Q&A for How to Identify Mange on Dogs

The typical symptom of sarcoptic mange is extreme itchiness. As the itching worsens, you may notice redness of skin, bacterial infections, hair loss, and thickening of skin.

Bring your dog to the vet's office. Your vet can scrape the affected skin and examine it under the microscope to diagnose sarcoptic mange.

Yes. It can be exceedingly difficult to completely remove all demodex mites from a dog's skin. Successful treatment may consist of reducing the numbers of mites to such a low level that the dog's immune system can keep them in check. But if the dog's immunity dips, the mites can take advantage, breed, and cause another infection.

Sarcoptic mange is highly infectious and can spread from dog to dog. Demodectic mange, however, is usually passed from mother to pup at birth, and is not infectious to others. If the dog becomes ill and their immune system is suppressed, then the mites breed in the skin and cause clinical disease.

There are different types of mange, but nearly all of them cause itchiness. Most of the different species of mites are microscopic, so your vet will need to make a diagnosis from skin scrapes or a skin biopsy. One form of mange, sarcoptic mange, can be picked up by a special blood test.

Demodex can be a tough mite to shift, and the strongest treatment is regular bathing with an insecticidal wash called Aludex. Some of the modern prescription spot-on products also have some activity against Demodex when used off-label, but you need to check with your vet if it is safe to do so and would be effective for your dog.

The black bead-like objects may be a skin parasite. Try and capture some on a piece of sticky tape and take them to the vet for identification. If the objects move quickly and jump, then fleas are a possibility. If they seem firmly attached to the skin and are hard to remove, then the dog may have ticks.

Both sarcoptic mange mites and demodex are microscopic, which means they are too small to see with the naked eye. If you can see an insect on the dog, then it's probably not either of these two mites. Demodex is cigar-shaped, whilst Sarcoptes is round and flat.

Demodectic mange is not infectious to people. The sarcoptic mange mite is specific to dogs and will not live on people. However, the mites may have a nibble to see if you are a dog, and this can cause itchy skin and irritation.

Immediately flush the eyes with plenty of water. If the puppy seems irritated and is rubbing at the eyes, holding them closed, or they are watering excessively then he needs to see a vet. Many of the chemicals in mange treatments are harsh and could cause damage to the eye's delicate cornea.

There are several different species of mange mites, such as demodex, sarcoptes, otodects, and cheyletiella. Some of these mites are killed by common external parasite (flea) treatments, but some are resistant and need a specific dip or wash. Your vet will first get a definitive diagnosis of which mite is present, and then prescribe an antiparasite product that is proven to be effective against that particular mite. Many treatments need to be repeated at regular intervals, and continued for a couple of weeks after tests show the dog to be clear of mite infection.

This is entirely normal anatomy and is called the bulbis glandis of the penis. It swells when the dog is excited and helps maintain an erection.