Scabies in dogs: symptoms and stages of development of the disease, treatment and degree of danger

Scabies mite in dogs: description

The parasite that causes the disease is microscopic in size, so it is impossible to notice it. The body of the itch (Sarcoptes canis) is flat and flattened, the length does not exceed 0,2-0,4 mm. In most cases, the parasite is light pink or flesh-colored.

Eight paws allow the tick to move under the skin of the animal, chewing through entire tunnels.

The itch has strong jaws that severely damage the skin of dogs. The mouth cavity of the parasite is equipped with special suction cups that allow it to attach itself to the place that is required for feeding.

The life cycle of the itch is 30-40 days. During this period, one adult can lay up to a hundred eggs, from which larvae hatch. Of these, adult ticks are formed within 20 days, ready for further fertilization and reproduction. The scabies mite is not transmitted to people, but when it comes into contact with the skin, it often causes irritation and other unpleasant symptoms.

How scabies mites spread

Infection with pruritic scabies usually occurs through contact with a sick animal or through care items. Ticks live in the environment for approximately 36 hours. In dogs with suspected scabies, the bedding, collar, leash should be disinfected or replaced.

Breeds prone to scabies

Any animal can get sick, regardless of breed. But the risk of contracting scabies is several times higher in those dogs that do not have strong immunity. There is also a breed predisposition, especially when it comes to demodicosis:

Breeds with long and hanging ears are most susceptible to octodecosis.

Itchy mange in a dog is a big problem from small mites

The disease is most dangerous for young dogs with thin skin. Especially hard animals endure pathology in the cold season. The disease can affect large areas, which leads to the formation of open wounds.

Severe itching contributes to their combing and tearing out tufts of wool.

All this can lead to infection of wounds and the development of severe skin pathologies, which are often fatal for dogs.

In addition, constant itching increases the risk of developing mental disorders in an animal, the dog becomes irritable, aggressive and shy.

Methods of diagnosis

The doctor will be able to determine the type of scabies and the intensity of the disease only after a detailed examination of the animal. When visiting the clinic, the specialist will examine the dog and compare the visible symptoms of the pathology. The following methods can be used to make a definitive diagnosis:

• scraping from the upper layers of the epidermis;
• blood test (to exclude the development of infectious diseases);
• if there are combed areas, scrapings are taken from them to identify a possible fungal disease;
• analysis of urine and feces (to detect other parasites that cause discomfort in the dog).

After determining the type of disease, a treatment is selected to get rid of the scabies mite and restore damaged skin.

Scabies mite in dogs: treatment

If you follow all the recommendations of the veterinarian, then you can get rid of scabies quickly and without harm to your pet's health. At the initial stages of the development of pathology, special preparations are used that destroy ticks and remove them from the body. If the disease is running, then additionally prescribe means that restore damaged skin and strengthen the animal's immune system.

Chemicals

To get rid of itching, the following remedies are used:

When using chemicals that are applied to the skin of an animal, it is necessary to use a special collar to eliminate the risk of poisoning.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies for combating scabies mites can be used for minor damage to the skin. The most popular options for "grandmother's recipes":

1. Garlic with butter. Grind the vegetable and mix in equal proportions with sunflower oil. Infuse the composition for two days. Lubricate the affected areas several times a day.
2. Tar. Allows not only to get rid of adults, but also to destroy the larvae. Lubricate the combed places with tar and leave for 4-5 hours, then rinse thoroughly with warm water. Treatment continues until the negative symptoms subside.
3. Turpentine. Rub the product once a day into combed areas. Leave for a few hours, then wash off with soapy water.
4. Laundry soap. Soap the animal and leave for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Processing should be carried out 1 time in 2 days.

The use of folk recipes helps to reduce negative symptoms, but does not relieve the animal of scabies. The disease can be completely cured only after visiting the clinic, in which the doctor will select the appropriate therapy option for the dog.

Itchy mange in a dog: a dangerous disease is easier to prevent than to treat

To protect the dog from a dangerous disease, it is necessary to periodically treat it with antiparasitic agents, which are sold in a wide range in pet stores. It is also recommended to regularly treat the bedding of the animal and the room where the pet is kept.

Sarcoptic mange

Ticks of this type have a microscopic size - 0,2-0,3 mm. They live in the upper layer of the skin. Most active at night.

Females gnaw through passages and lay eggs in them.

Immediately after infection, the pet develops severe itching, which most disturbs the pet at night. The life cycle of a tick is 21 days. The parasite is spread by contact between two animals, and indirect transmission through bedding is also possible.

Main clinical symptoms

The disease is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• the dog begins to itch a few hours after infection;
• signs of the disease first appear first on the head, then on the paws and belly, then on the back and sides;
• nodules form on the skin, which subsequently turn into small blisters filled with liquid;
• as the pathology develops, scratches and dried crusts from the fluid that flows from the papules appear on the dog's body;
• thickening of the skin;
• due to constant combing, hair begins to fall out and bald patches appear;
• the skin turns red and inflamed;
• if bacteria enter the body through wounds on the skin, then a strong formation of pus is observed.

Diagnosis of sarcoptic mange in dogs

Treatment

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to visit the clinic to determine the type of tick. Therapy should be comprehensive, aimed at destroying parasites, restoring the skin and strengthening the immune system.

Just washing the dog is not enough, ticks and their larvae, on the contrary, feel good in a humid environment.

For bathing and processing, you need to use a solution of acaricides, specialized shampoos and aerosols.

Additionally, treatment with ointments and gels is carried out. At the same time, a collar or muzzle is put on the animal so that the dog does not lick off the drug and is not poisoned. In some situations, intradermal injections of Ivomec are prescribed.

Can sarcoptic mange be prevented?

To protect your pet from scabies, it is recommended to walk him in places where he can not come into contact with potential sources of infection, such as stray dogs or wild animals. It is also necessary to regularly carry out preventive treatment against ticks. This will protect the dog, even if it encounters a sick individual.

Notoedrosis

The causative agent of the disease is not much different from the tick that causes sarcoptic mange. It also lives inside the skin, but prefers the outer layer of the epidermis. Females gnaw tunnels to lay eggs.

The life cycle of the parasite is 15-18 days. The disease is more often diagnosed in cats, in dogs the clinical picture is not so pronounced. In most cases, dogs are carriers of pathology, while they themselves do not get sick. The parasite first affects the muzzle, then the neck and paws.

Main clinical symptoms

The main symptoms of the disease:

• severe itching and rashes on the skin;
• thickening of the skin;
• strong combing leads to the appearance of bald patches, which are covered with a crust due to bursting papules.

If the pathology becomes chronic, then problems with the eyes appear. Sometimes narrowing of the nostrils is diagnosed, which leads to difficulty in breathing.

Treatment

If a disease is detected, the animal is isolated from other pets and contact with a person is minimized.

Then you need to wash the dog using special preparations that will help soften the crusts and destroy the parasites.

Additionally, a sulfur-containing or aversectin ointment is applied to the skin. Remember that the doctor selects the treatment, as the wrong dosage can harm the animal.

cheiletiosis

Heiletiosis is also called "wandering dandruff" or "pityriasis scabies." The causative agent of the disease is small in size - 0,3-0,5 mm, so it can only be examined under a microscope. The parasite lives on the surface of the skin. Eggs are laid, attaching to wool, at a distance of 2-3 mm from the skin. The life cycle is about 30 days.

Main clinical symptoms

The disease is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• redness of the skin;
• severe itching, which is localized in the back and neck;
• the appearance on the skin of scales resembling bran or dandruff;
• the formation of abscesses and pustules, which subsequently lead to the appearance of crusts on the skin;
• in some cases, hyperpigmentation is observed (the skin becomes darker).

Treatment

In 90% of cases, treatment is limited to external treatment of the animal. For this, acaricides are used. If the disease is severe, then injections are additionally prescribed. Despite the fact that the treatment seems simple, the disease is not as harmless as it might seem. If you start the pathology, then the dog will develop cachexia (extreme exhaustion), which leads to death.

Demodecosis

Main clinical symptoms

The clinical picture depends on the form of pathology. There are two types of demodicosis: scaly and pustular.

The following symptoms are characteristic of the scaly form:

• hairless areas of a round shape appear on the muzzle and paws;
• a large number of bran-like scales form on the skin;
• itching begins to bother the dog only if bacteria or fungus have penetrated the wounds;
• at a later stage, blanching of the skin is observed, they become gray-blue in color.

The pustular form is accompanied by the following manifestations:

• the skin swells and turns red, becomes wrinkled;
• dense nodules are felt under the skin;
• an unpleasant odor emanates from the affected areas;
• swollen lymph nodes under the jaw;
• yellow or brown pus is formed from the nodules;
• the damaged skin is hot;
• pus is easily squeezed out, an admixture of blood is visible in it.

The general symptoms of demodicosis include the depressed state of the dog, refusal of food and redness of the skin.

Treatment

This type of scabies is the most difficult to treat. You can completely get rid of the disease only if the pet fell ill at an early age (up to two years).

If the pathology is diagnosed in an adult dog, then there is still a chance to stop the disease and eliminate negative symptoms, but it is highly likely that demodicosis will return throughout life.

Therefore, these animals require special attention and care. To combat the disease, external treatments are not enough; subcutaneous and intravenous injections are necessary. The disease is very dangerous and treatment is selected individually for each dog.

Otodectosis

The causative agent of this disease is somewhat larger than the rest of the parasites, but it still cannot be examined without a microscope. The size of the tick reaches 0,5 mm. It settles in the ears, feeding on sulfur and epithelium. Pathology is often found in animals. If you ignore the alarming symptoms and do not start timely treatment, then otodectosis will cause inflammation of the ear canal.

Main clinical symptoms

The clinical picture of the pathology is accompanied by the following manifestations:

• severe itching (sometimes the dog combs the ears to the blood);
• shakes head due to discomfort;
• the appearance of dry or moist dark brown plaque in the ears.

Treatment

Getting rid of ear mites is easy if you start treatment in a timely manner. It is important not to abandon therapy halfway through. For example, some drops must be instilled again after a certain period of time. If you use them once, then there will be no effect. The selection of medicines depends on the stage of the pathology, but there is a single treatment algorithm:

1. Clean the ears with a cotton pad soaked in a special solution or chlorhexidine. Ears should not be cleaned before a visit to the clinic, because. this makes it very difficult to make a correct diagnosis.
2. A special preparation is introduced into the cleaned sink, for example, drops "Bars" or "Tsipam".
3. After instillation, the ear must be massaged so that the medicine is distributed evenly.

How to distinguish scabies from other diseases

Sometimes an animal develops diseases whose clinical picture is similar to scabies. One of these pathologies is demodicosis. You can distinguish a similar ailment by the absence of severe itching. Also, the symptoms of demodicosis usually appear in those areas where there are no nerve endings.

An allergic reaction has a clinical picture similar to scabies.

But in 90% of cases, this pathology is accompanied by the formation of eczema and inflamed foci appear in areas with fallen hair, covered with a crust, from which fluid is released. These symptoms help distinguish allergies from scabies.

It is possible to determine the true cause of severe itching and other unpleasant symptoms only in the clinic by taking a scraping. This is the only reliable way to distinguish scabies from other diseases and establish the type of parasite.

Scabies in a dog is transmitted to humans: the risk of infection is quite high

Once a dog has been diagnosed with pruritic scabies, contact with humans should be minimized. The disease is not transmitted to humans, but can cause unpleasant symptoms (pseudo-scabies), for example, severe itching, red blisters on the skin, bloody scabs from scratching. No treatment is required in this case. After the dog recovers, all symptoms will go away on their own within 2-3 days.

preventive measures

To protect your pet from itchy scabies, you must follow these simple recommendations:

• avoid contact with sick animals;
• regularly examine the pet for violations of the integrity of the skin and monitor its behavior;
• wash paws and abdomen after each walk;
• add vitamins to the dog's menu that strengthen the immune system;
• carry out preventive treatment to reduce the risk of developing the disease.

If infection has occurred, then it is required to isolate the dog from other animals and use personal protective equipment for the period of treatment.

All items previously used by the pet are disinfected or replaced with new ones.

Scabies mite gives dogs a lot of discomfort and contributes to the development of serious pathologies. At the first symptoms of infection, contact a veterinary clinic and in no case self-medicate.