demodex

[adamnaubry]

Last time we took Verbena to the vet they diagnosed her with demodex and put her on three meds--one for the mite, one for the infection, and one for itching. Well she has only gotten worse Last night she ran a fever for about an hour but afterwards she was ready to play. It's getting so painful for her that she will only lay down in the softest of places--not even carpet is soft enough. It started under her chin mostly but now it has spread. She's starting to lose patches of hair down her sides and her neck is all torn up from where she scratches. Do you guys think this has spread into the category of generalized demodex? I'm about to run to PetSmart and get some chlor-wipes to rub on the infected areas. I also read something about a multivitamin with fatty acids... I guess to help build the immune system. She is only 20 wks old so I'm hoping this is something that passes.

 

[adamnaubry]

At PetSmart we got "Fresh 'n Clean" Shampoo that says its for dandruff, dermatitis, itching and dry skin. As well as some "DermCare" chlor-cleanse flush. The chlor-cleanse has alcohol in it so it burns her when we get it on an open sore. We blow on it to soothe her. We had to wrap her paws with gauze as well to keep her from licking it. I'll post some pictures if I can to show you guys how she looks. My cell phone doesn't take very clear pictures under regular house lighting though.

 

[adamnaubry]

This is right above her eye.

This is under her mouth.

Each of her digits has a red bump on it. They can barely be seen in this pic though.

This is to the side of her mouth. Basically a bunch of scabs from where she's been scratching.

 

[Athe]

To build a better immune system, some good herbs to use are Astragalus which is an antiviral and immunity-enhancer. I personally am a huge fan of Astragalus, I take it myself when cold and flu season are here. I have not had a cold or flu for years since I started taking Astragalus.
Garlic which is also an antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer and cardiovascular tonic. There are also some wonderful immune enhancing mushrooms I have used in the past with my dogs such as Maitake and Reishi. Maitake mushrooms have been well studied for their ability to support healthy immune function. Reishi, another important medicinal mushroom, also bolsters natural defenses.

You might want to switch to a homemade diet free from grains or choose a good quality dog food with no grains. EVO would be a great choice, or Nature's Variety...there are many good foods that you can choose from.

This site will give you some great ideas on diet, and rinses (natural).
http://www.jeanesholistics.com/artDemodex.html
scroll down this page and get some more info on diet.
http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/vaginitis_puppy_acne_demodectic_mange.htm

 

[Barb04]

My stepson's pitbull has had the same problem since he was very young. Now at 1 year old, the vet thinks he's finally got it under control.

I posted a question about the condition and Mordy responded about 1/2 way down the post. Go to this link:

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4961&highlight=demodex

 

[adamnaubry]

She went back to the vet today and he said it was an allergic reaction to her antibiotic--amoxicillin. He put her on a steroid and gave her two shampoos and a spray to use between shampooings. Poor thing.

 

[Barb04]

Glad you took her to the vet. Be sure to make a note of her allergic reaction to amoxicillin for future reference. Hope she feels better soon.

 

[adamnaubry]

She actually cleared up quite quickly. Most of her bumps aren't red anymore and she doesn't seem as itchy. She vomitted this morning though, but I think that was mostly due to stress and the quick change in meds. We are looking for signs of diarrhea and depression since the vet said that those paired with vomitted could signal further problems. Haven't seen those other signs yet. She is much happier now that she can lay down anywhere instead of just on the bathroom rug.

 

[Barb04]

So glad to hear she's feeling better.

 

[Whitedobelover]

glad to hear she is doing better. hope it continues to get better

 

[showpug]

What kind of dog do you have? In some breeds, demodex is genetic. Is your dog on Ivomectin? If not, I would talk to your vet about it. It works way better than the topical forms of treatment. If it is spreading then it most likely is generalized demodex instead of localized. In some cases however, it can spread due to secondary infection etc. I would recommend you buy the supplement made by Solid Gold called Life Exxtension. It's an immue booster. Good luck.

Here is a link to the supplement: http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products/showproduct.php?id=33&code=565

 

[Gallien Jacks]

All dogs have the Demotex mite its an allergy to them that causes the troubble

 

[adamnaubry]

Yes, she is on Ivermectin, the vet was having us slowly up the doses but when he saw how bad she was getting he went ahead and told us to start the full dosages. She no longer itches and her bumps are all almost completely gone. So I'm sure she was just having an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin. To answer your question, she's a mixed breed--we aren't sure exactly what yet but we were told Boston Terrier and Chihuahua when we bought her. We have our doubts about that. She looks like a Rottie/Lab mix but we know she's not going to be a very big dog at all.