Mange in Dogs (Demodectic and Sarcoptic)

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

Evidence-based guide to mange in dogs. Covers demodectic vs sarcoptic mange, symptoms, treatment options, and recovery expectations.

Causes and Risk Factors

Sarcoptic mange is an infestation with Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis. Dogs catch it from other dogs and sometimes from shared bedding. It is not inherited.

Demodectic mange is an overgrowth of Demodex canis, a mite that normally lives in canine hair follicles. Puppies get a few local patches while the immune system is still immature, and some breeds are more prone to that juvenile form. When widespread disease starts in an adult, the veterinarian looks for a separate illness that has weakened immunity, such as hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, or cancer. Demodex does not spread through a household the way sarcoptic mange does.

Symptoms to Watch For

Sarcoptic mange and demodectic mange are different diseases. The signs below follow the Merck Veterinary Manual and VCA Animal Hospitals' descriptions of each mite.

Sarcoptic mange

Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis causes sarcoptic mange. It passes readily between dogs and can leave people in the home with a short-lived itchy rash. Affected dogs are intensely itchy. Crusts and hair loss commonly show on the ear edges, elbows, hocks, and belly. Many dogs scratch when the ear edge is rubbed. The mites sit in the surface of the skin and are easy to miss on a scraping, so a negative scraping does not rule sarcoptic mange out.

Demodectic mange

Demodex canis lives in hair follicles and is a normal skin inhabitant that overgrows when immunity is weak. In a young dog the localized form is a few bald patches on the face or forelegs. Those patches are often not very itchy, and many of them settle without treatment. The generalized form is widespread hair loss and redness, often with a secondary bacterial infection, and that dog needs a veterinarian. Generalized disease that starts in an adult often accompanies another immune problem. Deep skin scrapings are how veterinarians find these mites. People do not catch Demodex canis the way they can catch sarcoptic mange.

Diagnosis

The skin exam comes first. A routine blood panel and radiographs do not identify the mite.

For sarcoptic mange the veterinarian takes superficial skin scrapings. Few mites are on the dog, so a scrape that finds none still leaves the disease possible. Rubbing the ear edge often makes these dogs scratch, which supports the suspicion without proving it. When scrapings stay negative, the veterinarian may start treatment and judge the result by whether the itching eases.

Demodex is usually found on a deep skin scraping or on hairs pulled for a trichogram. An adult with widespread demodicosis may also need blood tests for the illness behind the overgrowth. Those tests explain the overgrowth. They do not replace the scraping.

Treatment Options

A veterinarian treats mange with medication. Surgery is not the treatment.

For sarcoptic mange, the veterinarian treats the affected dog and usually the other dogs in the home, and bedding is washed. Itching can linger after the mites are dead. The veterinarian chooses the drug and the dose.

A few local demodex patches in a puppy often fade after a veterinarian has confirmed the mite. Widespread demodicosis needs treatment of the mites and of any secondary skin infection. In an adult, treatment also means finding the illness that let the mites multiply.

Prevention and Management

Vaccines do not prevent mange. Until a veterinarian says the sarcoptic mites are gone, keep that dog away from other dogs and wash bedding and collars. A puppy's bald patch should be examined before it spreads. Dogs with generalized demodectic mange as juveniles should not be bred, because the tendency runs in families.

Cost of Treatment

Treatment costs vary based on severity and duration.

Questions Owners Ask

Is this condition curable?

Sarcoptic mange clears when a veterinarian treats the mites. The itch may outlast them. Localized demodectic mange in a puppy often clears. Generalized demodectic mange can clear as well, though it takes longer, and an adult also needs the underlying illness addressed.

How can I afford treatment?

Pet insurance covers most illness treatments after your deductible. Other options include veterinary payment plans, CareCredit financing, pet health savings accounts, and charitable assistance programs for pet owners in financial need.