothes after I come into contact with him. I'm afraid that if he is contagious, all my other dogs will become sick, although the vet said he had been born with the disease, was infected by his mother, and that he had had this condition all his life. He determined this from a skin scraping he took. The vet did not mention injections but I've been researching on the net and read about injections of ivermectin or interceptor as a better form of treatment for extreme cases. I'm worried that his secondary bacterial infection will do him in first. I'm also worried that dipping may need to be under a vet's care. I asked the vet yesterday if he needed to be on an i.v.? He said no. He also said he was probably not in any pain. He said people spend thousands of dollars trying to treat this disease sometimes. The more I learn, the more I think he needs more agressive care. Am I over-reacting? You mentioned essential oils in treatment. Is there any other light you can shed on this situation for me?

Anyone?

Hiya
That sounds awful.
There is a very good treatment for demodex and sarcoptic mange which is called Aludex. It is basically a liquid which you mix with water ( there is a dose rate on the bottle) and it is very good. It is only available from vets and is quite expensive but it is good. It is better than malaseb as that is only really used on less advanced cases than yours.
Firstly ask your vet about Aludex. It is a long process and it cant be just pourde down the sink. You need to bath the dog with gloves on as it doesnt is quite toxic on human skin.
Also, from what you describe, it sounds as though fluids might be a pretty good idea, especially if he is sweating a lot. If you get him put on a litre of saline at the vet ( although your vet probably should have suggested this) and depending on how bad he is, he will probably need more amoxycillin, or synulox. But, this is just saying this without seeing him. I would get him down to the vet and have a word. There is no need for PTS yet if you dont think he is in a lot of pain.
I wish you the best of luck... I hope all can get sorted out.
x