Mange

[JimmyTheMook]

When we see these horrible looking dogs all manged out how can it be cured?

How is mange avoided in dogs?

Is it just a simple injection?

[Nienke]

When we see these horrible looking dogs all manged out how can it be cured?

How is mange avoided in dogs?

Is it just a simple injection?

Demodectic mange is a wormlike-spider that lives in the hairfollicles and is given by the mother dogs to her puppies when they still drink the milk. Sarcoptic mange is a kind of spider-like parsite that lives under the skin and causes unbearable itch. It can be transmitted at any time and is also contagious to people.

Many dogs are carrier of demodectic mange, local, full-breds and imported dogs. It is immune related and when the immune system is good, it can keep the parasites in check.

It can be avoided to prevent ALL dogs that carry the mange parasites from breeding.

Therefore, FIRST thing to do with a dog that shows signs of demodectic mange is to change the food to a species appropriate diet, meaning raw food, leaving out ALL cereals. Done that, often you can already see a huge improvement withing a month. As I understand that this is pretty much impossible to do with mange streetdogs, I suggest to provide the dog with high quality kibble (although the price between raw and that kind of kibble doesn't differ that much) or cooked food with moderate amounts of brown rice or barley. Adding virgin coconut oil to the diet on a daily basis (or otherwise grated coconut meat) helps a lot as well.

Second, an ivermectin cure which usually takes up to 8 weeks (1 injection a week). It can also be given oral, and if that's not possible, than just in the food. A second option is Amitraz bathes once a week. However, both options are poisoness to the dog/animal, with Amitraz being the worst.

A third option is a mixture of coconut oil and sulfur put on the mange spots topical. Sulfur is a good alternative against mange, although it does not always work. If that's the case than one has to fall back on Amitraz or ivermectin.

For secondary bacterial infections an antibiotic cure is needed. It is possible to do so with herbs, but for this my knowledge isn't sufficient enough to be able to give advice.

Homeopathy can do wonders, but for that the dog has to be observed very very closely. ALL symptoms that is different from a normal healthy dog should be given. As every individual is different every dog or other animal need to be treated as an individual case. It is NOT that 'the disease mange' always responds that that certain kind of homeopathic remedy, which is what certain people beleive. For example, sulfur is know to help with skin problem, so many conclude that sulfur is THE remedy against mange. This is incorrect thinking: homeopathy does not treat diseases, it treats the whole individual with ALL the specific symptoms for that particular individual. This is pretty difficult with streetdogs.

Nonetheless, IMO homeopathy is THE answer to these kind of problems, as it goes right to the source of the problem. Ivermectin and Amitraz are poisoness and, therefore, even more a burden for the already impaired immune system. Very often you can see animals, treated against and 'cured' of demodectic mange at a youn(er) age, develop the disease again when the immune system is down due to another disease or old age.

There are NO homeopath's in Thailand or surrounding countries, that I know of, who are skilled enough to treat pets. Having a consult over the internet is possible but is outrageous costly.

So, to make a long story short: you can start giving the dog a good diet with coconut added, and then take it from there.

Nienke

[Luckydog]

Thank you Nienke. Posts like yours make this site great!

[geriatrickid]

Although I can appreciate the points in the Nienke post, I wish to clarify a few items from my perspective as a glorified lab rat;

Demodex canis the mite that causes demodicosis (mange) comes in approx. 60+ varieties. It is somewhat important to identify the mite to determine what treatment is appropriate. A scraping is done for this. Note that many dog breeds are predisposed to susceptibility. As suggested above a good immune system in the patient allows it to fend off the infestation. Unfortunately, intervention is often needed and for that an avermectin is used as stated above. It is derived from soil bacteria, so it can be argued to be a “natural” drug. Avermectin is highly toxic to insects and mites and has a proven negligible toxicity to birds and mammals. Hence I disagree as to it being poisonous if used as prescribed by the veterinarian. Warning: Some dogs should not be treated with this drug due to breed specific side effects. There is also avermectin resistance in some mite colonies. There are other drug alternatives.

Please understand that mange is often mistaken for a manifestation of another health problem such as stress, malnutrition or autoimmune disease. Thai soi dogs are all at risk for these conditions due to their often sad lives. Food allergies can also give rise to mange like symptoms.

Sarcoptic Mange (Scabies) is a much more serious condition and demands intervention. Reference is made to the old standby of sulfated lime rinses which do work. However, today there are a few drugs on the market that work better at the prevention and treatment of this affliction. Reference is made to Selamectin. This is the active ingredient in Pfizer’s Revolution. It is a broad spectrum treatment that is used on cats and dogs. Revolution unlike its competitors controls fleas, heartworm, hookworms, roundworms, as well as mites. I have used this on my companion animals before they were boarded.

Note too that cats are susceptible to mites. If any readers believe that their companion animal may have unwanted visitors, please consult with your veterinarian before treating the problem yourself. Your friend may have other medical problems.

[elfe]

thanks for highly interesting and helpful posts nienke and geriatrickid!

welcome to the forum geriatrickid and keep it coming

[Nienke]

Although I can appreciate the points in the Nienke post, I wish to clarify a few items from my perspective as a glorified lab rat;

Demodex canis the mite that causes demodicosis (mange) comes in approx. 60+ varieties. It is somewhat important to identify the mite to determine what treatment is appropriate. A scraping is done for this. Note that many dog breeds are predisposed to susceptibility. As suggested above a good immune system in the patient allows it to fend off the infestation. Unfortunately, intervention is often needed and for that an avermectin is used as stated above. It is derived from soil bacteria, so it can be argued to be a “natural” drug. Avermectin is highly toxic to insects and mites and has a proven negligible toxicity to birds and mammals. Hence I disagree as to it being poisonous if used as prescribed by the veterinarian. Warning: Some dogs should not be treated with this drug due to breed specific side effects. There is also avermectin resistance in some mite colonies. There are other drug alternatives.

Please understand that mange is often mistaken for a manifestation of another health problem such as stress, malnutrition or autoimmune disease. Thai soi dogs are all at risk for these conditions due to their often sad lives. Food allergies can also give rise to mange like symptoms.

Sarcoptic Mange (Scabies) is a much more serious condition and demands intervention. Reference is made to the old standby of sulfated lime rinses which do work. However, today there are a few drugs on the market that work better at the prevention and treatment of this affliction. Reference is made to Selamectin. This is the active ingredient in Pfizer’s Revolution. It is a broad spectrum treatment that is used on cats and dogs. Revolution unlike its competitors controls fleas, heartworm, hookworms, roundworms, as well as mites. I have used this on my companion animals before they were boarded.

Note too that cats are susceptible to mites. If any readers believe that their companion animal may have unwanted visitors, please consult with your veterinarian before treating the problem yourself. Your friend may have other medical problems.

Wonderful post, geriatrickid.

I would like to add that Avermectin is a family of anti-parasitic drugs whose analogues include ivermectin, selamectin, doramectin and abamectin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avermectin).

Selamectin does not really work on demodectic mange.

Also demodectic mange can be life-threatening when generalized.

Didn't know about the 60+ varieties. Vets normally diagnose through skin scrapings, but the treatment is generally the same and that is with giving ivermectin oral or by injection. Dose depends on the body weight of the animal.

Something I never understood, other than that is might be only a money thing, is that a dog treated for mange still gets the heartworm treatment. In my logic thinking, that is totally unnecessary as it is the same med, and the dose for mange treatment is higher than for heartworm prevention.

As for that mange is often mistaken for other health problems: oh yeh, I agree. Although, in my experience it is just often due to the other underlying health problem that the mange mite (that is very often already present in the animal) can multiply. And therefore, on top of the stress, malnutrition or auto-immune diseased animal it also suffers a mange infestation.

IMO, the reason why this is often mistaken is that so many times it is forgotten to look at and diagnose the animal as a whole. Just look at the most obvious disease and treat that, but WHY this disease was able to establish is more too often not questioned.

Nienke

[bina]

generally speaking, its not a false diagnonsis but an additional one: often among large mammals during or after pregnancy and lactation there are outbreaks of parasitic infections including the various manges i.e. the parasites are always around but the stress of birth/lactation or changes in weather, locale, food, introduction of new animals etc can cause an increase.

for our donkeys and goats the first thing done to a new animal, or a pregnant animal or newly lactating or any animal that seems to be 'coming down' with something is ivomac (novomectin, cydomectin, etc etc). we had a jenny (female donkey) recently that looked like a skeleton and just wasnt able to put on weight, and her skin looked hellish. ringworm negative. it seems that hormonal changes after the birth caused hair loss and weight loss and then an attack of scabies added insult to injury. weekly doses of oral ivomac and oil and concentrate grains added and she is back to her full glossy self.

ive seen the same among our goats. sometimes its hard to differentiate what came first, but full blown scabies is almost always a sign that immune system isnt on par.

collie type dogs shouldnt be dosed with ivomec types.

equines never get as shots only oral.

caprines can get either way or is preferred for preventative treatments , injection for when situation is acute (no need to inject an animal if not totally neccessary but goats have four stomachs so oral must be almost doubled. also, ivomec has a high level overdose range meaning u need to give a lot to overdose.)

also, there are brand and country manufacturer differences in effectiveness i've noticed.

bina

israel

[Nienke]

we had a jenny (female donkey)

OH MY G_D!!! This is absolutely something! Didn't know this ...

Now after more than 10 years I NEED to change the name of my GSD female!

[bina]

jennies and jacks (males) in english

just dont tell her and she wont mind...)

btw, avians can be ivomac'd also; u mix the ivo with parrafin and put drops on the beast and beak of the bird...

[CrabbyinKrabi]

I have a French bulldog in Krabi. As a puppy he got mange on his face and chest that eventually spread to the rest of his body. This apparently is not uncommon, the mites often pass from the mother to the pup when they nurse and thus attack the face. The pups young immune system may not be up to the task of fending them off.

I had to leave the country for work for a few months and left my wife to deal with it. I figured that with the amount of mange you see in the soi dogs that Thai vets would be very knowledgeable on the subject, and it would not be a big burden for my wife. This has not been the case entirely. She visited several clinics without much success and eventually found a doctor that she liked. His remedies have been largely effective for our dog.

I don't slight Thai veterinary medicine for this. As other posters have illustrated it can be a very complex condition with lots of underlying and related factors. There are different types of mange, different types of parasites involved, different underlying conditions and of course we foolishly bought a breed of dog that is known for food allergies and skin conditions that can look like mange or allow it a foothold on the dog. As well as many Thai vets (especially outside of "farang" areas) are not at all familiar with imported breeds.

One thing my wife did cleverly was call some French bulldog people in Bangkok. Her sister had picked up a doggie magazine off the racks. Apparently one of the most "winningest" Frenchies in the world lives in Bangkok now, and they did a full feautured article on him. As a result this issue had lots of Frenchie breeders and owner profiles in it. Many of them list their phone numbers and email addresses in the stories. So she figured they would know something about Frenchies in Thailand, and she called a guy. He was very helpful, and when he found out she could not get the medicinal shampoo he uses in Krabi he mailed her some. He also told her a good vet in BKK who knows bulldogs and she called that doctor as well. She tells me that once word got round the Frenchie circles there in BKK that Krabi did not stock these medicines one of the sales reps came down a few weeks later. He called her and said he would like to see the dog while in town. This was some months ago, and I was gone, I don't remember if much became of it. But we do have some good shampoo now!

The point of all that is that we got a lot of support from the Thai French bulldog community. If someone else with a purebred dog is having problems, perhaps there are local folks who can help you as well.

When my wife was initially having so much trouble, and our dog looked like hel_l, I spent a lot of time looking things up on the Internet and Googling what I could find on mange in Thailand. I found this site, EarthClinic, and it features a cure from a guy living in Thailand.

http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/dog_mange_cure.html

I have not tried it, but I want to as my dog still has skin issues from time to time. The vet said sea water often works wonders as the salt kills a lot of bugs. While Frenchies can't swim our dog does love to wade and splash and run in the surf, and it does seem to help. I suspect this cure would work along the same lines.

If anyone figures out how to get Borax and peroxide let me know! And if you try this remedy I am REALLY interested in how it works out, so please let me know.

On a side note, we just had a baby last week, and I am considering finding a new home for our bulldog. This post is already long enough, so I am gonna stick one on the Krabi forum first. If you think you would like a little bulldog please check there.

[Smithson]

Our dog developed mange, my partner used an old village remedy of putting motor oil on it. It went away quite quickly.

The vet says this is effective, as the oil prevents oxygen reaching the area, so the parasites die. He added that it wasn't the best method because the dog's will lick the oil. Luckily the mange was in a spot where our dog couldn't lick.

[sbk]

Our dog developed mange, my partner used an old village remedy of putting motor oil on it. It went away quite quickly.

The vet says this is effective, as the oil prevents oxygen reaching the area, so the parasites die. He added that it wasn't the best method because the dog's will lick the oil. Luckily the mange was in a spot where our dog couldn't lick.

Used motor oil is also carcinogenic, so can be risky for the dog.

[Nienke]

Our dog developed mange, my partner used an old village remedy of putting motor oil on it. It went away quite quickly.

The vet says this is effective, as the oil prevents oxygen reaching the area, so the parasites die. He added that it wasn't the best method because the dog's will lick the oil. Luckily the mange was in a spot where our dog couldn't lick.

Used motor oil is also carcinogenic, so can be risky for the dog.

I second that. The toxins of the motor oil go through the skin into the body. Highly poisones to the dog.

Nienke

[bina]

guess what??

number one remedy for donkeys with mange (usually on their legs, which then means fly bites, infections etc) is:

USED MOTOR OIL....

it works... not good for licking animals (cats, dogs, rabbits) but great for beasts of burden...

use it and then do a follow up of aloe vero on the skin, added oil to good food (breed /species specific) and usually see improvement...

i guess its like karosene was used on peoples' heads to get rid of lice, 'way back when in the old days' ...

ivomec has a good high overdose level i.e. need a lot to overdose, but each species has its own threshhold

the dead sea does wonders for treating many of these skin ailments... come and visit...also the beduins living near the medd. sea drive their sheep/goats in to the ocean for a 'dip' against fleas, scabies, etc.

bina

[Smithson]

What about tea tree oil, it's very good for skin rashes, works better than alo of pharmaceutical creams. It seems strong enough to kill just about anything, although it's not so good for sensitive skin.

It's expensive in Thailand, but cheap in Australia. I've also been told it's really cheap in Indo,

[Nienke]

So far I know TTO can be used as an repellent (although doesn't really work when there is an infestation) and desinfectant, but won't kill the mange parasites. It can depend on the individual dog, though.

Nienke

[Smithson]

The vet told me the motor oil (new or used) works because it starves the parasite of oxygen. If this is so wouldn't there be some other type of non-toxic oil that could be used?

[elfe]

neem oil is very good against parasites and mild forms of mange. it comes in little greenish bottles for pets and is like an milky emulsion.

also had good results with a herbal watery solution called 'pour on', available in thailand at vets.

best result for mange with a amitraz cream, comes in small yellow pots at tesco in the pet section.

for severe kinds of mange (which your dog doesn't have i guess) all of above can support but medicine like ivermectin also has to be applied and antibiotics to clean up wounds. also bathes with amitraz solution might be in order every few days for a month.

essential in treatment is to boost immune system with raw feeding and vitamins/oils and maybe other immunity stimulans!

[elfe]

this is one of my dogs who had severe mange as puppy. after the above treatment her fur completely grew back again, results visible already after a few days, after one month the hair was back! and she never got sick again.

here she is, before and now, my beloved little pearl

as for a note, mangy dogs can always be cured, no need to euthanize, and - it is never too late!!

[guyinthailand]

I’ve learned that it only takes from 10 to 100 baht (more or less, depending) to fix some of the most pathetic looking hairless itchy, mangy dogs you see. Usually all you need is to give Ivermectin once every two weeks for a month (2 treatments spaced two weeks apart.)

I’ve treated hundreds of temple dogs for Sarcoptes mites (mange) with Ivermectin. Use a plastic syringe to squirt it in the backs of their mouths (without the needle!), or put it in a bowl of milk if dog won’t get close to you and let them drink it. Once a week for 4 weeks, or even just once every two weeks for a total of two treatments. This will kill sarcoptes mites which is the most common kind, very itchy, causes hair loss, scabs etc. If the above treatment doesn’t work then you are perhaps dealing with the Other kind of mite, demodex. Demodex requires Ivermectin every day for as long as two months. But, instead of Ivermectin every day for two months you can give them a weekly dip (pour on) of Amitraz for 6 treatments (one per week, or even just once every two weeks for 3 treatments, but weekly is better.) This pour on of Amitraz is often much easier than trying to give Ivermectin every day, especially if you treat many dogs. (The dog must trust you to let you get close to it and pour the stuff on. That is where feeding the dogs helps, because now they trust you.)

Fortunately, most scratching, hair loss, is from the Sarcoptes mite which can easily be killed with as few as two treatments, one every two weeks for a total of two treatments (or once per week for four weeks).

Generally speaking, you want to give a 10 kg dog about .5 cc (one half cc) and a 20 kg dog 1 cc. Do not give more than this. (adjust dose downward for smaller dogs). Do not giver Ivermectin to collies and collie crosses, or old English sheepdogs. But this is Thailand and you don’t see too many of those breeds anyway. Do not inject Ivermectin unless you are trained to be scrupulously careful with needles, use a NEW needle for EACH dog (unlike the Thai animal husbandry guys here—batsusat—who Don’t change the needles and end up giving Infectious Canine Hepatitis to many of the dogs they ‘treat’, killing them.)

Ivermectin orally works fine, and is the preferred route anyway for Demodex mange. So forget about injections, especially if you’re treating street dogs in a chaotic situation like the street or temple. Do you really want to be waving needles around a bunch of dogs clamoring for your attention? Like I’ve said, I’ve cured hundreds of dogs with Oral Ivermectin.

If the dog already has adult heartworms then giving Ivermectin may cause very severe reaction—possibly death-- when the heartworms die. So if it is your personal pet we’re talking about it is best to take it to the vet for a heartworm test before you give Ivermectin. (I have 8 dogs at my house and I never tested them before giving Ivermectin.) There is no way I can test all the temple dogs I treat. And I haven’t killed any dogs yet. (The temple dogs I’ve treated are all beautiful, happy and healthy now whereas before they looked like 8 miles of bad road.) To me, the temples are like battlefields where I make ‘triage’ decisions about relieving suffering for the most dogs possible. Testing dogs for heartworms (expensive and time consuming) does not fit into my battlefield plan. I give Ivermectin to every dog I deal with, period. (Ivermectin also kills some intestinal worms.)

A 100 cc bottle of Ivermectin costs around 400 baht (or less, if you buy it from discount place) and you can treat 50 or so dogs with that bottle. Amazing that just 10 or 20 baht can cure one of those hairless, itchy, pathetic looking mangy mongrels you see everywhere here.

I’m writing a Dog Field Care manual for people like you who care about the Thai street dogs. It will go into much more detail than this brief email. Most of these dogs don’t need to go to the vet for some time consuming process. It is not difficult to ‘fix’ many of these rundown dogs—a few squirts of Ivermectin, a handful of antibiotics, maybe some worm and flea medicine also. It doesn’t take much: often just the Ivermectin alone will eliminate a lot of suffering. Great medicine! It is also used by World Health Organization and (former President) Carter Organization to eliminate terrible parasites in humans that cause different diseases like river blindness. The drug manufacturer has given hundreds of millions of free doses of the stuff in poor countries.

Remember that dogs need clean, fresh drinking water in a clean bowl and change the water every day. It is difficult to have a strong immune system if you’re drinking shitty, dirty, fungus laden water.

The vets I’ve read say Never, Ever put motor oil (kerosene, etc) on a dog. It is toxic. Have you ever seen a vet put motor oil on a dog? Ivermectin works. Motor oil is for engines. (Many ‘vets’ in Thailand never went to real Vet school. Usually a real vet will speak, read and write English.)

If you send me your email address I’ll be happy to send you a PDF copy of the Dog Field Care manual when it is ready.

[email protected]

[elfe]

thank you for your wonderful work with sick strays!!

about ivermec for dogs with heartworm disease, i've heard what you say that it will kill adult heartworm in the heart and cause blocking vessels, from a vet here too, a while ago.

another vet recently told me though that ivermec would not kill the adult heartworm but only the larvae in the blood. any more insight in this?

me too i use ivermec for my dogs regularly every two months for heartworm protection and tick/flea control. sometimes more often than every two months if tick infested. never observed any bad side effect, hope it stays like that!

however,few of my dogs had an allergic reaction a few hours after injection with itching and swellings of skin which dissapeared after a few hours. not each time when injected though.

[girlx]

i have one dog with horrible demodectic mange. when he first came to me (i think someone dropped him at my house) he was beautiful, with a lux fur coat. in the past month he has lost all his fur except on top of his head, and is covered with gross scabs. i have given him several treatments of ivermectin, and one amitraz dip so far, but the problem is that before i can give him his next dip treatment he has scratched and licked so much that he gets a serious infection, and i have to treat that before i can resume the mange treatment, so i am always giving him these harsh drugs and he feels and looks like crap. i am also leaving soon to travel for 2 months in south america, so lord knows what will happen to him during that time. it's pretty sad to see his condition, my neighbors are horrified that i keep him around and i am afraid he'll get poisoned before he ever gets better. it is also a lifetime disorder as it has to do with the immune system not being strong enough to fight off the mites!

[Nienke]

i have one dog with horrible demodectic mange. ... i am also leaving soon to travel for 2 months in south america, so lord knows what will happen to him during that time. it's pretty sad to see his condition, my neighbors are horrified that i keep him around and i am afraid he'll get poisoned before he ever gets better.

Who's going to take care the dogs when you're away? You're not just leaving them behind, do you?

If you have someone, isn't it possible that this person takes the dog to a compatible vet for a full health check up? Maybe there is an underlying problem, such as hypothyroidism that gives him the hairloss, or maybe it's not demodectic but sarcoptic mange. Even vaccines can cause horrible itch to an animal.

If it is demodect, then a course of antibiotics against the secondary bacterial infection is very advisable (and even a week prednisone to stop the itch, so the wounds have chance to heal). Ivermectin AND dips at the same time are a huge burden for the liver.

Nienke

[girlx]

yeah i give him cephalexin for the bacterial infection and when that is finally gone i will dip him with amitraz again, hopefully i have time for at least 2 more dips before i go. it is definitely demodex, been diagnosed by the vet already. could be an immune disorder, but this dog had canine distemper already and survived so i think he's pretty strong.... my thai friend will stay in my house and take care of the dogs while i am gone (leaving a 2 months' supply of food), but that will not include giving them medicines and taking them over a 40 minute jungle road (on motorbike not possible) to the vet. i am lucky i can even get anyone to feed them here! i am hoping i can get 'sick' (my dog) back on his feet before i go.

[macb]

Isolation is the first consideration of the individual dog as the is a contagious disease: There are special Bathing creams etc THere is a chemical ingredient in raw tripe thats conteracts with mange it is a smellie diet but works, I have seen the results :

Here are some links to Support Nienkes post

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_demodectic_mange.html

http://www.petsbestrx.com/mange/?gclid=CJS...CFQzCYgodnyIcEQ

http://www.peteducation.com/category_summa...=2&cat=1589

Keep children away from dogs with Mange, there is a lot of this disease in Thailand but it can also be confused with Flea Infestation which also causes the dogs to nibble bite and scratch creating open wounds

[bina]

ืnienke: give the ivo oral to dogs, its less hassle and u dont get the reaction; anyway, the ivo is sub cutaneous in most animals except horses it MUST be oral...

bina

can humans be given ivermectin??? we joke about it when we get scabies from the rabbits but if we actually can use it/? its not even approved for goats, only bovines (cows), swine, etc. for other animals, the dosage is a guess, and its effectiveness is also...

[Nienke]

guess what??

number one remedy for donkeys with mange (usually on their legs, which then means fly bites, infections etc) is:

USED MOTOR OIL....

it works... not good for licking animals (cats, dogs, rabbits) but great for beasts of burden...

From the website that Macb gave:

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_demodectic_mange.html

In older times, some 30 years ago, dipping dogs with demodectic mange in motor oil was a popular home remedy. Skin exposure to motor oil can cause rashes and skin destruction in severe cases. The hydrocarbons can be absorbed through the skin and cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure. If motor oil is licked off the coat, resultant vomiting can lead to aspiration of motor oil into the lungs and pneumonia. Kidney and liver damage can result from motor oil dipping.

PLEASE: DO NOT DIP YOUR DOG IN MOTOR OIL!

[girlx]

Isolation is the first consideration of the individual dog as the is a contagious disease

i have read up a lot on this so far and everything i have read says demodex is rarely contagious to other dogs or humans. not sure about sarcoptic mange.

can humans be given ivermectin???

i also read that NGOs/similar groups pass out ivermectin tablets to people in 3rd world countries to prevent parasitical infestations.

[girlx]

from wikipedia:

Ivermectin is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic agent. It is mainly used in humans in the treatment of onchocerciasis, but is also effective against other worm infestations (such as strongyloidiasis, ascariasis, trichuriasis and enterobiasis). More recent evidence supports its off-label use in the treatment of mites such as scabies, usually limited to cases that prove resistant to topical treatments and/or who present in advanced state (such as Norwegian scabies).

Therapeutic dosage

Adults

Oral: 3 to 12 mg as a single dose per os (about 150 to 200 µg/kg bodyweight) for onchocerciasis and other parasitic infections. (Ex. 45 kg would be about 6.75 mg to 9 mg)

Children

Ivermectin is not given to children weighing less than 15 kg. The dose is 150 µg/kg bodyweight (in children weighing more).

Contraindications

Ivermectin is contraindicated in persons with an immediate hypersensitivity to the drug. It should not be given to mothers who are breast-feeding until the infant is at least three months old (Reynolds, 1993).

[Nienke]

i have read up a lot on this so far and everything i have read says demodex is rarely contagious to other dogs or humans. not sure about sarcoptic mange.

Sarcoptic mange or scabies is highly contagious to humans ... unfortunately. But so far I know, easy to be treated.

Nienke