Has anyone heard of a type of mange that is not contagious that puppies can get from their mothers. Apparently the mother carries it but is cannot be seen and it can sometimes affect puppies showing a little bald patch and it treated by shampooing once a week. You would not know if the mother has it because it does not show on adults and only on some of the pups in a litter. I am baffled by this. Any clues.

Demodex canis is the mite, Demodectic mange the complaint

It sounds rather like demodex. Apparently all dogs carry acertain amount of demodex mange mites, (which they catch from their mothers while in the nest), but while the animal is well, with a good immune system, it can cope easily and there are no symptoms. When the dog is off-colour for whatever reason sometimes the mites can take a hold and that is when treatment is needed.

Could that be it?

It might be. A friend's puppy had to have a minor op nothing major but the vet notice a little bald patch had appeared on it's face and after a scrap test said it's a type of mange. Does that mean that the mother will always carry the mange and if you don't know they have it how can you treat it? Is there a spray and will the mother always pass it on to the puppies. My friend vet said it doesn't always affect the litter. Never heard of it before or to my knowledge had it in a litter before.

According to "Veterinary Notes for Dog Owners", demodex mites live in the hair follicles of most dogs, and generally cause no problems throughout the dog's life. The dog's immune system controls their reproduction. If the dog's immune system is compromised (viral infection or whatever) then they can multiply and cause lesions which can be difficult to cure. Therefore any flare-up is caused by a separate health problem. It generally only affects puppies and young adults whose immune system is not fully developed.

The book also says that if dogs develop this condition their immunodeficiency is likely to be inherited, and that recovered animals should not be bred from.

Basically, if it's not causing a problem, then there's no need to treat it. The bitch will have contracted it from her mother when she was in the nest, and her mother likewise. It is not transmissible to other adult dogs or humans.

That is my understanding of it too JG, this pup had the stress of an op. and my dog started getting it after he was castrated. It can recur during the live of that dog and it should not be bred from

I use stronghold on any of my dogs that show signs of this type of mange, in schips there are certain lines that are affected but generally by the age of 2 yrs it all stops no more bald rings around their eyes when they moult.

If Stronghold does work against this type of mite it is some what worrying as the mite is deep within the hair follicle and the idea that the chemical in Stronghold penetrates into the skin that far would put me off using it at all.

If it does work why do vets not use it as they all sell Stronghould but if you have a case of Demodectic Mange they always use some other sort of treatment, some not licensed in this country. Is there some reason why vets do not use it? And why when I have used it for flea treatment on a dog does he get recurrent bouts of the Mange in question, it does work on Sarcotic mange but if it also works on Demodectic then why is it not used in the treatment. Put my dog through all sorts of horrid treatment before he died and now you are saying it was not necessary, please put my mind at rest and tell me you think it works, but have no firm data to say that it does.

http://www.eudra.org/vetdocs/vets/Epar/Stronghold/StrongholdL.htm

As you can see Jackie Stronghold does pass into the body if it is to treat things such as Sarcoptic mange, heartworm, fleas, toxicara, earmites, roundworm, hookworm and biting lice. There are 2 forms of Demodectic mange as far as I am aware localised around the face and legs with little or no redness and generlised all over the body, the later being the more serious form that has not responded to the usual treatments. It is licensed and approved for treatment of all the above and I have found it effective with no problems in any of my dogs, I have added a consequtive 2mth treatment once a yr to my normal worming and flea regime now.

We have found in schips that certain family lines have a predesposition to this problem in puppyhood, we used to bath with Aludex with the more sever cases needing to be treated with ivermectin which is not licensed for dogs but has been found to be effective in most cases. The same seems to be true for schips using Stronghold for the localised form of Demodex, I know a couple in poms who also use it for demodex with good results.

Have looked at the site but cannot see where it says it is suitable for use on Demodectic Mange, nor have I any knowledge of different types of the problem. If the immune system is reduces the mite can attack the dog and the longer it is without proper treatment the more the spread, as far as I understand there are not different levels of contamination as the extent of the problem depends on the ability of the dog to fight the mite.

Hi,

My bullmastiff also developed Demodectic mange after he was neutered at 6mths. My vet had me bathing him 2-3 times a week, dipping in Aludex which is like sheep dip and very toxic. My vet is excellent but on this occasion I have decided to not continue with the treatment as Vinnie was irritated more with the treatment than with the condition.
His hair grows back each time he moults and then when he is stressed for any reason he has small patches fall out around his jowls, neck and shoulders.
He is a rescue and he stresses at the least bit thing, he is getting better but I think the Mange will come and go throughout his life.
We don't mind him having bald bits it just means no-one else thinks he looks good so no-one will ever try to take him away. We would love him if he had no hair at all.

D4wn

My staffie pup "beau' had dermadex after having her injections at 8 weeks (or it appeared after this) she was given a dip (shampoo) and only last week was given the all clear.
Persist and it will go... i was told that once it goes it rarely comes back... (dont kow for sure though)

Dona and charliex

In my experience it can and does return at moments of stress, more or less as a secondary to any other illness your dog may have. The first attack your pup had was probably due to the stress of leaving the nest and the whole business of being a new puppy in a new home.

My dog was OK till later in his life when there was a need for hormone tablets that also reduced his immunity, then he had episodes at increasingly closer intervals.