Medicines for Mange in Dogs
September 8, 2009
If you are suspecting any unusual behavior in your pet dog such as constant itching or scratching, the animal must be brought immediately to a veterinarian for initial diagnosis. When the vet identifies dog mange in your pet, the doctor will need to find out what kind of mange it is in order to determine the level of the disease and prescribe the right medication.
Dog mange is a condition of the dog’s skin characterized by itching due to the parasitic mites that are present in the either in the internal or epidermal layer of the skin and hair follicles of the animal. But a dog owner should not worry because dog mange is highly treatable.
There are various kinds of dog mange treatments that veterinarians will prescribe but some of these may not be readily available in the market. A common veterinary medicine used in curing dog mange is Ivermectin.
Given in higher dosages, it helps treat scabies among dogs. But not all dogs are vulnerable to the medicine. Some breeds are genetically sensitive so visit your vet to find out if your affected pet has no problem using this kind of treatment. Ivermectin is best applied to Demodectic and Sarcoptic mange.
Another medicine that dogs may need to take is Selamectin which is a derivative of Ivermectin but is safer to be applied on dogs that are sensitive to the use of Ivermectin. This is best used for Colliie or Australian shepherd breeds. Selamecin is very effective in treating Sarcoptic mange in dogs.
Moxidectin is another kind of drug related to Ivermectin. Commonly labeled for heartworm medication, this can also be effective for curing Sarcoptic mange in canines. However, it is considered off-labeled in the United States although in other countries it is used to treat the said disease.
Milbemycin Oxime may be recommended by your veterinarian for Sarcoptic mange. It is given as an oral treatment for scabies but the use of this medication is not formally approved by the FDA.
Your vet may prescribe dipping treatments that sometimes go along with medicated shampoo treatment. Amitraz and lime-sulfur dips may be recommended especially for localized cases of dog mange.
One can find many types of medications which can be effective in giving remedy for your dog’s skin condition. But the veterinarian can best assist a dog owner in choosing the best treatment for the kind of mange the dog has.
My Australian cattle dog/sheperd has an itchy back. He is always bugging me to scratch it. He also rubs his back in the grass. I shaved his hair off to investigate and found that here and there he had bumps, only about five total from his rump to his front shoulder blade area and only on his back. H also has flakes of dandruff, worse on his rump.
At first I suspected mange becouse a bald spot to the side of his rump. After reading your information on mange I guess I would have to rule it out. He has had this condition for several months…I have applied Nustock which helped illeviate some of the itching but has not killed what ever parasite he has. Do you have any recommendations or any idea of what it may be?
Hi Patrick,
I believe that the best solution is to see a qualified vet. I am not one. It doesn’t lool like mange from your description.
It sounds like your dog may have a food alergy, possibly to wheat. I finally had my Irish Setter tested and he was mainly allergic to wheat. Most dog food has wheat in it. We changed his diet to lamb & rice products and he never had a problem again.
What over the counter medicines can be used to treat mange in my dog Lucky?
I agree with Linda about the allergy and suggest you get your dog tested. Once you can identify what it is that is giving them the rash you can make his life more comfortable without the itching. It may be an allergy to something he is sleeping on or something growing in your garden as well as a food allergy suggested.
My Border Collie X Belgian Shepherd has recently developed small lumps on her snout close to her nose. I thought it looked like mange but she is never in contact with other animals. There is a small amount of hair loss in this spot but nothing major. It looks red and a she has been scratching it a bit???
Hi Bec,
I just found out today my puppy has mange and we are treating him with topical, oral meds, and antibiotics for the few sores. The dr. said it was not spread from the contact of dogs but from mother to pup as a baby, and some pups/dogs will show signs some won’t. So even if your dog has not been in contact with other dogs, it could have been spread at birth.
Hope this helps..
My Border Collie puppy is 5 months old. He has been biting at his skin on his back legs and sides till he has no hair. We switched the dog food and think now it is mange. He has what seems like a blister on the back of one of his legs. We have been treating him with Happy Jack Kennnel Dip ll. Any other suggestions.