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Originally Posted by ellenm  If your boy has a a mild case, that is great. Did the vet feel it was a localized case or a generalized case? I'd certainly talk to your breeder regarding this. |
Not sure if the vet considered it a localized or generalized case...my wife actually took the boy to the vet while I worked
Anyway, I have a call into the vet's office for addt'l info so I will be sure to asked becse I am interested myself. We (myself and my wife) were not educated enough on this particular subject to ask all the right questions. And yes, I will be speaking to the breeder somehow (whether it's via phone or email) when I get home. I am not happy about this!
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Originally Posted by Linda H Can you say who your breeder is or the sire or dam? You might not want to answer those questions yet or ever.
The reason I ask is there is a dog out there that is being bred alot and I wondered if he was the sire.
The susceptability to demodex is hereditary. Well here is a good site that explains a lot, complete with pics of the mite  Demodex Skin Mites In A Dog and Human at ThePetCenter.com
I would talk to the breeder but I don't know how much help that will be. Depends on how much they care. |
Linda H - First, thanks for your concern...it's nice to know that when I come to this wonderful forum there are people out there like yourself, ellen, DLS, and many many others that care enought to ask questions/gain insight/offer suggestions and inspiration.
With that said, I do not particularly want to divulged breeder info strickly due to the recourse I may hear in return
Anyway, I know who my boy's mother / father are so feel free to post who this "sire" is if you would like and I would be more than happy to answer. My initial thought is no it's most likely not but I guess now adays you never know.
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Originally Posted by DLS Your boy is going through 'puberty' right now too! this may have caused his immune system to be 'stressed'. Still though it is Highly unusual for an otherwise healthy dog to be having problems with demo mites. Could be herediatry, could be an unseen health problem as well. Did you notice any 'balding' areas on your pup when you first got him? Thin hair around the eyes? Scabs etc.? Whatever the reason, a call to your breeder would be a very good idea. |
I did not notice any "balding" in any areas when I recved my boy. His coat was shiny and excellent among other things. We have been very very pleased with everything about our boy since receiving him.
I would like to take a sec and talk about demodex, more specifically the treatment. As you notice in my updated post I stated the treatment the vet suggested, which includes the "dips". Now after I found out what took place today I have done extensive resrch on what my boy might have been subjected to and I can tell you I am not real happy at this point.
Let me start off with, I have not recved my callback from the vet at this time so I am speaking off the cuff if you will but I am kicking myself in the behind for letting him get dipped today in this Mitaban solution which the active ingredient is Amitraz. Every source on the net states this stuff is the most toxic and vile stuff out there and should not be used? Really, are you kidding me......I read some of the precautionary things for this stuff.....
People on MAOI containing medication or who are diabetic should not administer the dips. Nausea and dizziness have been noted in people who handle the medication.
Avoid handling the dog for several days after treatment. Wash skin that has contacted the animal. Sensitive people may develop a skin irritation.
Use only in a well-ventilated area. Use gloves: do not allow skin contact with the medication.
Safety in dogs under 4 months of age has not been established.
Toy breeds may be more likely to have side effects due to their small size.
Do not stress patient for 24 hours after treatment.
Place protective ointment in animal's eyes prior to dipping.
Do not use in dogs with deep skin infection until infection is controlled.
Do not use in diabetic dogs or those taking other MAOIs.
Not recommended for localized demodex or other types of mites.
Not to be taken internally.
Not for use on pregnant or nursing animals.
Not for use in cats.
May see sedative effect for 24-72 hours after the dip. The animal may develop dry skin and hair coat. With the dip, may also see decreased body temperature, high blood sugar levels, seizures, or death.
I am having a hard time getting the visual out of my mind of a substance being rubbed in my boy's eyes just before he is dipped in a chemical bath. Now there is no question on why my wife said he was whining a bit and going from side to side or window to window on the ride home in the truck. The have been a number of vets that said they would use Ivermectin as a oral solution instead of the dip. But my wife read the paper that the vet gave her where one of the questions was asked: Is there an oral alternative? Answer, Yes with some reservations. ivermectin is a drug that is used for prevention of heartworms. it is also used for certain parasites on cattle. the cattle preparation has been used orally for demodectic mainge in some dogs. In certain dogs it has prven to bsuccessful however, it is a vey strong durg that can cause severe side effects, including death. It is not approved for use in dogs so we would only consider using it as long as you are willing to accept liability for adverse effects.
Ok, so what's the deal here....pick the lesser of two evils or what? I've read online that 80% of dogs will recover by themselves and some vets do not suggest any treatment until knowing whether or not they can kick the mites by themselves instead of with treatment. Of course it does not give any kind of age or timeframe associated with waiting this thing out. Plus I hated to see my boy biting / itching like crazy and not doing anything about this.
So, I will end my rant here and get my thoughts together for my heart to heart with the breeder later on this evening.
Thoughts?
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