| Ask The Vet -
Q&A |
Question
I have a 12 week old Springer Spaniel and after taking
him to the vets last week he gave him some stronghold but after
5 days the spots that I think are mange are still there. How long
will it take to start to work?
Amanda Williams - Devon, UK |
Answering questions:
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS from
Vet
Help Direct |
| Answer |
Hi
Amanda,
There
are two types of mange in dogs: demodex and sarcoptes. Both types
of mange are caused by tiny mites, invisible to the naked eye, that
live in the skin. Sarcoptic mange causes extreme itching and affects
all ages of dogs. The itching causes bald patches, often with sores
and scratches. Demodectic mange is mainly found in puppies or dogs
that are ill for another reason. The condition is not usually itchy
but causes baldness and sometimes secondary skin infections which
can be itchy and sore. It can be localised i.e. found in a few areas
of the body only, or generalised i.e. all over the body.
Both
types of mange take time to clear up fully and, as with any skin
condition, bald patches can remain for a long time after the original
problem has been resolved. It can take varying amounts of time for
the hair to grow back.
Stronghold
is the treatment for sarcoptic mange. If your puppy has this nasty
condition it will take a while for the signs of mange to disappear
completely. When the mites are killed by the stronghold the mites’
body contents are released in to the skin and this can be even more
itchy than the live mites. Sometimes sarcoptic mange gets worse
with treatment before it eventually gets better. You should start
to see some improvement in the itching within about 3 weeks, although
this varies from dog to dog.
Demodectic
mange is more of a complex problem. Most puppies have some demodex
mange mites in their skin but, for reasons that are not fully understood,
in some puppies these multiply out of control. Demodex can take
anything from a few weeks to several months to clear up, and as
with sarcoptes, it will take at least a few months after the mange
has been cleared up before the fur re-grows.
Five
days is too early to expect any real improvement in your puppy’s
bald patches, whatever has caused them. If your vet has advised
you that your puppy has mange be prepared to give it time but make
sure you take your puppy straight back to the vets if you believe
he is at all uncomfortable. If your puppy gets worse at any point,
or is not starting to improve in three weeks time I would go back
and see your vet again.
Kind regards,
Susie Samuel MA VetMB MRCVS www.vethelpdirect.com
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