Add to favorites

How to treat subcutaneous mites in dogs. Demodectic mange or subcutaneous mite in dogs: treatment at home, symptoms and visual photos

Let's look at the most common and most pathogenic of them in more detail:

Signs and symptoms of the disease

Common signs of tick infestation are:

Presence of scabs, crusts.
Exudate on the skin.
The skin thickens, becomes hard and wrinkled.
Animals are restless or apathetic, depending on the course of the disease.
They eat poorly, lose weight and may die.

And yet, the signs of the disease when infected with different types of ticks have their differences.

Below are the symptoms by which you can easily distinguish between infestation of dogs with certain ticks:

The course of sarcoptic mange is characterized by the following features:
- The scalp is most often affected.
- The course of the disease is characterized by severe itching.
- Small bubbles of liquid appear, which dogs try to scratch.
- After opening the bubbles, wounds and dense crusts form.
- The fur clumps together into unkempt strands.
In case of infection with notoedrosis, the picture is as follows:
- The locations of the bubbles with exudate are located on the scalp.
- There is no severe itching (unlike sarcoptic mange).
- The skin becomes wrinkled and hair falls out.
Distinctive signs of otodectosis:
- The dog often shakes its head, scratches its ears with its paw, or rubs itself against surrounding objects.
- Abrasions, scratches, and purulent discharge are visible on the ears.
- Emission of wax from the ear canals, matted fur.
- The animal walks with its head turned to one side (bowhead).
  Important. In advanced cases of otodectosis, inflammation of the inner ear, perforation of the eardrum and subsequent meningitis are possible. If this happens, the dog will behave restlessly, nervous attacks are possible, then a depressed state, and a rise in temperature. Without emergency assistance, death is common.

The development of demodicosis depends on the form of the lesion– scaly or pustular.

With the scaly form, the following changes are observed:

The skin thickens, becomes folded, and becomes covered with characteristic scales.
Dirty gray or rusty red skin color, devoid of hair.
The skin bursts and serous, pale pink fluid oozes from the wounds.
Severe itching is not expressed.

The pustular form is characterized by the following features:

The general course of the disease is severe.
Red, inflamed blisters appear on the skin, which turn into pustules (pustules).
When the pustules are opened, a foul-smelling liquid flows out, sticking the fur together.
The animal rapidly weakens and may die from blood poisoning.

For all diseases caused by subcutaneous mites, the primary diagnosis is determined based on the presence of symptoms of the disease, which are discussed above. Further diagnostic methods vary depending on the type of tick; let’s take a closer look at these methods.

Sarcoptic mange and notoedrosis

A skin scraping must be performed, for which a piece of tissue is separated with a sharp scalpel, choosing the place where the affected area borders on healthy skin.

Notoedrosis

It is necessary to examine the exudate of the ear canal. To do this, use a cotton cord or tweezers to remove pieces of the discharge and examine them under a microscope. To prevent active mites from spreading, immediately after removal the material is placed in a glass container and tightly closed.

Advice. It is not necessary to treat the preparation with lye when testing for notoedrosis, but for better visibility, cotton flagella are stained with ink.

Demodicosis

For the scaly form, scrapings are made and examined, acting in the same way as for sarcoptic mange and notoedrosis.

In the case of the pustular form, the substance of the pustules is examined, for which it is convenient to use a disposable syringe or scalpel. The material is examined under a microscope.

Advice. If the material being tested is too thick, you can dilute it slightly by adding a few drops of colorless vegetable oil or saline solution.

Treatment options

A mandatory element of treatment for all diseases caused by ticks is the isolation of sick animals and a complete high-protein, fortified diet.

In addition, at the preparatory stage it is necessary to wash the dirty wool with shampoo, soak and remove the crusts, and if necessary, cut off too long hair.

Important. When working with infected animals, all equipment must be treated with a strong disinfectant, for example, a 2% chlorophos solution.

Used consumables, as well as bedding and mats should be burned. The animal’s living areas: the booth, the surfaces of the enclosure, the flooring are treated with a blowtorch fire or boiling water. Further treatment depends on the type of tick that caused the disease.

The main techniques and methods of treating diseases are discussed in detail below:

For sarcoptic mange, treatment is as follows:
- The lesions are treated with acaricidal ointments: sulfur, sulfur-tar or YaM ointment.
- If the infection spreads to all skin areas, the animal is bathed twice with an interval of one week in a 1% solution of chlorophos heated to 35°C, and then allowed to dry without washing off the solution.
- In case of advanced disease, the drug Ivomec should be administered subcutaneously at a dose of 0.2 mg per 1 kg of animal weight.
  Important. To avoid poisoning, put a dress on your dog that will prevent it from licking the drugs from the skin.
Treatment methods for notohedrosis:
- The affected skin is treated with acaricidal ointments as for sarcoptic mange.
- The dog is sprayed with a 2% solution of chlorophos or a 0.3% oil solution of the drug ASD-3, this treatment is carried out twice with a week break.
- In the periods between treatments, fine sulfur powder is used.
Treatment for otodectosis includes:
- Removing all crusts and exudate from the ear, for which 2-3 ml of hydrogen peroxide is first poured into it.
- A drug heated to 35°C is injected into the ear: a 0.3% emulsion of the drug ASD-3 or a 1% emulsion of chlorophos, followed by a gentle massage of the ear at its base.
- After using the emulsions, finely dispersed sulfur or phenotisian powder is blown into the ear canal at a rate of 0.5 g.
- The treatment complex is repeated twice with an interval of 7 days.
For demodicosis, the following therapeutic measures are carried out:
- The animals are transferred to heated rooms without drafts and their nutrition is increased.
- The skin surfaces are washed with a 1% solution of chlorophos or 5% emulsion of soap K.
- Acaricidal emulsions are carefully rubbed into the affected areas with a cotton swab: 2% chlorophos, 1% Baytex or 0.3% ASD-3.
- In case of severe disease, in addition to local treatment, ivomec is used subcutaneously at a dose of 0.2 mg per 1 kg of dog’s body weight. Treatment with ivomec is repeated 2-3 times with a two-week break.

Preventive measures

In order to prevent dogs from becoming infected with subcutaneous ticks, you need to follow the simple rules of care and maintenance outlined below:

Provide your pets with a balanced diet, cleanliness in places of detention.
Don't allow dogs to interact with homeless animals.
Regularly inspect hunting dogs for otodectosis infection, sarcoptic mange or demodicosis from wild animals during hunting.
When keeping several dogs, observe the rules of personal hygiene.: Each dog has its own grooming tools.
It is important to wash your hands thoroughly after handling infected animals., use changeable shoes and clothing, since humans can transfer ticks from one animal to another.
When working with animals sick with notoedrosis, you need to use gloves. a mask, shoe covers, a change of clothes and remember that a person can become infected with notoedres.
Possible use of acaricidal, a wide range of which is presented today in veterinary pharmacies. However, not all of them are equally effective, and it is also important to remember that constantly using such drops, you expose the animal to intoxication.

For self-treatment of diseases caused by subcutaneous mites, you can use effective drugs that are easy to make with your own hands.

Some of them were mentioned in the section on treatment methods:

To prepare a 1% chlorophos emulsion, you need to prepare 1 g of chlorophos powder (white crystals with a pungent odor) and 100 g of fish oil. In fish oil heated to 35 – 37°C, crushed chlorophos is stirred until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Before use, you need to let the drug sit for at least a day. Store the product in a cool place in a glass container.
To make sulfur ointment, take 6 parts of purified sulfur, 8 parts of green soap, 1 part of potassium carbonate (potash) and 10 parts of medical petroleum jelly. All components should be thoroughly mixed, rubbing with warm Vaseline, and stored in a dark, cool place.
When cleansing the ear canal during otodectosis, warm vegetable oil can be used instead of hydrogen peroxide, which will ease the suffering of the sick animal.

Diseases caused by subcutaneous mites are quite common. Even with proper care and balanced feeding, a purebred dog, due to weak immunity or genetic predisposition typical of all purebred animals, can become infected with one of the types of pathogenic mites.

In this case, the awareness of the animal owner is important both to preserve the health of the dog and to prevent the person himself from getting sick.

Show all

Reasons

If the dog has a strong immune system that can withstand tick bites, then the disease will not develop. However, if it is weakened, this gives impetus to the appearance of demodicosis.

The disease is caused by:

tumor conditions;
hormonal imbalances;
contacts with sick animals;
hereditary factor.

Subcutaneous ticks most often infect dogs in the winter-spring period, since at this time the overall resistance of the animal’s body decreases.

The following breeds are most susceptible to the disease::

West Highland White Terriers;
Scotch Terriers;
bulldogs (French, English);
German Shepherds;
Rottweilers;
Shar-Pei;
Pugs.

Symptoms differ depending on the form of the disease:

Form of demodicosis	Description
Localized	This is a mild form of the disease, which is accompanied by the following symptoms: slight irritation, redness of the skin, and sometimes itching. Reasons include stressful situations, estrus, pregnancy and childbirth, when the immune system is weakened. If you strengthen the immune system, the disease disappears after 1–3 months
Generalized	The main reason is weakened immunity due to hormonal and endocrine disruptions, as well as chemotherapy. The disease begins with damage to the skin in certain areas. The skin becomes covered with bright pink spots, located separately from each other. Inside the dense papules, an inflammatory process begins, which is accompanied by serous discharge that has an unpleasant odor. Treatment of this form is difficult and can take six months or even a year. Some pets do not fully recover. In severe cases the animal dies
Juvenile	This form is typical for puppies that become infected during birth from an infected mother. With weakened immunity, the disease progresses. Treatment begins when the pet grows up and gets stronger. Most often the disease goes away on its own
Papular (focal)	A very dangerous form of demodicosis. Signs of the disease include papules that grow on the back, skin of the sacrum, and tail, creating a continuous focus of the disease. The sores begin to crack and emit an unpleasant odor. If infection gets into the wounds, sepsis (blood poisoning) may develop. Complications of this form include the dog’s sudden weight loss and the appearance of a staphylococcal infection. Without timely treatment, the pet dies

Treatment

The doctor individually determines how to treat the disease. Therapy must includecarrying out the following manipulations:

To stimulate the immune system, the doctor prescribes vitamins, mineral supplements and fatty acids. Fosprenil, Advocate and Maxidin are used as immunomodulators.

Dog breeds such as collie, bobtail and sheltie, and their crosses, are prohibited from being given medications that contain Ivermectin.

Traditional methods of treatment

At home, you can treat your dog for subcutaneous ticks using folk remedies:

Infusion of celandine roots. Take sunflower oil and plant roots in a 1:1 ratio and mix. For 3–4 hours, the solution is heated at a temperature of +50 degrees. Strain and apply to affected areas of the body. This should be done every day until complete recovery.
A mixture of sour apples and juniper berries. Grind the ingredients well and spread the product onto the affected skin.
Garlic infusion. The vegetable is crushed and poured with almond oil. The components are taken in a ratio of 1:2. The solution is infused for 2-4 days in a dark place, after which it is applied to the affected areas.
A mixture of kefir or liquid sour cream. Black sulfur is added to the dairy product. The components are mixed in a 3:1 ratio and placed in a warm place for 3 hours. Apply the product to the skin once a day.

Prevention

To prevent the appearance of subcutaneous ticks in your dog, you should adhere to the following preventive measures:

Subcutaneous ticks in dogs provoke diseases that are not dangerous to humans. But sometimes concomitant infections are transmitted to humans. Therefore, it is imperative to take preventive measures.

If a subcutaneous tick appears in a dog, the symptoms and treatment of the disease depend on the type of pathogen:

demodicosis is caused by the opportunistic demodex mite, which constantly lives in the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of animals, but wakes up and begins active life when the immune system is weakened;
Scabies is an infectious disease that develops when a dog is infected with scabies mites - sarcoptic mange or notoedrosis (generally called scabies), which gnaw characteristic paired tunnels in the skin.

Both pathologies have similar symptoms:

very severe itching, due to which the dog scratches the affected areas until it bleeds;
hair loss, which first becomes noticeable on short-haired parts of the body (belly, groin, muzzle, paws), and then bald spots appear everywhere;
increased nervousness caused by incessant painful itching;
weakness, loss of strength, indifference to what is happening;
significant deterioration in general condition, the appearance of concomitant diseases.

The main difference is that the demodex mite manifests itself as point inflammation, and scabies itch forms paired burrows.

Important! Demodectic mange, scabies and other skin diseases manifest themselves in many ways in the same way, but require treatment with completely different medications. Therefore, it makes no sense to do anything on your own without diagnostics.

Types of subcutaneous mites

There are several types of ticks that can infect dogs. But in Russia, the most common are demodex, sarcoptic mange and notoedrosis.

Demodex

The Demodex mite lives in the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of all mammals (animals and humans). But it is dogs that have a genetic predisposition to the development of demodicosis, so it is observed quite often in them. The development of the disease begins when the dog’s health deteriorates, caused by factors such as:

malfunctions of the immune system;
hormonal imbalances;
severe physical or mental stress.

Important! It is recommended to sterilize dogs that have had demodicosis. Since the reasons for the activation of the subcutaneous mite cannot be established, it is necessary to exclude the influence of hormonal disorders on the health of the offspring.

The disease has 2 types – juvenile (in dogs under 2 years old) and adult. At the same time, a favorable prognosis is typical only for juvenile demodicosis.

In addition, the pathological process can have 2 development options:

Localized – the most common form of the disease, which occurs in 90% of diagnosed demodicosis in dogs. The lesion appears in one place, which has clear boundaries, with irritation, redness and rapid baldness. There are no secondary symptoms. Self-recovery without treatment is possible in 15–20 days.
Generalized – the disease has several lesions. It rarely goes away without treatment, only in the absence of complications.

In turn, localized demodicosis is of 2 types:

pustular - occurs with the formation of purulent pustules, which are scratched by the dog, which can lead to infection entering the blood and its further spread throughout the body;
scaly - causes the formation of small redness, covered with dry scales, which also itch very much and the dog, when scratching, can introduce an infection into them, but it will manifest itself locally.

Generalized demodicosis combines both types at the same time. You can see in the photo what the subcutaneous mite looks like in dogs in all variants of demodicosis - the difference is very noticeable.

Scabies mites

There are 2 types of scabies mites, depending on which different types of scabies develop:

Classic - caused by the sarcoptic mange mite, characterized by the same symptoms as demodicosis, but with the formation of foci of inflammation already at the initial stage. Chronic course leads to keratosis, the formation of spots and scars.
Ear - the causative agent is the notoedrosis mite, which affects the outer part of the ears, but can spread to the croup and tail if the dog is used to sleeping curled up. The animal hits itself hard on the ears and head to relieve the itching, sometimes causing severe injuries to itself.

In general, the external manifestations of scabies in dogs are very similar to the symptoms of demodicosis. Therefore, it is very difficult to distinguish them without special tests. To identify the pathogen, a scraping of the upper layer of the epithelium is taken under local anesthesia.

Treatment of subcutaneous mites in dogs

Treatment of demodicosis

If the animal’s condition is critical, the drug “Detomax” is prescribed. It should be borne in mind that such injections for subcutaneous ticks in dogs are very effective, but highly toxic and very dangerous. Its use is advisable when it exceeds the existing risks of exposure to a weakened dog’s body.

There are no other medications for demodicosis, including preventive ones. If there is a genetic predisposition, the dog may not be protected from the disease even with proper care. Therefore, after recovery, such animals are removed from breeding.

Treatment of scabies

the causative agents of the disease are destroyed by applying drops to the withers of the sick animal;
in case of severe skin damage, the affected areas are additionally treated with antimicrobial agents;
In parallel, liver support is performed (preferably with Karsil) and strengthening of the immune system.

Symptoms of scabies mites, such as itching, hair loss and increased excitability of the dog, are also characteristic of allergic reactions. Moreover, they may decrease somewhat after taking antihistamines if the dog owner decides to treat his dog's allergies. But this will not get rid of scabies, but time will be lost - mites multiply at lightning speed, and treatment is much more effective at the initial stage.

To know exactly how to remove subcutaneous ticks from a dog, it is necessary to correctly determine the type of pathogen, because each of them reacts only to a certain type of medicine. Therefore, when these signs appear, a diagnosis should only be made by a doctor after examining at least 2–3 scrapings.

With a mild form of scabies or at the onset of the disease, you can alleviate the dog’s condition with folk remedies. The following recipes are suitable for this:

Garlic tincture - pour crushed cloves with almond oil in a ratio of 1:2 and leave for 3 days in the dark. Lubricate the skin no more than once a day, since garlic is harmful to dogs.
Kefir tincture of black sulfur - dilute the sulfur with kefir (1:3), leave in a warm place for several hours. Also lubricate painful areas once a day, since the sulfur component dries the skin too much, causing a strong burning sensation. For the same reason, the product should not be left on the skin - after application it must be washed off.
Sulfur ointment - a pharmaceutical preparation is used, which is used to lubricate the affected areas twice a day without rinsing. The ointment also causes a burning sensation.
Lavender oil – the skin is first lubricated with oil, and after it is absorbed, rubbed with chalk powder. The procedure is performed 4–5 times a day.

Despite the simplicity and effectiveness of home methods, they should not be overused. Such products dry out the dog's skin and cause significant discomfort.

To prevent an animal from becoming infected with scabies mites, it should be treated with anti-mite drops 2 times a year. It is also important to provide your pet with a balanced diet and periodically give immunomodulatory drugs.

You can also ask questions to our site's in-house veterinarian, who will answer them as quickly as possible in the comment box below.

Julia 22:06 | 24 Mar. 2019

Hello, Spitz, 2.5 years old, neutered male, irritation on the skin, nothing helps, they did a scraping, found nothing, in the analysis, according to the veterinarian, it was an allergy. Now there are black dots under the dried crust. Tell me, what is this?
Good afternoon, please advise, Samoyed, 4 years old, for a year and a half we have been struggling with redness of the paws and light discharge on the redness (between the toes and around the pillows), then it goes away, then it turns red again. We donated blood last year for pancreatitis and were cured. They forgot about the paws for a while. Then there were wounds on the butt and again on the paws, they took a test - Staphylococcus aureus, a course of antibiotics, after 2 months they tested again - Pseudomonas aeruginosa and again antibiotics. We were treated, it became easier for a month and the paws began to turn red again, again the analysis was allergy. We started eliminating different foods for 2 weeks. By the method of elimination, we have given up rice for now and very rarely give beef, and now the problem begins again. We feed natural food and there is not a large selection of dishes. I noticed a bump on the back right paw above the pillow and a wound appears periodically. Treated for fleas and ticks and wormed. What else should I check, what tests should I take to find out the reason?

Subcutaneous ticks in dogs are a real disaster not only for four-legged pets, but also for their owners. To provide timely assistance to a home child, it is necessary to learn to identify the disease and know what to do in such cases. The appearance of the bloodsucker, symptoms, as well as methods of treating the disease (Demodicosis) will be discussed in the material below.

What does a subcutaneous mite look like?

Experienced owners know what subcutaneous mites look like on dogs (its other name is “Demodex cains”), despite the fact that it is impossible to notice the arthropod with the naked eye. Externally, the bloodsucker resembles a tiny worm with small legs in the upper part of the body measuring from 0.3 to 0.5 mm. You can see it only under a microscope; a photo of a subcutaneous tick in dogs is presented below.

Symptoms of the appearance of subcutaneous mites

Veterinarians emphasize that Demodicosis is not an independent disease. We are talking about a concomitant illness that manifests itself in hormonal disorders, decreased immunity or weakened animal’s body. As a result of these factors, a tick that peacefully coexists with an animal can turn into a dangerous enemy for its own owner.

Only a veterinarian can quickly and accurately diagnose the disease. Symptoms of subcutaneous mites are often confused with bacterial and fungal diseases.

However, owners should worry if their pet has:

increasing itching (in advanced cases, the dog may scratch the affected areas of the skin until it bleeds);
foci of redness appear under the fur, which gradually turn into wounds, then become covered with crusts, pustules and deep cracks;
small areas without hair appear on the stomach, hind legs, near the eyebrows and muzzle;
the animal emits an uncharacteristic and rather unpleasant odor, localized at the affected areas;
the four-legged friend begins to react poorly to the owners’ commands and refuses to eat. In some cases, attacks of aggression and unreasonable irritability occur;
anemia, general weakness and manifestation of concomitant pathologies.

Treatment begins when there is an accurate diagnosis. It is determined by a veterinarian based on the results of a skin scraping and a urine blood test. Under no circumstances should you act at random. If your dog exhibits the symptoms listed above, it is better to limit yourself to administering an anti-allergenic drug and seek help from a doctor.

How to treat a dog for subcutaneous ticks

Treatment of subcutaneous mites can last for 1-3 months. The duration depends on the stage and complexity of the disease. A veterinarian must monitor the pet’s condition, so in this case it is impossible to do without observation in the clinic. Owners must understand that even after 1-2 years after remission, their pet cannot be considered 100% healthy. Any stress or weakened immune system can trigger a relapse.

Only a veterinarian can say exactly how to treat subcutaneous mites in each specific case. An individual program is selected for each dog, but the main emphasis is on strengthening the immune system and improving the general condition of the body. Local lesions are treated with acaricidal preparations:

sulfur-zinc ointment;
Akarabor;
Amitan.

On average, 6 treatments are enough to get rid of bloodsuckers.

Advice! Sheltie, bobtail and collie breeds are contraindicated in any product containing ivermectin.

In case of generalized demodicosis (when the entire body of the animal is affected), the veterinarian develops an individual scheme to combat the disease. The dosage of drugs is adjusted taking into account the dog’s condition. In 90% of cases, treatment takes place in several stages.

To eliminate the risk of relapse, treatment is continued even after getting rid of the bloodsuckers.

Treatment at home

Every owner who has encountered Demodicosis must understand that treating a dog for subcutaneous mites at home and without prior approval from a veterinarian may be unsafe for the animal itself. We are talking about a complex fight, so procedures in the clinic and the four-legged pet’s permanent habitat must be carried out in parallel.

Symptoms and treatment should be checked and monitored by a veterinarian, since bloodsucker remedies are toxic and the slightest overdose can cause serious complications.

How to avoid appearing

Demodectic mange is not contagious to humans. It is also not dangerous for four-legged animals with strong immunity. The disease can manifest itself due to a general weakening of the dog’s body or a genetic predisposition (if one of the parents suffered from the disease). Take care of your pet and closely monitor its health!

If you regularly examine your pet, a person will be able to detect the first symptoms of the disease. They appear on the head and neck area:

loss of tufts of hair;
redness of certain areas of the skin;
scales appear;
the skin thickens;
large folds appear on the affected areas;
Cracks appear on the skin, from which fluid discharge can be seen.

As on humans, subcutaneous ticks coexist quite peacefully with dogs. But problems appear when there are any problems with the pet’s health, weakened immunity, or improper functioning of internal organs.

(Video: “Demodicosis in dogs, symptoms, signs, treatment”)

Main forms of the disease

There are three stages of development of demodicosis in dogs:

If you take a comprehensive approach to treating subcutaneous mites in your pet, you can quickly solve the problem. Of course, under certain circumstances, you can treat your dog at home. But the best solution would be to visit a specialist. After a thorough examination, the veterinarian will be able to prescribe the correct, and most importantly, effective treatment. For this purpose, acaricidal drugs are used. These drugs include Ivomec, Amitrazine, Ivermectin. Treatment also involves the use of salicylic acid and antiseptics: Amitan, Fukortsin, Akarabor.

There are medications that significantly improve a dog’s well-being during illness. For this purpose, painkillers and sedatives are prescribed. It is also necessary to use medications that help eliminate itching. If you spend more time with your pet, you will probably be able to notice the onset of illness. Of course, this will significantly simplify the treatment process.

Use of external products

(Video: “Treatment of demodicosis in dogs, modern approaches and drugs”)

Treating subcutaneous mites in dogs at home

It should be remembered that you can take on the treatment of your four-legged friend on your own only if he has been diagnosed with the initial stage of the disease. To do this, you need to take certain measures:

protect the liver;
strengthen your pet's immune system;
feed hypoallergenic foods;
carry out external treatment of affected skin areas;
use acaricidal ointments and shampoos.