sarcoptic mange help!!

imcalvinsmom · 11-24-2007, 06:15 PM

Hi all,
I was wondering if anyone had any experience treating sarcoptic mange. I have a 1 1/2 year old boerboel who started scratching at his left elbow around the end of August/begining of September. He was giving himself some pretty good wounds, so the vet perscribed some Tamaril P and antibiotics. They also did a skin scraping, that came up negative. The meds helped for about a week, but as soon as we started backing off on the Pred, the itching came back. It progressed to all 4 legs, his abdomen, and his chest and neck. So environmental allergies were suspected, and more Tamiril P and antibiotics perscribed. Again, after backing off on the pred, the itching comes back with a vengence.

I've been trying to manage this with the meds, baths with oatmeal shampoo, soothing skin spray, Elizabethan collar, socks on his rear feet, Fish oils, you name it. It was only getting worse. We've had a couple of hard frosts around here recently, so I thought the symptoms would be resolving! SO it's probably not environmental (well, at least not from the outdoor plants and grasses) I've tried changing his food to California Naturals Herring and sweet potato in case of food allergies. No help.

Our other dog started itching a few weeks ago. I blamed it on us turning the heat on and drying out the air. The humidifier wasn't helping. Then my husband and I started waking up with what looked like flea bites in the morning on our abdomens. We don't have fleas! So I started doing some more research and found that scabies are only found on a skin scrape about 30% of the time. Truman had also developed this bumpy rash pretty much all over his body, except on the top of his back. I talked to the vet who gave me some ivermectin for the dogs. I gave them one dose yesterday and am to give the other in 2 weeks.

If anyone could give me any advise of more I can do to soothe them I would sure appreciate it. My boerboel, is so covered with scabs and that horrendus rash, I can't even pet him without setting off a scratching frenzy!

Also, if this is scabies, does anyond know how long until I see results with the ivermectin Tx?

Thank you all in advance!

Tracy

Renoman · 11-24-2007, 06:34 PM

Did you ask the vet how long before you saw results? Maybe someone else here knows the answer, otherwise, I'd check with the vet.

I have never had to deal with your situation - it must be very frustrating and alot of feeling helpless being unable to help your dog.

I hope things improve quickly for your boy. Good Luck.

mastiffmama27 · 11-24-2007, 06:41 PM

We just had to deal with this a month ago. I was brought a dog that was TOTALLY BALD from mange. My vet did all of the above plus said 1mg of benadryl per lb of body weight every 8 hours as needed for itching. Frontline, frontline, frontline! Get the spray it works better than the drops for this. and apply every two weeks instead of every month (check with your vet in case your dog is overly sensitive to this product), and bathe every week (but not within 24 hours before or after applying frontline) with a medicated dog shampoo containing coal tar and or sulfur (I used Hartz brand, the brown stuff, with excellent results). Mama has gone from bald to fur 1 inch long all over in a month. Again I say that this is what MY vet reccomended......yours might say something different. I'd also treat your other pets with the frontline to prevent them getting it as well.

imcalvinsmom · 11-24-2007, 06:52 PM

I haven't heard of the frontline? Do you possibily mean Advantix? I'm actually in the process of switching to a homeopathic vet. I am sooo frustrated, that after months and months of this (and about $800 in vet bills!), that I Had to be the one to diagnosis this! I'll try the shampoos. I had been bathing him with an oatmeal shampoo with no relief!

Thanks for the replies! I truly appreciate them.

PS He's also been on benydrly for months!!!

mastiffmama27 · 11-24-2007, 06:55 PM

Nope frontline it is right on the bottle that it can be used for fleas, ticks, lice and 'Aids in control of sarcoptic mange infestations in dogs'

http://www.petplace.com/drug-library...ine/page1.aspx

Here is more info on the frontline.

imcalvinsmom · 11-24-2007, 07:07 PM

Thanks mastiffmamma!

I am all over the frontline!

mastiffmama27 · 11-24-2007, 07:08 PM

P.S. AND it's excellent for fleas LOL

Call your vet. It couldn't hurt to check it out at least.

007Dogs · 11-24-2007, 10:50 PM

I had a dog with it about this time last year. He looked like he was on a death march. I was in AZ, and I called my vet and he said REVOLUTION. In AZ they have animal pharmacies, so they called in the script and it cleared it right up. I did the treatment monthly for 3 months just to prevent a reoccurance. Have not had a problem since.