Sarcoptes Scabies in Dogs

Dogs can suffer from sarcoptes scabies.

Sarcoptes scabie mites are little bugs related to spiders.They are very small and cannot be seen without a microscope. These mites can cause a skin disease in dogs called sarcoptic mange (or scabies). While other animals, and even humans, can get this skin infection, the mites prefer to live on dogs.

Life Cycle of Sarcoptes Scabies

According to the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center website, sarcoptes scabies can live approximately three to four weeks in your pet's skin. The female mates, then burrows into the skin to deposit her eggs. She dies after doing this, but leaves the eggs to hatch in three to 10 days. The larvae that emerges moves around the skin until it molts and becomes an adult. The cycle then begins again.

Primary Symptoms

Mites will cause itching and red, scaly skin on a dog. Since these scabie mites thrive better on hairless skin, the primary risk areas are ear flaps, elbows and the abdomen. If your animal has this pattern of problem skin, your vet might treat him for sarcoptic mange as a precaution. If your pet develops scaly, itching skin on these areas, don't leave it untreated. If it is mange, It will progress. As it does, most of the dog's body will become affected.

How Scabies is Transmitted

Sarcoptes scabie mites are contracted by direct contact with another host. These mites live for up to a few weeks on the host. However, they are only infectious for 36 hours. In many cases, such as with humans, the infection is limited. Though itchy while it lasts, it ends quickly. These mites cannot complete their life cycle on the wrong life form. They prefer and thrive on dogs. This is why the course of infection and symptoms caused by scabies are longer and more extreme in canines.

Diagnosing Mange

If your pet has symptoms that suggest sarcoptic mange, seek professional help. Your veterinarian will scrape the skin and test it. Sometimes this will not show mites--because when the dog scratches itself, it kills the mites in that area. So if there is a negative test, your vet will probably do what is termed a "maybe mange" test. That involves treating the area for mange and then looking for symptoms to ease.

Treating Scabies

Sarcoptic Mange is treated with medication. Invermectin is a successful injectable drug that is given every few weeks as treatment. It can be toxic to certain types of canines, primarily in the Collie family. Luckily, there is a test that can now determine if this treatment will be dangerous to your dog. Other medications are mostly derivatives of Invermectin. Some of these include Moxidectin, Interceptor and Selmectin.

Prevention/Solution

Be sure to wash any bedding in hot water in your washing machine. If possible, replace the bedding. Don't forget to also wash or replace any collars or harnesses. If you have any other dogs in your house, they too should be treated for sarcoptes scabies.

References

• Mar Vista Animal Medical Center: Sarcoptic Mange
• Doctors Foster and Smith: Sarcoptic Mange