We are wondering if anyone can help us with this:

We have two 5 1/2 month old dogue de bordeaux puppies (one dog and a bitch)
Our vet has diagnosed them with demodex mange. They are on anti-biotics and also have been bathed in Aludex. The dog seems to have it the worst. He has lost a lot of hair on his head and is also starting to loose a lot of hair on his body. They seem to scratch themselves a lot. We have spoken to a few vets and a few breeders. Some have told us that they may need to be put down, which has really worried us. Can anybody who has experienced this in their pups help?

Thank you
Laurence and Olivia

Hi,
If you do a Search (top right-hand corner of the board) and type in "Mange" or "Demodex" or "Demodectic mange" you will find a lot of information. Basically all dogs carry the demodex mite but it only 'takes a hold' when the animal is under par or its immune system is compromised for whatever reason. It is treatable in most cases, so don't start panicking yet. Keep on with the weekly (or however often the vet prescribes) baths - it can take a long time to cure but it can be done. And at least it isn't transmissible to humans.

Good luck.
:)

Yes it is curable, well to the extent that this outbreak can be over come. It can reoccur but once you have had it you will pick it up sooner and the earlier treatment is started the sooner it comes under control. Because it flares up when the dogs immunity is at a low ebb, and it is considered it may be heredity, affected dogs and bitches should not be bred from. For some reason it is most common in short haired dogs, but those with long hair can be effected because as JG said all dogs have the mite it only gets a hold when the dog has a decreased immunity.

Just wondering & thinking out loud here, but as it`s known to only take a hold when the immune system is low then surely it would make sense to try getting the immune system back up to working properly & then maintaining it at optimum health? Can`t really see how giving an animal so many chemicals in a known state of unhealth can really help it`s system.

Christine, Spain.

We had this with litter sisters don't worry you can overcome it we tried a very good quality alloe vera gel given orally and alloe vera cream put on the patches and it cleared up within 2 months it may have been a coincidence but I would use it again and whats more the coats came back really glossy we were told Demodex usually only affects dogs under a year old and as soon as their immune systems mature they grow out of it. The girl we kept went on to crufts qualify first time out and is now 2 years old and has been fine since.
Debbie

Debbie, hope you are not encouraging the poster not to follow the vets instructions, it is illegal to proscribe for a dog unless you are a vet.

The dog I had who had trouble with this had an immunity problem as a side effect of early castration, but it can occur for all sorts of reason and some dogs are born with reduced immunity other acquire it from all sort of outside influents, such as drugs or infection.

Aloe Vera is not a prescription drug

Does not have to be, you are treating an animal and that is against the law, to suggest is OK but not to tell someone to stop the treatment given by a vet and replace it with something you are suggesting is not. See you have removed your post so this will make not sense. But you did the correct thing; to give the dog Aloa vera as well as following the instructions of the vet is a good idea.

Pardon Where did I put stop treating the dog as advised by the vet & what post have I removed ?

If I had ever treated one of my dogs for DM(which i haven't-none of mine have ever had DM)I do not have to be a vet otherwise everyone would have to go to the vet for every little thing like ticks, dirty ears etc etc

One of our rescue GSD 's had recieved £1,000.00 + of treatment to no avail. The rescue lady read about Aloe Vera & added it to her water & the condition was cleared Her vet was most impressed & is now researching AV treatment. It is not against any law to treat your own dogs holistically as long as it does not result in the dog suffering or beimg in need of veterinary treatment-like not treating a broken leg etc

I think (but would need to check) that it is illegal to recommend any medical treatment for an animal unless you are a qualified veterinary surgeon.

But giving AV is NOT a medical treatment it is a natural food supplement & if only vets can prescribe ointments etc why can you buy over the counter treatments like Bob martins ointments etc

I believe it boils down to legal technicalities. I'm told it is alright to say what you have used successfully in the past, or that you know has been successful, but you can't actually tell someone else to do it too. Picky, I know, but that's what the law is like. :rolleyes:

So where have I told anyone to use anything medicinal or otherwise in this thread

It is against the law to "prescribe"for someone elses dogs but not your own

Prescribe-To order the use of (a medicine or other treatment). But I have not ordered anyone to treat their dog so why did Jackie write that I had

Moonmaiden, you didn't. :) But Debbie's post gave the impression that she was, and that is the post Jackie was responding to.

Heres the law as it stands on prescribing & treating dogs/animals in the UK.
http://www.any-uk-vet.co.uk/cgi-bin/counter/link.pl?4023

Lets get this in perspective folks! We all offer advice to people coming on here with probs with there dogs/animals, if everyones getting edgy & splittin hairs as to whos saying what & prescribing this or not prescribing that then we can all take a disclaimer out after our posts!

Speaking for myself I offer advice that has worked with my not so few dogs:) take it or leave it.

No ones infallible, not vets, doctors or specialist of either profession and least of all me!!!! wink :)

Christine, Spain.

But that's the problem in a nutshell, Christine! Society nowadays is reaching the stage where you can be sued at the drop of a hat. :( If you don't word replies carefully it is all too easy to find yourself at the sharp end of a legal suit.

Feel sorry for anyone who spears me then J/G, they`re going to find me without a penny living in penury.....but my dogs in blooming teerrificly good health & health store owners & vet living in a style that we can only dream of !!!!! :) :) :)

Sad tho.

Christine, Spain.

Sorry Moonmaiden it was not your post that worried me it was that of Sauceboat, but as you answered my comment I went back to check what you had written and of course could not find it because it was not your post in the first place.

Have reread the post (Sauseboats) and still feel it is making statements that do not give the fully story and it does read that all the person needs to do is to put Alow Vera ointment onto the dogs, to use Alow Vera liquid not ointment in conjunction with the treatment the vet has given would do not harm and may well help, but if the original poster stopped using the treatment given by the vet, the area affected could well spread and the dog would be in severe trouble. Sure this is not what was meant but felt it could be read like that and could lead to a sever problem for the dog, as they are scratching they already appear to have secondary infection.

Believe me it can and does reoccur, it may not, but it can and yes after recovery the coat does grow back quickly and look perfect. It is more normal for it to occur in puppies because the infection is picked up by the pup from the mother when suckling and normally first appears on the front feet and around the mouthand on the face, and the pup who has low immunity will develop loss of hair on these areas. But even after it is treated in the pup and has cleared it can and often does come back for the rest of the dogs life at periods of low immunity, which can occur at anytime and for any number of reasons. But particularly if the dog is sick or taking long term some sorts of treatment, in the case of my dog it was made worse because he had to take male hormones long term

Where did I ever say stop vet treatment and I didn't say "do this" I said "I used" perhaps not just jumping on people who have overcome this problem would be more beneficial and encourage other people to help as these people were asking for other ideas after consulting a few vets. I did also treat with Aludex which didn't work the vet then said as the Aludex didn't work to adopt a wait and see as they will grow out of it and they could only give antibiotics if the patches became infected, the alloe vera was actively encouraged by our vet who said it cannot hurt he was very interested in the results and it is not illegal to treat your own dogs with natural alternatives or the stall I bought it from at an open show should be well and truly sued for telling me it would help, I was just encouraging these owners not to be put off by scare mongerers. It may reoccur in some dogs I am not sure but our vet seemed most confident we would not see it again infact a friend of ours had a case so bad they were on the point of having the 8 month old put to sleep as he was truly in pain but he took a turn for the better and he is now 6 years old and has never had a reoccurance.

hi speaking to vet about it the other day(shes had it in her whippets) my stafford bitch pups has demodex and is being treated with antibiotics and aludex.She says it is passed from mum to pup in the first 3 days of birth when a pups imune system is low anyway. and it can take up to 12 weeks for pups to show signs of having it. The mother of these pups has never had it. She also said it can come out in dogs if they get a cold or are poorly. These mites live in the hair folicals of dogs and they look like tiny alligaters. most dogs with this make a full recovery from it all the best gwen

Sauceboat I know you didn't and I said you didn't but the general feel of the post was oh! don't worry just use some very good Aloa Vera and all will be well. As I said I am sure that is not what you meant but if some one read it like that the consequences could be very serious. You also say in this latest post that the vet was happy with your using AV well all I can say is the original posters dogs seem to have a serious outbreak and I think they should be worried and follow the vets instructions as close as possible. Aludex it difficult to use but it is very important it is used as instructions and the treatment is thorough and not skimped in any way.

EDIT: to say any oil based ointment used during treatment can stop the insecticide working.